Access Advanced Startup Options on Windows 10 Menu

Windows is a powerful and versatile computer operating system used by many. From laptops to digital billboards to smartphones, the OS’s scale and usage are massive! Just because it’s widespread across different devices doesn’t mean that it can’t run into problems, though. Every so often, Windows OS updates introduce weird, almost random glitches. Not every device handles these updates, as well as you would think. One way to combat the glitches commonly associated with Windows is to use Advanced Startup Options.

Accessing Advanced Startup Option

Accessing Advanced Startup Options requires you to use the blue screen — but not in a wrong way! You are not crashing your Windows 10 system, instead bringing it to a troubleshooting screen.

Method 1: Power Button

1. Choose the Windows button in the corner.
2. Click on the “Power” option.
3. Click “Restart” while holding the shift button.
4. Hold the shift button until the blue page appears.
5. Click on “Troubleshoot.”
6. Click on “Advanced Options.”

Method 2: Recovery Option

1. Select the Windows menu in the bottom left corner.
2. Click on the gear icon just above the power button.
3. Go to “Update & Security.”
4. On the left tab, click on “Recovery.”
5. Below the “Advanced Startup” tab, click “Restart Now.”
6. Wait until the blue page appears.
7. Click on “Troubleshoot.”
8. Click on “Advanced Options.”

Method 3: Command Prompt

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Type “cmd” then press “Enter.”
3. Inside the command prompt, type “shutdown -r -o.”
4. A notification will appear, click “Close.”
5. Wait until the blue page appears.
6. Click on “Troubleshoot.”
7. Click on “Advanced Options.”

Options Within Advanced Startup

Within Windows’s Advanced Startup are several options you can use to solve some of the issues you may be facing.

System Restore

System Restore is a feature that enables users to revert to a specific restore point in your system’s hard drive. A restore point is like a save file for your operating system. A collection of file memories and registries can also be accessed at a later date if necessary.

You need to create a Windows restore point before you can revert to it.

1. Type “Create a restore point” on the Windows’ search bar.
2. Select the first search result that appears.
3. Make sure your system protection is on by clicking “Configure.”
4. Click “Create” on the bottom right corner of the window.
5. Enter a name for your system restore. It should be something that references your current time frame, such as “2nd-year college” or “2020 Summer break.

System Image File

This feature lets users revert their system from a system image backup. A system image file includes files, driver installations, and settings/preferences compressed into a single image file in (.iso) format.

To create a system image file, follow the steps below.

1. Open a Finder window.
2. Type “Control Panel\All Control Panel Items” in the file directory bar (right side of the search box).
3. Go to “File History.”
4. Click on “System Image Backup.”
5. Click on “Create a System Image” on the leftmost side.

Choose where you would like to store the system image file. You can use your hard drive, an external hard disk, or another drive located on your network. You can also use a blank disc, provided you have a DVD-RW. Unfortunately, you can’t use a flash drive for this task.

Startup Repair

Startup Repair is an automated application that will attempt to find what is causing your computer to fail. The app serves as a safe first step to fixing your broken computer.

Once initiated, it will perform a series of tasks such as checking for Windows’ updates, testing system disk integrity, diagnosing past disk failures, etc. A log file will appear in “Windows\System32\Logfiles” named srttrail.txt that contains the report of all tests performed by startup repair.

Startup Settings

This option is similar to safe mode, but with more options disabled. As a result, the system is running on bare bones. Startup Settings helps narrow down the cause of the problems by determining if the problem still exists after booting with limited application usage.

UEFI Settings

Short for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, it is basically a bridge between your operating system and your computer’s hardware firmware. It’s a collection of settings dealing with how your motherboard handles your computer’s peripherals such as RAM, graphics card, and hard drives.

Command Prompt

Open a command prompt that can execute commands without actually accessing the desktop interface of Windows. You can type “help” to discover the full commands.

Go Back to the Previous Version

Sometimes Windows’ updates bring a new set of bugs and glitches that you can’t fix because you need developer-level access. This option rolls back the update.

Conclusion

Windows Advanced Startup Options can be accessed using the power button, recovery option, and the command prompt. It’s essential to routinely create a restore point and system image backup so you can revert to an earlier version should you experience devastating system problems. Remember, not all Windows devices take updates the same way. Before downloading any update, it’s best to do a little research to determine if it is the best option for your device.