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Change msconfig boot options from command prompt via boot disc #

During a malware cleanup, msconfig was used to change the boot method to Safe Mode with Networking (msconfig > Boot > Boot options > check Safe boot > check Network). On reboot, Windows would not load. Reverting the changes and returning to Normal Mode was done like so:

1. Boot from Windows install disc and open command prompt (Shift+F10)

2. Check the current boot mode:
   
   X:\>bcdedit
   ...
   Windows Boot Loader
   -------------------
   identifier {default}
   ...
   nx OptIn
   safeboot Network

3. Remove the Safe Mode with Networking option:
   
   X:\>bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot
   The operation completed successfully.

4. Check boot mode again:
   
   X:\>bcdedit
   ...
   Windows Boot Loader
   -------------------
   identifier {default}
   ...
   nx OptIn

BCDEdit can be used on offline drives via the "store" command (the help documentation oddly refers to it as a command instead of a flag or switch), e.g., bcdedit /store E:\Boot\BCD /deletevalue {default} safeboot. (Found this handy for editing BCD on a DiskCryptor-encrypted drive mounted inside of a Windows PE session.)

Sources

• Restoring Win7 boot options to default on machine that won't boot to windows anymore?
• Safe mode loop after using msconfig startup change
• BCDEdit on an Offline drive

Related

• Blue screen when booting into Safe Mode on malware-infected machine

/windows | Apr 17, 2016

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