How to access Windows Safe Mode when Drive Encryption is installed

Technical Articles ID: KB73714
Last Modified: 2023-01-19 11:09:36 Etc/GMT

Environment

Drive Encryption (DE) 7.x

For details of DE-supported environments, see KB79422 - Supported platforms for Drive Encryption 7.x.

Summary

DE supports accessing Safe Mode by pressing F8, which is normal when using Windows.

This article covers the following situations:

You might experience difficulty in accessing Windows Safe Mode by pressing F8 during startup.
Greater difficulties can be incurred when DE is installed.
Problems can occur regardless of whether preboot authentication is needed, or if the client is in an AutoBoot mode.

IMPORTANT:

F8 recovery isn't available on the Samsung Slate 700T tablets. Technical issues prevent F8 recovery from working on this platform with either DE installed.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 systems. For details, see KB84563 - On-Screen Keyboard does not work after enabling Microsoft TPM in the BIOS.
To view other specific model issues, see KB84502 - Drive Encryption 7.x Known Issues.

Solution 1

To access Windows Safe Mode when Preboot Authentication is enabled, perform the steps below:

Start or restart your computer.
Authenticate at the preboot authentication screen.

After a few moments, the following messages display on a black text screen.

NOTE: The delay between authentication and the text being displayed might vary, so be prepared to press and hold F8.

IMPORTANT: Some later versions of Windows (Windows 10 for example) don't display the messages below during startup. In this situation, continue to hold the F8 key down to access Safe Mode when you've entered your preboot credentials.

Resetting Hardware...
Restoring interrupts...
Disabling Mouse...
Starting operating system...

When you see the message Resetting Hardware, press and hold F8 until the Windows Safe Mode startup screen displays.

IMPORTANT: You must keep the F8 key pressed; don't press the key once. You must keep holding the key down to access Safe Mode.

The Windows Safe Mode startup screen displays.

Solution 2

To access Windows Safe Mode when Automatic Booting is enabled:

Depending on the model of the computer, one of the following methods provides access to Safe Mode. We're unable to retain a published list of which method works with which specific make and model.

Method 1

Start or restart your computer.

NOTE: If Automatic Booting is enabled, you do not see the preboot authentication screen. The first message you see is McAfee Drive Encryption V7.x
The moment you see the above, press and hold F8 until the Windows Safe Mode startup screen displays.

IMPORTANT: You must keep the F8 key pressed; don't press the key once. You must keep holding the key down to access Safe Mode.

After a few moments, the following messages display on a black text screen:

NOTE: Some later versions of Windows (Windows 10 for example) don't display the messages below during startup.

Resetting Hardware...
Restoring interrupts...
Disabling Mouse...
Starting operating system...

The Windows Safe Mode startup screen then displays.

Affected Products

Drive Encryption 7.2 (EOL)

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How to access Windows Safe Mode when Drive Encryption is installed

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How to access Windows Safe Mode when Drive Encryption is installed

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