Add Safe Mode to Boot Options in Windows 10  

Windows 10 wipes this information out everytime it upgrades (i.e. 1703 to 1709, 1709 to 1803)

Has anyone attempted to create a batch file or powershell script to do all the steps in Option 2?

I've been using a batch file to do these steps:
bcdedit /copy {Current} /d “Windows 10 Safe Mode”
bcdedit /copy {Current} /d “Windows 10 Safe Mode with Networking”
bcdedit /copy {Current} /d “Windows 10 Safe Mode with Command Prompt”

But then have to manually do each machine for the msconfig part.
Even though I can see the CLI to "/set" the "safeboot", I still have to manually get the "{identifer}" - this takes longer per machine than just opening msconfig.

I'd like to just run a script to do everything - the /copy and /set - but I cannot figure out how to grab the "{identifiers}" in order to "/set" the "safeboot" and "safebootalternatesheel"

Any suggestions?

Yes, I also see updates, upgrades and JOOTT (Just One Of Those Things, i.e. cause unknown) eats these extra Windows Boot menu entries; VERY annoying. Also, MSConfig doesn't make the changes permanent (and the Boot status checkbox is greyed out), tho it helps to go here...

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\MSConfig\state

...and check State.

Other possible causes may include Fast Start (recently enabled by 1803 and/or its updates), changing UEFI to BIOS to boot rescue discs, other MSConfig changes, I dunno.

I'm too nervous to fully automate restoring these lost boot entries, in case the GUIDs change, and BCDEdit restore could splat everything, so I use this batch file I wrote to semi-automate it:

Code:

@Echo Off
Echo.
Echo ***   This must be run with Adminitration rights!   ***
Echo.
Echo This will create extra boot entries for Windows 8/10 and
Echo then set via MSConfig to boot Safe and Safe Cmd modes.
Echo.
Echo Press   Ctl+C   to abort, or...
Pause
Echo.
BCDEdit /Enum /V
Echo **  Note the Windows Boot Loader Identifier  **

:GetID
  Set /P id=Identifier = 
If "%id%"=="" GoTo GetID
        
BCDEdit /Copy %id% /d "Safe Mode"
BCDEdit /Copy %id% /d "Safe Cmd"
Echo.
Echo Next:
Echo  - edit boot entries to match the descriptions via MSConfig
Echo  - make changes permanent before exiting MSConfig
Echo.
MSConfig
Pause

...which must be Run As Admin to work.

To avoid typos, I highlight (Edit, Mark) the Windows Boot Loader Identifier, then Edit, Copy to clipboard and Edit, Paste it into place, then Enter.

Yes; networking if you need it, tho for my purposes, avoiding that exposure is one of the reasons I'd use Safe Mode! "No GUI" can be confused with "Command Prompt Only"; they do different things - "No GUI" shows a list of drivers as they load, instead of rotating dots, whereas for Command Prompt Only you'd choose Alternate Shell, thus avoiding anything that integrates into Explorer.exe

Command Prompt Only is thus safer for chasing malware, tho a hostile screen saver will still kick in if the system is left unattended, as it typically would be during long scans.

Tip 1: There's a fair bit of "dark code" that runs after the last listed driver (as seen with the "No GUI" setting), so the last driver listed is not necessarily what crashed or "hung"; it may have loaded and initialized just fine, with the crash or hang following in later code before next UI update.

Tip 2: If in Command Prompt Only and frustrated by the lack of a GUI shell for file operations, you can start Notepad and use the File, Open dialog box space to (right-click) Copy and Paste directory subtrees etc. as if using the full GUI shell. Not sure to what extent this remains safe from shell integrations, tho.

reddwarf4ever said:

Also does the boot setting need to be in normal to see the boot options, mine is in selective and i dont see them at startupThanks

FWIW, I experimented with adding Safe Mode to boot options and taking it out again a few times. Every time I added it, it automatically switched to normal (yes, I checked make settings permanent). If tried selecting minimal it switched to normal after a restart. I was only able to select minimal if I took safe mode out.