Most PC users are aware of the safe mode in Windows 10 and earlier versions. In the safe mode, Windows loads only necessary drivers and files. There is a similar but less advanced mode called clean boot, which will also help you troubleshoot issues on your Windows 10 PC.

What is a clean boot of Windows 10?

A clean boot starts Windows 10 with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. The clean boot feature will help you to check if a third-party service or program running in the background is causing issues on your PC.

If you are wondering, yes, it’s like the safe mode in the Windows operating system. But the safe mode is a more advanced one.

Start Windows 10 in clean boot mode

You must have the administrator rights to perform a clean boot of Windows 10. So, please sign in to the administrator account before proceeding.

Step 1: Type msconfig in the Start/taskbar search field and then press the Enter key to open the System Configuration utility.

Step 2: Switch to the Services tab. Select the Hide all Microsoft services check box to see only third-party application services. Now, click the Disable all button to disable all third-party services. Click the Apply button. Don’t click the OK button or close the System Configuration dialog.

Step 3: Open the Task Manager, and switch to the Startup tab. Disable all startup items. To disable an item, right-click on it and then click the Disable option.

Step 4: Switch back to the System Configuration utility dialog. Click the OK button. When asked, restart your computer to boot Windows 10 in a clean boot state.

You can now easily figure out if a third-party application running in the background was causing issues on your PC.

Boot Windows 10 in normal mode

Step 1: Open the System Configuration utility by typing msconfig in the Start/taskbar search field and then hitting the Enter key.

Step 2: Under the Services tab, deselect Hide all Microsoft services check box. Click the Enable all button.

Step 3: Open the Task Manager. Navigate to the Startup tab. Enable startup items that you would like to run with Windows 10. Enabling unnecessary startup items will slow down your Windows 10 startup. So, enable only necessary ones.

Step 4: Switch back to the System Configuration dialog. Click the OK button. Restart your computer to boot Windows 10 in normal mode.