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Does your Windows 10 computer give you trouble? For troubleshooting, you may be told to do a Clean Boot or go into Safe Mode. So, what’s the difference between Clean Boot and Safe Mode. When and how do you use them, In this post, MiniTool Solution tells you a lot of things.
Clean Boot and Safe Mode sound like they do the same thing, but they are different. When a PC is giving you trouble, you can fix it by going into Safe Mode or doing a Clean Boot. But which should you use: Clean Boot or Safe Mode? Now, let’s look at the guide to see what Clean Boot and Safe Mode are and how to use them.
Clean Boot VS Safe Mode features
| Clean Boot | Safe Mode |
|---|---|
| Find software conflicts or performance problems and fix them. | Fix problems with starting up, software conflicts, and viruses. |
| Only the fewest drivers and programs needed to start up. | Only the most important system services and drivers. |
| All files, folders, and devices accessible. | Some software might not run right. |
| May require additional configuration. | No additional configuration required. |
What Is Clean Boot?
As the name suggests, clean boot starts up your laptop without any third-party tools or services. So, when your computer starts up, only the most important services from Microsoft are running in the background. When you do a clean boot, you basically turn off all non-Microsoft services to find out which non-Microsoft service is causing problems.
By starting up in this state, you can figure out which programs might cause problems. You can’t use Windows to start up in a clean boot environment. You have to manually turn off all the third-party services. You can download this app from its official website.
What’s Safe Mode?
Safe Mode is a special diagnostic mode in Windows that turns off everything except the most important services and processes. That is, the drivers for the sound card, GPU, and other things are turned off in Safe Mode. Even the features that come with Windows, like Sticky Notes, Windows Update, Search, etc., can’t be used. Also, the resolution of the screen will get smaller.
Clean Boot VS Safe Mode: Difference
Safe mode is already built in. That is, you don’t have to change things by hand. You only need to turn on safe mode, and Windows will take care of the rest. Windows comes with a set of instructions for safe mode that tell it what services and routines to turn off. So, it will turn off every driver, service, and routine that isn’t necessary, even ones that come straight from Microsoft.
This means that both first-party and third-party services will be targeted by safe mode. Clean boot, on the other hand, only looks at services that aren’t made by Microsoft. In this mode, you turn off each third-party service by hand. As a result, there will be no changes made by third parties, but all of Microsoft’s services will still be available.
which is better?
Safe mode is not the same as clean boot. So, you should use the one that best fits your needs. Use clean boot to fix problems with software. Use Windows safe mode to fix problems with hardware. Lastly, keep in mind that these modes will not be like how you usually use Windows. A lot of things will be missing. Once you’ve done what you needed to do, start Windows in normal mode.
Safe Mode pros and cons
Pros:
- Useful for fixing problems with starting up.
- software conflicts.
Cons:
- May restrict access to certain files.
Clean Boot pros and cons
Pros:
- It gives you a clean place to install or update software.
- Helpful for figuring out how to fix problems with third-party software.
Cons:
- Turning them off could cause problems you didn’t expect.
FAQs
Does a clean boot erase everything?
Clean booting is the same as starting Windows in Safe Mode. With a clean boot, you can choose which programs and services run at startup with more freedom. It also helps you figure out which parts of the normal boot process are slowing down your computer without having to delete your personal files.
What is the benefit of clean boot?
Clean boot is one of the troubleshooting techniques that helps identify the application or service that is causing a problem. It is often performed when non-Microsoft products cause software conflicts. Clean boot makes it easier to start an operating system by loading only essential files and programs.
Is it safe to perform a clean boot?
Rest assured, it is perfectly safe to perform a clean boot, which is a standard troubleshooting method, which will not damage your PC or corrupt Windows 10.