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how to get back into normal mode from safemode (that has locked me out due to password)?

Richard Chu 20 Reputation points
2025-09-27T22:04:21.0966667+00:00

normal mode was pin protected. went into safe mode without removing the pin and now can't get into windows as safe mode won't allow a pin to be entered.
Windows for home | Windows 11 | Desktop, Start, and personalization | Desktop
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  1. Francisco Montilla 30,525 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-09-27T23:15:01.5333333+00:00

    Hi Richard,

    You are right. Safe Mode does not accept a PIN because the TPM is not loaded, so Windows asks for your account password. The fastest way back to Normal Mode is to remove the Safe Boot flag from the boot loader using the Recovery Environment.

    On the sign-in screen select the power icon, hold Shift, then click Restart. When the blue menu appears go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt. In the Command Prompt window type this command and press Enter:

    bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot

    If you get a message that the element was not found, run this instead and press Enter:

    bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot

    Now type exit, choose Continue to Windows, and let the PC restart. It should boot normally again, and your PIN should also work.

    If it still lands in Safe Mode after that, sign in and press Windows+R, type msconfig, press Enter, open the Boot tab, clear Safe boot, click OK, and restart.

    Tell me how it goes or if you cannot reach the blue menu, I will give you an alternate way to open it.

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  1. Richard Chu 20 Reputation points
    2025-09-28T00:25:38.9633333+00:00

    Thanks for your quick response. I performed the shift restart and a blue screen did appear with a message that ms will restart my computer but it basically just shut down. The computer is a dell desktop xps 8950 in case that helps. I've also gotten into the bios to start in command prompt but didn't see that as an option. The only other options available are starting in ipv4 or ipv6 which produced an error. Actually there was one other option that was Greek to me.

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