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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To enable the legacy Advanced Boot Options menu in Windows 10, open Command Prompt as an administrator and run bcdedit /set {current} bootmenupolicy legacy. Restart the PC and press F8 during startup. Windows 10 uses the Standard boot-menu policy by default, which ignores F8.
Enable the F8 menu for future startups
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Open Command Prompt as an administrator. BCDEdit requires administrative privileges to change Windows Boot Configuration Data (BCD).
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Enter this command and press Enter:
bcdedit /set {current} bootmenupolicy legacy -
Restart the PC. Press F8 during startup to open the legacy Advanced options menu. The keypress timing can vary with the device’s startup process, so the keyboard or firmware may not register it at the same moment on every PC.
Microsoft documents the setting this way: “When Legacy is selected, the Advanced options menu (F8) is available.” Microsoft’s BCDEdit reference also states that the Standard policy ignores F8 during boot.
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Choose between persistent F8 access and one-time access
The Legacy policy makes the F8 menu available on subsequent startup attempts. If you only need the legacy menu for the next boot, run this command in an administrator Command Prompt instead:
bcdedit /set {current} onetimeadvancedoptions on
Microsoft describes onetimeadvancedoptions as controlling whether the system boots to the legacy menu on its next boot. These are distinct from using Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to select a troubleshooting option on demand.
Restore the Windows 10 default boot-menu policy
To stop using the legacy F8 menu and restore the Standard policy, open Command Prompt as an administrator and run:
bcdedit /set {current} bootmenupolicy standard
Standard is the documented Windows 10 default; F8 is ignored during boot under this policy. Microsoft’s BCDEdit reference lists Legacy and Standard as the available bootmenupolicy values.
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Use WinRE Startup Settings without changing the boot policy
If you want a startup troubleshooting option such as Safe Mode but do not want to change the boot-menu policy, use Windows Recovery Environment’s Startup Settings. Microsoft’s Windows Startup Settings instructions give this route:
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Enter WinRE.
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Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
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After the device restarts, select the listed startup option you need, such as Safe Mode.
If Windows cannot start, Microsoft’s recovery guidance covers WinRE and separate recovery or installation-media paths. Some recovery actions can cause data loss, so back up important files where possible and understand the selected action before continuing. An encrypted device may ask for its BitLocker recovery key.
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BCDEdit changes Windows Boot Configuration Data. Microsoft warns that changing some boot-entry options can make a computer inoperable, and notes that BitLocker or Secure Boot may need to be suspended for some BCDEdit changes. That warning does not establish that Secure Boot must be disabled for this boot-menu setting; do not turn it off unless a specific error or device-maker instruction calls for it. Microsoft’s BCDEdit documentation explains the utility and its options.
Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025. Microsoft says Windows 10 PCs continue to work, but standard free software updates, technical assistance, and security fixes are no longer provided after that date. See Microsoft’s Windows 10 support-end notice.
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