How to Start Firefox or Internet Explorer in Safe Mode?

By / February 20, 2020

In this post, we’ll see:

A Quick Introduction to Safe Mode

Firefox and Internet Explorer have a mode for troubleshooting, and that mode is safe mode.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode

You can launch the Firefox web browser in safe mode in five different ways.

Before we see the methods, let’s see some important things:

  • If you’ve any other already opened Firefox windows while following Method #1 and #2, then those windows too will get launched in safe mode.
  • Before trying Method #3, #4, and #5, make sure no other Firefox windows are already opened. Otherwise, those ways will not open Firefox in safe mode, and they’ll open normal Firefox windows.
  • To get out of safe mode, close the safe mode windows.

With that said, let’s see the methods.

Method #1

  1. Open the Firefox web browser.
  2. Click on the three vertical lines at the top right.
  3. In the menu, hit on Help > Restart with Add-ons Disabled.
Restart with Add-ons Disabled option
  1. In the pop-up, hit the Restart button.
Restart with Add-ons Disabled popup
  1. Now, in the Firefox Safe Mode pop-up, you can see two buttons – Start in Safe Mode and Refresh Firefox.
Firefox Safe Mode pop-up
  1. Hit the Start in Safe Mode button.

Method #2

  1. In the address bar, type about:support and then hit Enter key.
  2. In the top right of the screen, you can see Restart with Add-ons Disabled button. Hit it.
  3. In the pop-up, hit the Restart button.
  4. In the Firefox Safe Mode pop-up, hit Start in Safe Mode button.

Method #3

  1. Press the Shift key and double-click on the Firefox shortcut.
  2. Now, you can see the pop-up. Click on the Start in Safe Mode button.

Method #4

  1. Right-click on the Firefox shortcut (I suggest changing the shortcut name to Firefox safe mode) and select Properties.
  2. In the Target field, append -safe-mode (see screenshot).
Appended -safe-mode
  1. Click on the Ok button.
  2. In the pop-up, click on the Continue button.
  3. From now on, when you open the shortcut, you’ll see Firefox Safe Mode pop-up.
  4. Click on the Start in Safe Mode button to launch Firefox in safe mode.

Method #5

  1. Open Run Command (Press Windows key and R simultaneously for that). In it, type firefox -safe-mode and then press the Enter key.
Run Command Box with command
  1. Hit the Start in Safe Mode button in the Firefox Safe Mode pop-up.

Note:

You can use the same command in the Address toolbar, File Explorer address bar and Task Manager (Hit File > Run new task to use the command). For Command Prompt, you need to use start firefox -safe-mode command.

After that, apply the last step in the Method #5.

Start Internet Explorer in Safe Mode

Method #1

  1. Open Run Command Box (you need to press Windows key + R simultaneously for that).
  2. In it, type iexplore -extoff and then press the Enter key.

Note: You can use the same command in the Address toolbar, File Explorer address bar, and Task Manager (hit File > Run new task to use the command). For Command Prompt, you need to use the command start iexplore -extoff.

Method #2

  1. Right-click on the Internet Explorer shortcut (I suggest changing the shortcut name to Internet Explorer safe mode) and select Properties.
  2. In the Target field, append -extoff (see screenshot).
Added -extoff in the Target field
  1. Hit the Ok button at the bottom.

From now on, when you double-click the shortcut, it’ll open Internet Explorer in safe mode.

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