How to clean or safe boot your computer

Overblik

A clean or safe boot on your PC or Mac can help fix problems installing, launching, or accessing game content.

These steps can harm your computer if not done correctly. If you’re not comfortable doing them on your own, we recommend having a computer professional help you.

How to run a clean boot on PC

A clean boot helps you determine which background programs might be making it difficult for your computer to install, launch, or access game content.If you're running Windows 10 or 11, follow these steps to clean boot your PC:

1
Open the Start menu.
2
Type msconfig in the search box and press Enter.
3
This will bring up the System Configuration window.
4
Go to the Services tab.
5
Check the box to Hide all Microsoft Services then select the Disable all button.
6
Go to the Startup tab.
7
Select Open Task Manager.
8
Once the list fully loads, right-click and choose Disable on each of the programs listed.
9
Close the Task Manager and go back to the System Configuration window.
10
Select OK to save your changes, then restart your computer.

Running Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows 8/8.1? Check out theMicrosoft instructions for performing a clean boot in older versions of Windows.

How to figure out which program is causing the problem

Follow the clean boot steps again but check the box beside one of the programs in the list to allow it to run when Windows starts up.

If everything works well, you know that the program isn’t causing the problem. Run through the steps again, checking a different box each time until you find the program causing the problem.
Once you find the program causing the problem, uncheck the box beside it and restart your computer.

Once you’ve prevented any conflicting programs from running at start-up you should have a smoother experience.

How to run a safe boot on your Mac

Different iOS systems might require different steps to run a safe boot. Head over to Apple's website for instructions on how to perform a Safe Boot on your Mac.