Windows 8.x has a troubleshooting feature for system maintenance and repair that everybody should know about. A previous tip showed one quick way to access this very useful set of utilities. Here is another way that uses a single command.

In windows 8.x, a new switch has been added to the “shutdown.exe” command (previously described here). This new switch restarts the computer in what is called “advanced startup” where the screen in the first graphic below is shown.  One option on the screen is to troubleshoot.

Advanced Startup

Here is how to restart a computer in Advanced Startup using the command line:

1. Use the keyboard shortcut Winkey+X to open the power users menu
2. Select “Command Prompt”
3. In the command prompt that opens, enter shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 00
4. The computer will restart and the screen shown in the graphic below will be displayed.
5. From there you can troubleshoot problems.

Create a shortcut to Advanced Startup

If you use Advanced Startup frequently, you may want to create a shortcut to go there in one step.

1. Right-click the desktop
2. Choose “New—Shortcut” from the context menu
3. In the box “Type the location of the item”,  enter shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 00
4. Click “Next”
5. Name the shortcut whatever you wish
6. Click “Finish”

And there you have it - a quick way to open the Windows 8.x troubleshooting facility

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This tips section is maintained by Vic Laurie. Vic runs several websites with Windows how-to's, guides, and tutorials, including a site for learning about Windows and the Internet and another with Windows 7 tips.

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