Have a weird HP model not listed? Drop the exact model number (e.g., “HP 15-dw0xxx” or “EliteBook 840 G8”) in the comments. Some HP Stream and Chromebooks don’t support Safe Mode at all—they use ChromeOS Recovery instead.
If you grew up in the Windows XP or Windows 7 era, you probably have muscle memory for this: Restart the PC, smash the F8 key, and select Safe Mode. boot hp in safe mode
But if you’ve tried that on a modern HP laptop or desktop running Windows 10 or 11, you were likely met with a blank screen, a loud beep, or—worst of all—the normal boot process laughing at you as it loaded your broken drivers. Have a weird HP model not listed