DESlock+ Safe Start is a pre-encryption test designed to ensure your PC will boot successfully once encrypted.

Under normal circumstances, Safe Start is initiated and your PC will be rebooted presenting you with a screen as shown below

Note, the screen may also be blue or a lighter grey, depending on your version of DESlock+.

If the test does not run successfully, or sometimes does not run at all, then this will be reported as a preboot failure or incompatibility.

Did not run at all

If, after restarting your PC, it boots straight back to Windows without showing the above screen, then the DESlock+ Safe Start check did not run at all.

Did not run successfully

If, after restarting your PC, you see the above screen but one of the following happens

- The countdown does not change and/or pressing a key does nothing

- Windows fails to start after Safe Start finishes running, a BSOD occurs or Windows enters Repair Mode

- Anything else that requires or causes the PC to need a reset or power off before Windows loads

In all cases, please run our Diagnostics app (KB29) and submit a ticket via the DESlock+ support ticket system.

Please include as much detail about what happened as you can, such as what was shown on screen during the restart.

Keywords: safe start safestart preboot pre-boot fde failure compatibility