How do I boot Windows 8 into Safe Mode?

I have Windows 8 Enterprise x64. It's installed a virtual machine. After trying to update VMWare's guest extension it black screened. After resetting it, now the virtual machine won't boot. It just says "automatic repair couldn't repair your PC"

Everything I do ends with an error or it coming back to this screen. If I go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Start up settings and then go to Safe Mode, all it will do is say "preparing automatic repair" and then "diagnosing your PC" and then will come straight back to the "automatic repair couldn't repair your PC" screen. It's as if it doesn't even attempt to go into safe made.

Is there anything else I can do before I reformat?

Things are a little bit different in Windows 8. Have a look at the HowToGeek guide for this which explains in detail what you may be trying to achieve.

In summary:

1. Mash Shift+F8 like you would with F8
2. Click See advanced repair options
3. Choose Troubleshoot
4. Choose Advanced options
5. Choose Windows Startup Settings
6. Click Restart

Microsoft actually has changed the F8 hotkey to Shift + F8 but didn't mention it.

Source:

The trick is to hold the Shift button and mash the F8 key, this will sometimes boot you into the new advanced "recovery mode", where you can choose to see advanced repair options.

Shift + F8 does not work....never !!!

I recently figured out a way to restart the computer in safe mode without using msconfig and charms bar. Here is how to do it.

1. When you are at login screen hold the shift key
2. Click on shutdown option available at right bottom corner and click on restart
3. Now windows 8 should start to its usual advanced menu, where you can chose startup options to go to safe mode and other diagnostic modes or troubleshoot to go to Recovery Environment.

Try this it works !

Run Command prompt as Admin and type (copy/paste the following line):

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy

Press Enter.

Now you have safe mode as usual from the boot screen.

To revert:

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy standard