Windows Safe mode with Networking and SOUND!
To enable audio in Safe Mode on Windows 11, you must boot into Safe Mode with Networking and modify the Windows Registry to force the core audio services and audio device classes to start.
By default, standard Safe Mode strips down services to a bare minimum, leaving audio disabled.
Booting into Safe Mode with Networking
Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
Type msconfig and press Enter to open System Configuration.
Go to the Boot tab.Check the box for Safe boot and select the Network radio button.
Click Apply and then OK, and choose Restart.
Enabling Audio Services in the Registry
Once your computer boots into Safe Mode with Networking, you need to add the audio service keys to the SafeBoot registry list:
Press the Windows Key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
Navigate to the following path for Minimal/Network safe boot:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Network (You can also do this under Minimal if you prefer basic safe mode)
Right-click the Network key (folder), go to New, and select Key.
Name this new key {4d36e96c-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} (this is the Device Class GUID for sound controllers).
Set its default value to Sound, video and game controllers.
Next, create three new subkeys under Network (or modify them if they exist) for the essential audio services:
Audiosrv
AudioEndpointBuilder
MMCSS (Multimedia Class Scheduler)
For each of these three service keys, double-click the (Default) value on the right-hand side and change its data to Service.
Starting the Services and Verifying
Open the Run dialog (Windows Key + R), type services.msc, and press Enter.
Scroll down to find Windows Audio (Audiosrv) and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder.
Right-click each service, select Properties, change their startup type to Automatic, and click Start if they are stopped.
Enjoy sound in Safe Mode with Networking!