How to enter BIOS on laptops and stationary PCs

2023 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-07-28 10:38

Save to bookmarks. This list of keys will come in handy more than once.

Modern BIOS versions look different, but they have the same task - initial configuration and checking the computer's performance. You can also access them in the same ways. Even if you have a UEFI interface, which often differs not only in appearance, but also in support for a mouse and the Russian language.

How to enter BIOS when turning on a stationary PC

To go to the BIOS menu on a stationary computer, at boot, you need to press the Del key, in rare cases - F2. Typically, the desired key is indicated on the screen before displaying information about the operating system. The message looks like this: "Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter setup", "Press DEL to run setup" or "Please press DEL or F2 to enter UEFI BIOS settings".

You need to press the specified key exactly at the time of displaying such a message. To be sure, you can press several times. But if you still don't have time, wait for Windows to start and restart your PC to try again.

Try only one key each time you boot. You may simply not have time to check several options.

How to enter BIOS when turning on a laptop

Depending on the manufacturer, year of manufacture and series of the laptop, you can enter the BIOS in different ways. Various keys or even combinations are used, and there may not be a message on the screen indicating the required ones.

It is best to test only one of the possible options at a time. If it doesn't work, wait until Windows starts, restart your PC and try another key or combination. It is not worth checking several options at once, since you may simply not get into the right period of time.

Asus laptops

Most often, the F2 key is used to enter the BIOS while turning on the laptop. Less common options are Del and F9.

If that doesn't work, turn off the laptop, hold down Esc, and then press the power button. Do not release Esc until the Boot menu appears on the screen. In it, you need to go to Enter Setup and press Enter.

Acer Laptops

In Acer notebooks, the most commonly used keys are F1 and F2, as well as the combination Ctrl + Alt + Esc. On Acer Aspire series, Ctrl + F2 may be required. In the TravelMate and Extensa lines, you usually need to press F2 or Del to enter the BIOS. Older Acer laptops may have Ctrl + Alt + Del and Ctrl + Alt + Esc combinations.

Lenovo Laptops

To enter the BIOS on Lenovo laptops, you most often need to press the F2 key. On many ultrabooks and hybrid laptops, the F-key row can only be activated with Fn, which means you need to press Fn + F2. The F8 and Del keys are much less common.

On many of the company's laptops, there is a special key to enter the BIOS on the side panel or next to the power button. You can click on it only when the laptop is turned off.

HP Laptops

To enter the BIOS on HP notebooks, you usually need to press the F10 or Esc key. But on older models, you may need Del, F1, F11 or F8.

Samsung Laptops

In Samsung devices, most often you need to press F2, F8, F12 or Del to enter BIOS. If you access the F-row only through the Fn button, you will need the appropriate combination: Fn + F2, Fn + F8 or Fn + F12.

Sony Laptops

Vaio series models may have a dedicated ASSIST button. If you click on it while the laptop is booting, a menu will appear with the option to select Start BIOS Setup.

Legacy laptops can use the F1, F2, F3, and Del keys.

Dell Laptops

In the case of Dell laptops, the most common way to go to the BIOS is the F2 key. Slightly less common are F1, F10, Del, Esc and Insert.

How to log into UEFI from Windows 8, 8.1 and Windows 10

In the latest versions of Windows on laptops with UEFI, you can enter the I / O subsystem even when the system is already loaded. To do this, go to "Options" and act depending on the version of the operating system.

For Windows 8

Change Computer Settings → General → Special Boot Options → Restart Now → Diagnostics → Advanced Settings → UEFI Firmware Settings → Restart.

For Windows 8.1

Change Computer Settings → Update and Recovery → Recovery → Special Boot Options → Restart Now → Diagnostics → Advanced Settings → UEFI Firmware Settings → Restart.

For Windows 10

Update and Security → Recovery → Special Boot Options → Restart Now → Troubleshooting → Advanced Options → UEFI Firmware Options → Restart.

For Windows 10, there is also an alternative way to switch to UEFI from the login screen or through the Start menu. In both cases, you need to click on the "Shutdown" icon and, while holding down the Shift key, start the reboot. This action will open the section for special boot options.

After that, you will need to follow the same steps as in the previous method. That is, you will need to go to the item "Troubleshooting", select "Advanced options" and "UEFI firmware options", and then click "Restart".