I can't get into the BIOS on my computer. How to enter BIOS on a laptop

I can't get into the BIOS on my computer. How to enter BIOS on a laptop
I can't get into the BIOS on my computer. How to enter BIOS on a laptop
09.11.2019

There is a BIOS for everyone. When you turn on the machine, messages on the black screen before the beep sounds and the OS starts loading are the result of executing one of the procedures of this program. Not good experienced users PCs may know about it, but they have never tried to enter the BIOS and have not carried out any manipulations. We'll tell you everything in detail.

What is BIOS

Without software The computer is just a bunch of hardware. In order for it to start functioning, it must initially be loaded with some kind of software at startup, stored in a read-only memory device (ROM). Windows or any other operating system take up too much space. Initially, the machine should start the BIOS. The name of this program in the transcription of the English abbreviation “ basic input/output system».

When you turn on the machine, it checks all its components, sets the modes and launches the operating system loader. You cannot simply replace the BIOS version; it is stored in a non-volatile chip on the motherboard. True, it can be reflashed, but this is a rather complicated procedure. Note also that on older machines many operations could be performed even without an OS, for example, listening to music. And Windows itself in the first versions was just an add-on to the BIOS, expanding its capabilities.

Why do you go into the BIOS?

Let's list the reasons why you need to go into the BIOS:


This is not a complete list. By controlling your computer not only from Windows, but also through the BIOS menu, you can increase the efficiency and performance of your computer.

Types of BIOS

Today we can distinguish three main types of BIOS:

  • Award;
  • UEFI.

The first two differ slightly in interface not only among themselves, but also depending on the versions, but the principle of operation in them is almost the same.

UEFI- an innovative product that appeared relatively recently. It has its own graphical interface, is intuitive and allows you to work with the mouse. In addition, with its help the OS loads much faster.

Standard login methods

It makes no difference whether the computer is running Windows 7 or Windows XP, or an older version. By default, most machines mean that you can enter the BIOS by pressing the F1 or Delete key at boot (during the Post diagnostic procedure, before the beep). But some manufacturers motherboards Other keys or their combinations are also assigned; you can find out exactly how to enter in the documentation for it or your computer. If paper instructions are not available, you can always find an electronic version, but not always in Russian. Also, during the loading process, a hint is displayed if you have time to read it. Typically it's something like " Press F1 to enter Setup" means you need to press F1.

If you still haven’t found a key or their combination, and the question is how to enter the BIOS, then we will list their main options for the most popular and widespread companies producing PCs and motherboards today. How to enter BIOS not in desktop computer, and on a laptop - the procedure is the same, only on some of them the Fn key can be additionally used, which is not present on desktops.

  • IBM- F1, F2, CTRL + Alt + Insert, CTRL + Alt + Delete.
  • ACER- F1, F2, CTRL + Alt + ESC.
  • DELL- F1, F2, F3, Delete, Fn + F1.
  • HEWLET-PACARD- F1, F2.
  • SONY- F2, F3.
  • TOSHIBA- ESC, F1.
  • ASUS- F2, Delete, CTRL + F2.
  • LENOVO- F1, F2, F12.
  • COMPAQ- F10.

Less common brands use the same options to enter the BIOS. As you can see, there are not very many of them and you can easily sort through them.

In order to have time to press a key or a combination of keys when starting the system, almost all users use the following method: they begin to quickly repeat the presses simultaneously with turning on the machine. Sometimes, especially when you need to press a keyboard shortcut, pressing PAUSE helps to pause the boot, but not on all systems. If you don’t have time, then let the OS load, start a reboot and repeat all the operations again. But another difficulty may arise, which will be discussed below.

Even if the correct press does not work

Sometimes you know exactly from the instructions for the motherboard how to open the BIOS, but it doesn’t work. Most likely you have a USB keyboard and it is blocked by another device connected to that port.

There are two ways out:

  • free all USB connectors and leave only the keyboard;
  • if there is a connector, connect a regular PS/2 device.

After this you should be in the BIOS.

How to enter BIOS if the system boots very quickly

This issue occurs on modern Windows 8 and later computers that have UEFI, and instead of a regular hard drive there is a solid-state drive. In them, the system boots instantly, and you cannot not only read the hint, but also press a key.

But there is a way out, since in these operating systems you can enter the BIOS when the system is loaded.

Logging into Windows 8

The sequence of actions will be as follows:

  1. Press Win + C. The Win key is most often indicated by the OS logo and wavy windows.
  2. Select " Options", may be designated " Setting"or just a gear.
  3. Find " Change settings».
  4. Select " Are common».
  5. Then select " Special download option" And Reboot now.
  6. After it, in the window that opens, select “ Diagnostics».
  7. Then find " Extra options ».
  8. Stop the selection at "".
  9. Press reboot again.

After completing these steps you will be taken to BIOS menu on Windows 8 UEFI.

Sign in from Windows 10

The procedure is almost the same as in the “eight”:

  1. Click on the notifications icon.
  2. In the window that opens, select “ Options", and then " Update and Security».
  3. Find " Recovery».
  4. Set your choice to " Special Boot Options" And Reboot now.
  5. After the reboot, in the window that opens, select “ Diagnostics».
  6. Find " Extra options».
  7. Set your choice to " UEFI Firmware Settings».
  8. Select reboot again.

And after that you will be taken to the BIOS.

Conclusion

In this article, we talked about how to launch the BIOS, about its capabilities and features. We will be glad if you, after reading our article and logging into this program, master it and can improve the performance of your machine.

Video on the topic

Personal computer, tablet, laptop - many gadgets are used daily by people for work, watching TV series, surfing the Internet and other purposes. From time to time the need arises to reinstall the system, change the PC settings, and the question of how to enter the BIOS in order to make the necessary manipulations becomes relevant. Often on home page there is a hint to enter, but such a simple task sometimes causes difficulties, because for different types bios, brands of laptops and systems on the computer, you need to press different keys or combinations thereof.

Why you might need to enter BIOS

For many, entering the BIOS is associated with solving one problem - reinstalling, changing the operating system. In fact, with its help it is possible to solve several important issues to improve the functioning of a computer or laptop, and find out some data about its operation. Using bios you can perform the following manipulations:

  • Check the functionality of the computer. It is possible to obtain data about the state of the PC, for example, processor temperature.
  • Set the system time and date. Performing this action is necessary every time after resetting the BIOS settings, since the date/time configurations change along with them.
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  • Connect or disable individual PC functions.
  • Change the disk from which the OS will boot. After opening the BIOS, the user can independently select and designate the location from which the operating system will boot. It can be hard disks, CD, DVD media or flash drive. You can specify several drive options from which the OS can be started. For example, if for some reason the download does not occur from the first media, it will be carried out from the second.
  • Connect or disconnect components integrated into the PC. For example, there may be a shutdown sound card or video cards.
  • Overclock your computer. To improve the operation of the device, increase its performance or speed, or speed up the processor, non-standard frequency and voltage parameters can be set.

  • Reinstall the operating system, identify and fix problems with its operation.
  • Check the PC configuration and normal functioning, initialize all its components.
  • Fix the problem if the Android-based tablet freezes or the gadget does not see connected devices.

BIOS and its main types

Many people have heard about bios more than once, they even roughly understand why it is needed, but what it is, how you can enter the BIOS, what types of it there are, remains not entirely clear. Before considering questions about logging into the system and the intricacies of working with it, you need to understand the meaning of this word. Bios – basic system input/output, which is responsible for loading the OS, the operation of individual PC components, and interaction with hardware.

Essentially, the BIOS is a large number of microprograms that are written to the board. There are types of systems in which the main differences are the interface and login method:

  • Award (Phoenix-Award). This BIOS has a working area - a blue window.

  • AMI (American Megatrends).
  • Phoenix.
  • DTK (Dalatech Enterprises CO).
  • UEFI.
  • ALR (Advanced Logic Research).

How to enter the BIOS of a laptop or computer

To enter the BIOS, you must press a certain button on the keyboard or a combination of them. Which key will help launch bios depends on the type of system and brand of laptop. Often when the PC boots, information about the computer appears on the screen and a hint appears on what to click. As a rule, such a message is located in the middle of the screen or at the bottom and looks like this: “Press Del to enter Setup”; instead of delete, another key or combination may appear. You should press the button immediately after turning on the device.

How to enter the BIOS correctly:

  • For Award, use the Del (Delete) or Ctr+Alt+Esc key.
  • For AMI – F2, Delete.
  • ALR – F2 or Ctr+Alt+Esc.
  • Phoenix - Ctr+Alt+Esc, Ctr+Alt+S, Ctr+Alt+Ins.
  • AMD - F1.
  • DTK – Escape (Esc).

Other button combinations can be used:

  • Ctrl+Del+Alt
  • Ins+Ctrl
  • Ctrl+Alt
  • Ctrl+Alt+Enter

Login features on laptops of different brands

Depending on the laptop model and brand, the methods for entering the BIOS may vary. Often, a hint is displayed on the splash screen every time the device boots, but sometimes, in order to find the required button or combination, it is worth spending time on “trial and error” or searching for information on the manufacturer’s official website or programmer forums. In addition to the device model, the type of system and its version play an important role.

How to correctly enter the BIOS on different laptops:

  • Lenovo (Lenovo) - to enter the BIOS, press and hold the “ThikVantage” button until the menu or F12 appears.
  • Toshiba (Toshiba) Portege, Satellite, Tecra – press Escape, Tecra with Phoenix BIOS – F1.
  • Acer – F2, F1, Ctr+Alt+Esc.
  • Acer Aspire – F2, Del.
  • Asus (Asus) – to enter Setup, press the F2 button.
  • Sony – F2, F3, F1 for Vaio – F2.
  • Dell – F3 or F1.
  • Hewlett-Parkard (HP Pavilion, Tablet) – F1.
  • Samsung (Samsung) - F2, F12, F8, Del, Esc.
  • eMachine - Delete.
  • MSI – F1, F2, F12, Delete.
  • Compaq - F10.

If the computer requires a password when entering the BIOS

Often a password is placed on the BIOS; it can be set in order to save settings or protect a laptop or all-in-one PC from changes to the system by other users. But memory is a tricky thing, and it often happens that secret code forgotten, but logging in is simply necessary. After several unsuccessful attempts, the screen goes blank and the user begins to panic. But everything is not so scary, there are several options for how to enter the BIOS system without a password:

  • Find a “Clear CMOS” jumper on the motherboard of your laptop or computer, which will clear the memory, including the password. To find the location of the key, you should first read the instructions and the motherboard diagram.
  • Remove the CMOS battery for at least twelve hours, preferably for a day. Then reconnect it and start the system. The disadvantage of this option is the long waiting time.
  • Entering an engineering password for motherboard instead of bios code. The disadvantage of this method is that it cannot be used for older BIOS versions.

To avoid such problems in the future:

  • Set a password to enter the BIOS in exceptional cases.
  • Write down the password in places where it will be securely stored and, if necessary, it can be quickly found.

What to do if you can’t enter the BIOS

Often there are problems when you can’t log into the system. This can be caused by several reasons:

  • The wrong key or combination of keys was selected for entry. Double-check your laptop model and version. It is necessary to try other options and combinations.
  • The OS boot started before the required key was pressed. It's worth pressing it faster.
  • To solve some problems, you need to clear the memory, reset it to factory settings using the “Clear CMOS” switch.

Video on how to enter bios on windows 8

Entering the BIOS on a computer with Windows 8 may cause some difficulties. To work, you will need knowledge of the interface and the main features of how the device works with this software. How to enter the BIOS on a G8:

  1. Open the “Settings” section, which is located below in the right side menu.
  2. At the bottom we find the “Change computer settings” button.
  3. In the “PC Settings” menu that appears, select General settings and click the “Special download options” button. After this, the PC or laptop will restart.
  4. Select items in the menu: Diagnostics – Additional parameters – Firmware parameters. After the transitions, a button will appear on the screen to restart the PC. Click on it to enter the BIOS.
  5. After the reboot, the bios opens, then you need to go through the menu items. To see the procedure for entering the BIOS and the steps to reinstall the operating system, watch the video with a detailed explanation and screenshot:

For fine tuning There is a so-called BIOS on your computer. It controls how the computer turns on, allows you to change some of its settings before the operating system boots, and selects which disk to boot from. Those. When the computer turns on, it immediately looks at its settings in the BIOS.

In this article I will show you how to enter BIOS on different computers and laptops. There are many of them, but the logic is approximately the same. For a better understanding, there will be several videos where I show everything using real examples.

General understanding of BIOS entry

I made several videos for you from different computers. If you watch the whole video, but it turns out a little wrong on your computer or laptop, then don’t despair. Using the information received, you can easily figure out how to enter the BIOS. There are three main types of BIOS: Award (Phoenix-Award), AMI (American Megatrends) and UEFI. Award BIOSes mainly come with blue windows, AMIs with gray-blue windows, and UEFI with a beautiful graphical interface.

In order to enter the BIOS, you need to press one button or, in rare cases, a combination of buttons when the computer starts. The whole question is WHEN and WHAT to press. Please note that as soon as the computer turns on, a certain icon is displayed on a black background and at the bottom or middle of the screen you are asked to press one or more keys. One of them is entering the BIOS.

For Award this is usually the Delete (Del) key, and for AMI it is the F2 or F10 key. At the bottom of the screen it will say something like this “Press Del to enter Setup”. Setup is the same as BIOS. There are also buttons: F1, F3, F10 (Hewlett Packard), F12, Esc and combinations: “Ctrl+Alt+Esc”, “Ctrl+Alt+Ins”.

On IBM Lenovo Thinkpad laptops, press and hold the blue “ThikVantage” key until the menu appears. And on some Toshiba laptops press “Esc” and then “F1”.

You must press quickly and several times (just in case), otherwise the computer will continue to boot and will not enter SETUP. If you don’t have time, just restart your computer using the “Reset” button on system unit or using the key combination “Ctrl+Alt+Del”. And if you don’t have time to read the information, then click on the “Pause” button.

If, when you turn on the computer, the screen saver fills the entire screen, but nothing is visible behind it, then try pressing the “ESC” key to hide the screen saver and read the information from the screen on how to enter the BIOS. Also, which button to press can be found in the manual for the motherboard of your computer or laptop. It also happens that, then study these articles.

How to enter BIOS on different computers and laptops

You can see which BIOS you are using when you turn on the computer, when general information appears on the screen, but in principle this does not matter, the main thing is to see which button you need to press:

The example shows that the computer has Award BIOS version 6.00PG, and at the bottom you are asked to press the “Del” and “F9” buttons. In this case, the “Del” button is used to enter SETUP, and “F9” brings up a menu for selecting boot device. The BIOS itself may look like this:

Watch the video on how to log in BIOS Award, and also set the boot device:

And here is another variety of “Award”

No information about the version is written, but it is clear that you need to click in order to go there. Watch a video with this example:

But in this picture you can see that the computer is controlled by the “AMI” BIOS and the usual “Delete” key is used to enter:

But here is a completely different option, which uses the “F2” key

And the BIOS “AMI” itself in all cases looks something like this:

Watch the video on how to enter BIOS on a laptop with “AMI”, using an example ASUS Eee PC:

In fact, the procedure for logging into SETUP on computers and laptops is no different, because everything depends only on the version of the BIOS used.

Another option is how to enter the BIOS on Lenovo laptop. There are no hints at all, you just need to know that during the splash screen you need to press “F2”

On Lenovo G500 series models, you need to press the OneKey Recovery key when the laptop is turned off, and on some models Fn+F2 (or F12) works.

Recently, you can increasingly see computers with UEFI. But this is not even a BIOS in the usual sense, but a small operating system that is compatible with the BIOS and performs its functions. It can be with a graphical interface, or it can be in regular text mode. Entering there is also not difficult, for example using the “Del” button

In general, I think you understand the logic of entering different BIOSes, because there is nothing complicated here. In 90% of cases, SETUP includes to . Well, if for some reason you cannot do this, then refer to the instructions for your motherboard or search the Internet by the name of the computer or laptop model.

My BIOS is asking for a password, how do I reset it?

If someone set a password before you, then when entering the BIOS you will need to enter this same password. On laptops, the process of resetting a password is quite a non-trivial task and for each specific model need to look for information. But with computers everything is much simpler, so how to reset BIOS password you can use a special jumper, which is found on almost any motherboard. This jumper is called “Clear CMOS” and you can find it next to the battery:

There are three contacts on the board, two of which have a jumper. Usually it’s enough just to move it to the other two contacts for 10 seconds, and then back. Before doing this, you need to unplug the power cable from the computer. If the password is not reset or there is no jumper at all, then additionally remove the battery from the motherboard for a few minutes:

The BIOS password should be reset, as well as all its settings. Please take this into account, because... settings can significantly affect the overall .

These are the pies, ask in the comments if anything is unclear.

Good day, dear blog visitors. Today we will talk about... If earlier, to get into Bios, you had to press just one key, and it didn’t matter what operating system was installed, but now everything is not so simple. More details about everything...

First, a little theory and terms.

BIOS— (Basic Input/Output System) — the basic input/output system responsible for preparing the computer to launch the operating system.

In other words, it is a small amount of firmware written into a chip on the motherboard. The very first and main processes on the computer when turned on occur here. They are responsible for the interaction of hardware devices in a computer. First of all, when loading the system, the BIOS checks the functionality of all devices and also starts the operating system from the source specified ( HDD, flash drive, CD\DVD drive). The BIOS also shows the temperature of the components: motherboard and processor.

In order to enter BIOS on Windows 7 You must press a certain key or combination of them immediately after turning on the computer. Usually the message appears when loading “ Press DEL to enter SETUP" or " Press F1 to Run SETUP". The difference in keyboard shortcuts depends only on the manufacturer of your motherboard. In this case, the operating system is not important - be it 7 or XP. However different computers loaded from at different speeds: some are like lightning, others are like a turtle. In order not to miss the moment when you can enter the BIOS, I recommend pressing the key to enter continuously.

So, as we already discussed above, depending on the manufacturer of your Bios, the login keys can be completely different. I think you can easily figure it out in this table.

I also bring to your attention a table with laptop manufacturers and personal computers with their BIOS launch keys.

As you may have already noticed, the most common keys to enter the BIOS are:

  • Del;
  • Esc.

Most likely, they will help you get into Bios; if you don’t know which keys to press, then start with them.

How to enter Bios (UEFI) on Windows 8

However, progress does not stand still and, starting with Windows 8, some began to be equipped solid state SSD drives. Which, in turn, load the system in just two tenths (0.2) of a second. Plus, Windows 8 has a feature fast loading. Naturally, in such a short period of time, hardly anyone will have time to press the F2 or Del button to enter the BIOS.

If you purchased a computer with G8 already installed, then it has the ability to enter the BIOS from under the system. More precisely, not in Bios, but in UEFI.

UEFI— (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - replacement outdated BIOS or simply the heir to Bios.

In order to get into Bios on Windows 8 you need to:

  1. Press keyboard shortcut Win+C or move the mouse cursor to the upper or lower right corner;
  2. Select “Options” (“Settings” or just “gear”);
  3. "Update and recovery";
  4. "Recovery";

  1. « Win+C«;
  2. "Options"
  3. “Changing computer settings”;
  4. "Are common";
  5. “Special boot options” select “Restart now”.

After your computer restarts, the following window will appear, select “Diagnostics”:

Select "Advanced options"

After that "UEFI Firmware Settings"

And the “Reboot” button, after which you will be taken to UEFI (Bios).

How to enter Bios (UEFI) on Windows 10

To enter Bios (UEFI) in Windows 10 you need to do almost the same manipulations as in Windows 8, and this is:

  1. Click on the notifications icon;
  2. "Options";
  3. "Update and Security";
  4. "Recovery";
  5. “Special boot options” select “Restart now”.

Many users who have laptops or computers, or maybe all together, may encounter problems entering the BIOS. They still collide, so how to enter Boot Menu need to figure it out. The instructions will not be for one specific computer. I will try to describe as many models of laptops and computers as possible. If you don’t know what a BIOS is, read the article about it here.

Also, if you do not understand this topic at all, then I do not advise you to go there without certain knowledge, since this can lead to serious problems. Let's finally get down to business.

In order to enter bios on a desktop computer, usually when turning it on, you need to press the key DEL (Delete). In general, you should see something like this: Press DEL to run Setup… or Press DEL to Enter Setup... And quickly press DEL.

This entry option is found on motherboards in 90% of cases. It happens that when logging in you need to press either F1, or F2. If you didn’t manage to click in time, you will have to do the procedure again, restart the computer and try to click again. With systems installed on SSD drives this is quite difficult to do. Who doesn't know, read. In general, we talked about computers. Now let's move on to laptops.

From a laptop, logging into Bios is almost no different from the instructions described above for regular PCs, you just need to press different buttons. The only difficulty may be that the device boots up very quickly and you don’t have time to press the right key. On some models, you can press the Pause key to pause the system boot. So, most often, the keys F2, F10, F12 are used to enter the BIOS from a laptop. The most rare case is keyboard shortcuts such as Ctrl+Esc or Ctrl +S, etc.

To enter the same keys are pressed, nothing special.

Now I will describe the BIOS entry for several laptop models.

Acer laptops– you need to hold down the F1, Del or F2 keys

Lenovo laptops– usually F12, if that doesn’t help, try F1 or F2

Asus laptops– for most models, the Esc key. Models that begin with x or k use the F8 key.

Acer PC– keys Ctrl+Alt+Esc, or F1

Toshiba laptops– F1 or Esc key, sometimes F12

Lenovo laptops (older models)– Ctrl+Alt+Ins, or Ctrl+Alt+F3, or Fn+F1

Sony laptops– Keys F1, F2, or F3

HP laptops– F9 keys, or first Esc and then F9

Samsung laptops– Hold down the Esc key

Asus motherboards– F8 key

Intel motherboards– Esc key

MSI motherboards– F11 key

Gigabyte motherboards– F12 key

Dell laptops– Press and hold the F12 key.

Old Dell models– Keys Fn+Esc, or Fn+F1

Select Dell models– Press the Reset button twice

Award BIOS– Del key

ARI

A.L.R.– Keys Ctrl+Alt+Esc, or Ctrl+Alt+Del

AMI
(old versions)– F2 or F1 keys

A.S.T.– Keys Ctrl+Alt+Esc

Compaq (old PCs)– Key F1, F2, or F10, or Del

Compaq (some models)– F10 key

DTK– Immediately after switching on, press the Esc key

Cybermax– Esc key

EISA– Key combination Ctrl+Alt+S, or Ctrl+Alt+Esc

Fujitsu (some models)– F2 key

eMachines (Some models)– Tab or Del keys

Old eMachines– F2 key

Hewlett-Parkard (HP)– F1, F2, Esc, F10, F12 key This is for models such as HP Pavilion, Vectra, TouchSmart, OmniBook, etc.

Old IBM models– F2 key

IBM ThinkPad (newer models)– Hold the F1 key

IBM ThinkPad (older models)– Ctrl+Alt+Ins keys with the cursor in the upper right corner

Mircon– Keys F1, F2, or Del

Sharp– F2 key

NEC– F2 keys or hold down the F1 key

Shuttle– F2 or Del keys

Microid Research MR BIOS– F1 key

Olivetti PC Pro– Keyboard shortcut numeric keypad: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Del

Phoenix BIOS– Del keys. For older models: Ctrl+Alt+S, Ctrl+Alt+Ins, Ctrl+S, Ctrl+Alt+Esc

Packard Bell– F1, F1 or Del keys. For older models: Press the Del key

Tandon–Keys Ctrl+Shift+Esc

Zenith– Keys Ctrl+Alt+Ins

Tiget– Esc or F1 keys

ReverBook– Del key

As you can see, I have described quite a lot of options for entering the BIOS from various computers, laptops and motherboards, save these instructions so as not to forget how to enter the BIOS.