What buttons to control in the BIOS. All ways to enter the BIOS on a desktop computer or laptop


In most cases, entering the BIOS is not difficult - you just need to press the Delete or F2 key multiple times. But this is only in most cases.

Situations often arise when the above options do not work. Very often this phenomenon can be found in laptops, since laptop manufacturers for some reason want to stand out in such an extraordinary way. Then a panicky selection of keys and their combinations begins. To avoid this, below is a whole list of options for entering the BIOS, from different manufacturers, both BIOS chips and laptops.

First, let's remember what a BIOS is:

BIOS (Basic Input-Output System) is a basic input/output system that starts and configures all hardware before the operating system loads. Also, with its help, a number of device status checks are performed, for example, initial testing is performed by POST verification. Sometimes you may need reset BIOS settings, because their failure can lead to a complete loss of performance.

But the topic of this article is not a consideration of the principles of operation of the basic input-output system, but the answer to the question “how to enter the BIOS.” Therefore, as promised, we provide a list of the main keys and key combinations for entering the BIOS from different manufacturers:

Keyboard shortcuts for different BIOS manufacturers

Manufacturer

Keys

ALR (Advanced Logic Research)

F2, Ctrl+Alt+Esc

AMD (Advanced Micro Devices)

AMI (American Megatrends)

Del, F2

Award BIOS

Del, Ctrl+Alt+Esc

DTK (Dalatech Enterprises)

Ctrl+Alt+Esc, Ctrl+Alt+S, Ctrl+Alt+Ins

Keyboard shortcuts for different laptop and computer manufacturers

Manufacturer

Keys

Acer

F1, F2, Ctrl + Alt + Esc

Ctrl + Alt+Esc, Ctrl + Alt+Del

Compaq

Comp USA

Cybermax

Dell 400

F3, F1

Dell Dimension

F2, Del

Dell Inspiration

Dell Latitude

F2, Fn+F1

Dell Optiplex

Del, F2

Dell Precision

eMachine

Gateway

F1, F2

HP (Hewlett-Packard)

F1, F2

IBM E-Pro Laptop

IBM PS/2

Ctrl + Alt + Ins, Ctrl + Alt + Del

IBM Thinkpad

from Windows: Programs > Thinkpad CFG

Intel Tangent

Micron

F1, F2 or Del

Packard Bell

F1, F2 or Del

Roverbook

Sony VAIO

F2, F3

Tiget

Toshiba

ESC, F1

I think now you won’t have any problems with how to enter the BIOS. Good luck!

Updated: 04/28/2019 Published: 2016 or earlier

To enter the BIOS, you need to press a special key when turning on the computer (on the first screen saver) - most often this is F2 or Delete:

Tip: The first boot screen may indicate a key that can be used to launch the BIOS. This inscription is located in the lower right or left corners.

If the operating system splash screen appears on the screen, it means that you could not enter the BIOS. Your computer may have a different key or combination. Here is a complete list of them in order of frequency of occurrence:

  1. Fn+F1
  2. Ctrl+Esc
  1. Ctrl + Alt + Esc
  2. Ctrl+Alt+S
  3. Ctrl + Alt + Ins
  4. Ctrl + Alt + Del

Enter BIOS on a laptop

There is no fundamental difference between a regular computer and a laptop. In order to open the BIOS you need to use the method described above.

For convenience, here is a table of popular laptop manufacturers and the key to enter the BIOS:

*Models with other keys may be available. Use the table as a guide, but if it doesn’t help, try other buttons.

Nuances

Sometimes, a special approach is required to enter the BIOS on laptops:

  • Some laptops do not allow you to enter the BIOS if they are running on battery power. First, connect it to the network.
  • The function keys F1, F2, ... F12 can only be activated while the FN key is pressed.

If the system boots immediately (Windows 10 / 8)

The new version of the input/output system (UEFI), together with Windows 8 and 10, supports instant loading of the operating system - there is no ability to press the desired key, therefore, you cannot enter the BIOS.

If you encounter this situation, restart Windows while holding down the key Shift.

Instead of rebooting, we will see the “Select action” window - click on Troubleshooting(Windows 10):

Or Diagnostics(Windows 8):

Then by Extra options:

Why open BIOS

The basic I/O system has many settings that you can use to control how your computer operates. Here is a list of the most common options that change in the BIOS:

  1. to install the operating system.
  2. Changing the startup order of the hard drive.
  3. Enabling and disabling devices built into the motherboard.
  4. Automatically turns on the computer when power is supplied.

Due to the wide range of computer manufacturers, there are many ways to enter BIOS. Below is a list of these methods, as well as other recommendations for entering BIOS settings.

Many people think that access to BIOS settings occurs through Windows. This is a misconception. The BIOS begins to perform its functions even before the operating system starts. Then he gives her control.

It is a chip located on the motherboard that contains instructions and settings for starting the equipment. There are three main ones, AMI, AWARD and UEFI.

Basic functions of BIOS

  1. POST is a testing procedure that runs before the OS boots. It checks the hardware for errors and malfunctions. In case of a problem, it emits sound signals.
  2. Boot loader - if windows is installed, it searches for its files and transfers control.
  3. Low-level drivers are responsible for controlling computer components.
  4. BIOS settings is a program that allows you to configure hardware and system parameters.

Where can I find out how to enter the BIOS on my computer? Study the motherboard documentation, you will find a lot of useful information there. If you have a laptop, go to the manufacturer's website.

There is another tricky way. When you start your computer, the required keys appear for a while. To avoid wasting your time, below are the frequently used buttons.

How to enter BIOS

Most modern computers allow you to enter settings by pressing one key while the PC boots. Older systems may use combinations of three keys, we will also consider them below. I recommend pressing until you get to the menu in English.

Possible login options:

  1. CTRL+ALT+ENTER
  2. CTRL+ALT+ESC
  3. CTRL+ALT+INS

More often keys help to enter BIOS with numbers 1 and 2. The last three points are outdated combinations, maybe they will be useful to someone.

If F10 launches the BOOT MENU, then F2 will open the BIOS. The BOOT MENU sets boot priorities. By default, the hard drive comes first. If you are planning to install Windows 7 or another, be sure to select a bootable USB flash drive or floppy drive in the first step.

You will hear a beep. Continue holding the button until the computer stops booting. Next you will be asked to enter the BIOS settings or press another button to continue loading.

From the recommendations above you know how to enter BIOS. Why would you even go there? By playing with the settings, you can increase performance by up to 30%. By overclocking the processor by increasing the system bus (FSB) frequencies. Also, with the increase in FSB, all other frequencies increase, and the performance of the entire system increases.

Good day.

Sooner or later, everyone who works at a computer is faced with the need to enter the BIOS (approx. : its more modern version is UEFI, its operating principle and functions are the same) and change some parameters. By the way, this may be needed for a variety of reasons, for example:

  • decided to reinstall Windows, but the computer does not see the installation flash drive (disk). And you just need to change the boot priority in the BIOS;
  • decided to overclock the CPU (you will still have to change the frequency there);
  • The time or date on the computer is shown incorrectly - you need to change the settings;
  • unstable PC operation;
  • the computer does not see the connected hard drive, etc. In fact, there are quite a lot of reasons to enter the BIOS.

In this article I want to look at how this is done (and what you should pay attention to if you are unable to enter the BIOS). The article is aimed at the novice PC user.

So, let's get started ✌...

STEP 1: Important Basics

BIOS/UEFI- a set of microprograms that provide the Windows OS and programs with access to the computer hardware (i.e., hardware). After turning on the computer (or laptop), the BIOS starts first (and only then the OS), which checks all the equipment of the machine, and if something is not working properly, you will hear sound signals (for example, if the video card is faulty, 1 long beep and 2 short beeps will sound).

So, after turning on the PC/laptop, you will only have a moment (1÷2 seconds) to press a special key to enter the BIOS/UEFI (if you don’t have time, then pressing it is useless).

Press the BIOS enter button several times before and during the first logo appears (immediately after turning on the device)

Important!

If you have a modern Windows 8 or 10 OS installed (and it works/boots), then you don’t have to worry about all sorts of keys...

Now you can enter the BIOS without any keys, just take advantage of the opportunity that Windows offers... (see my note, the link to which is provided below)

How to enter UEFI (BIOS) from the Windows 8, 10 interface (without using special keys F2, Del, etc.) -

By the way!

If you have a laptop, then pay attention to the body of the device. Some models (for example, from Lenovo) contain special. keys to enter the BIOS (you need to press them when the device is turned off).

STEP 2: identifying the manufacturer

Each manufacturer (Dell, Asus, etc.) has its own buttons to enter the BIOS (UEFI)! By the way, I personally don’t think this is very convenient, they could standardize it...

The most popular keys to enter the BIOS:

Delete, F2, Esc, F1.

You can guess which one you have, but it doesn’t always work out 👀. Without knowing the model of the equipment, you may never find the treasured key, because... in some cases, 3-key combinations are used! Can you imagine how many combinations there are?..

Therefore there are several ways:


STEP 3: knowing the manufacturer (BIOS version) - determine the button

Now, knowing the equipment manufacturer (for example, laptop model or BIOS type)- all you have to do is find the key to enter the BIOS. You can do this using the table below (or use a search engine or some directories).

By the way, I have several tables on my blog with hot keys for entering the BIOS and Boot Menu (for different manufacturers) -

Table No. 1: manufacturer and BIOS entry buttons

Computer/laptop manufacturer Keys
Acer (Aspire, Power, Veriton, Extensa, Ferrari, TravelMate, Altos) Del or F1
Acer (Altos 600 Server) Ctrl+Alt+Esc or F1
Acer (Older PC) F1 or Ctrl+Alt+Esc
ABIT Del
ASUS Del, F2
AMI (American Megatrends AMIBIOS, AMI BIOS) Del
AMI (American Megatrends AMIBIOS, AMI BIOS) – Old Version F1 or F2
ASRock Del or F2
Award BIOS (AwardBIOS) Del
Award BIOS (AwardBIOS) – Old Version Ctrl+Alt+Esc
BIOSTAR Del
Compaq (Presario, Prolinea, Deskpro, Systempro, Portable) F10
Compaq (Older Computers) F1, F2, F10, or Del
Chaintech Del
Cybermax Esc
Dell (XPS, Dimension, Inspiron, Latitude. OptiPlex, Precision, Vostro) F2
Dell (Older 486 Models) Ctrl+Alt+Enter
Dell Dimension L566cx System Del
Dell (Older Laptop Models) Fn+Esc or Fn+F1
Dell (Some Models) Reset twice
ECS (Elitegroup) Del or F1
eMachines (eMonster, eTower, eOne, S-Series, T-Series) Del or Tab
eMachine (Some Older Computers) F2
Fujitsu (LifeBook, Esprimo, Amilo, Tablet, DeskPower) F2
Gateway Using Phoenix BIOS (DX, FX, One, GM, GT, GX, Profile, Astro) F1
GIGABYTE Del
Hewlett-Parkard (HP Pavilion, TouchSmart, Vectra, OmniBook, Tablet) F1
Hewlett-Parkard (HP Alternative) F2 or Esc
Hewlett-Parkard (HP) Tablet PC: F10 or F12
IBM ThinkPad using Phoenix BIOS Ctrl+Alt+F11
IBM (Older Computers or Notebooks) F2
Intel F2
Lenovo (ThinkPad, IdeaPad, 3000 Series, ThinkCentre, ThinkStation) F1 or F2
Lenovo (Older Products) Ctrl+Alt+F3, Ctrl+Alt+Ins or Fn+F1
MSI (Micro-Star) Del
Micron (MPC Computers ClientPro, TransPort) Del or F1, F2
Microid Research MR BIOS F1
NEC (PowerMate, Versa, W-Series) F2
Packard Bell (8900 Series, 9000 Series, Pulsar, Platinum, EasyNote, imedia, iextreme) Del or F1, F2
Phoenix BIOS (Phoenix-Award BIOS) Del
Phoenix BIOS (Phoenix-Award BIOS) – Old Version Ctrl+Alt+S, Ctrl+Alt+Esc, Ctrl+Alt+Ins or Ctrl+S
Sharp (Notebook Laptops, Actius UltraLite) F2
Samsung F2
Sony (VAIO, PCG-Series, VGN-Series) F1, F2 or F3
Sony Vaio 320 Series F2
Toshiba (Portégé, Satellite, Tecra) Esc or F1
Zenith, Phoenix Ctrl+Alt+Ins

STEP 4: restart the computer and click special. key

Actually, knowing the key, you reboot or turn off your computer, and after turning it on - press this button several times until the BIOS or UEFI settings window appears in front of you (example in the photo below).

Typical window view when logging into UEFI

If the settings window does not appear, restart the computer again and try another key ( approx. : in the table above, as a rule, two keys are indicated, for different device models) .

STEP 5: Manage BIOS Settings and Options

Many beginners are frightened by the fact that the mouse does not work in the BIOS, there is no Russian language and they have to configure everything using only the keyboard (although in the new UEFI, which replaced the classic BIOS, all these shortcomings are eliminated).

Meanwhile, everything is quite simple. For many parameters - their purpose can be understood from the context, and the most necessary control buttons are usually indicated either at the bottom or to the right of the settings menu (note the photo with the UEFI menu below: on the right there is a “Hot Keys” section - i.e. hot keys).

Changing boot priority (control keys are shown on the right) / UEFI

Another tip: if you don’t know what this or that parameter means, I don’t recommend changing it (if this is your first time in the BIOS).

The most popular meaning of buttons:

  1. Arrows– move up, down, left-right;
  2. F1 – help (the button is standard, in many other programs - it also opens the section with help);
  3. F6 or F9 – set standard settings;
  4. F10– save all settings made in the BIOS (used very often) ;
  5. Enter– confirm/enter the selected menu where the cursor is positioned (the selection is made using the arrows on the keyboard);
  6. Esc– reverse function of the Enter key - back or exit (also used very often);
  7. Plus and minus keys – increase or decrease the value (respectively);
  8. Tab – move the cursor to the next menu (something like the additions to arrows).

By the way, just like in UEFI (the photo of which I provided above), in the BIOS the menu on the right (or below) also provides hints about which button is responsible for what.

Hints: arrows - move the cursor, Enter - enter, F1 - help, F10 - save settings and exit, Esc - exit.

STEP 6: why I can’t enter the BIOS (reasons)

There can be many reasons, but most often I come across the following:

That's all I have for today, additions would be very helpful...

If previously you could enter the BIOS on any computer by pressing the Del button, today there are many more options. And this depends on the BIOS manufacturers, as well as on the motherboard on the computer and the brand of the laptop. This does not depend on the version of Windows (although there are some nuances here, but more on that below).

When you turn on your PC or laptop, you must immediately press (constantly) a certain button. Why constantly? To be on time for sure. Time is given for 5 seconds, and if you miss this moment, you will have to reboot and try again.

Now the question is - which button should you press? This information is displayed immediately when you turn on your computer (the first thing you see when it starts).

Here you can see the BIOS manufacturer. For example, in the screenshot above, this is AMI (this is evidenced by the logo in the upper left corner + first line). And the login button is F2.

The most common buttons for entering BIOS are F2, Del, Esc. Try them first.

Below are the main login keys:

Opening BIOS on a laptop?

There are laptops from Samsung, Lenovo, HP Pavilion, Asus, Acer, Dell, Sony, Toshiba, etc. And each model has its own button to enable BIOS mode.

List of keys on major laptop models:

BIOS on Windows 8

Remember at the beginning of the article it was mentioned that entering the BIOS does not depend on the OS version? So: there is a small exception here, which concerns Windows 8.

The fact is that this OS has a fast boot function. PCs and laptops running this operating system boot so quickly that you simply won’t have time to turn on the BIOS. Especially if you have an SSD installed. This hard drive boots Windows in just 0.2 seconds. The result is, of course, amazing.

To do this, press the Win + C button combination (win is the button between Ctrl and Alt) and select the following items:

  1. Options.
  2. Changing PC settings
  3. Update and recovery – Recovery (or “General” instead).
  4. Then go to “Special boot options” and click “Restart”.

After turning it on, a new window will open where you need to select the following items:

  1. Diagnostics.
  2. Add. options.
  3. UEFI Firmware Settings.
  4. Reboot.

Ready. After this, the UEFI BIOS will load.

What is UEFI? This is a replacement for the old BIOS. Simply put, its new version. This BIOS is installed on all modern laptops and PCs.

And one more way - using Windows 10 as an example.

Here you need to perform approximately the same steps as in the case of Windows 8. In particular, you need to click on the notification icon and select the following items:

  1. Options.
  2. Update and security.
  3. Recovery.
  4. Special boot options – Reboot.

And then choose: Diagnostics – Additional. parameters – UEFI firmware parameters – and reboot again.


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