The laptop won't let me enter the BIOS. BIOS does not start: the main causes of the problem. Bios on a laptop
Using a computer or laptop sooner or later leads to the need to reinstall the system. The average user, when trying to boot the system from external media, is faced with such a thing as BIOS. The instructions say that you need to enter the BIOS, but many computer users do not even know what this abbreviation means and what meaning it carries.
BIOS deciphered as “Basic Input Output System”, that is, “Basic Input-Output System”. BIOS is a set of programs for input and output of data for system management. Modern computers have switched to a more advanced form of the basic system, which is called. However, the essence of its use has not changed.
Standard ways to launch BIOS
It is not advisable for a person who does not understand computer systems to enter the BIOS unless absolutely necessary, as this can lead to disastrous consequences. When logging in, a person has access to many system parameters. Changing them may adversely affect the operation of the computer. Therefore, if you do not understand the meaning of the settings being changed, it is better not to touch them.
The most common reason why an ordinary user needs to enter the BIOS is due to a change in the initialization sequence of devices and forced installation or disk. There are several ways to enter the BIOS. This requires a keyboard, but there are also ways to enter the BIOS without a keyboard.
In order to enter the BIOS, you need to follow the specified scheme. In fact, entering bios will not be difficult. Another question is how to change and use these settings.
Input scheme in BIOS:
Sometimes the line pops up very quickly and the person does not have time to enter the BIOS. This is not a problem, you just need to wait until the computer turns on and restart it. When turning on, repeat these steps again.
Keys and combinations according to bios versions
Keys and combinations by computer and laptop manufacturers
| PC Manufacturer | Keys |
| Acer | F1, F2, Ctrl+Alt+Esc |
| AST | Ctrl+Alt+Esc, Ctrl+Alt+Del |
| Compaq | F10 |
| CompUSA | Del |
| Cybermax | Esc |
| Dell 400 | F3, F1 |
| Dell Dimension | F2, Del |
| Dell Inspiron | F2 |
| Dell Latitude | F2, Fn+F1 |
| Dell Optiplex | Del, F2 |
| Dell Precision | F2 |
| eMachine | Del |
| Gateway | F1, F2 |
| HP (Hewlett-Packard) | F1, F2 |
| Lenovo | F2 |
| IBM | F1 |
| IBM E-pro Laptop | F2 |
| IBM PS/2 | Ctrl+Alt+Ins, Ctrl+Alt+Del |
| IBM Lenovo Thinkpad | from Windows: Programs > Thinkpad CFG |
| Intel Tangent | Del |
| Micron | F1, F2 or Del |
| Packard Bell | F1, F2 or Del |
| Roverbook | Del |
| Sony VAIO | F2, F3 |
| Tiget | Del |
| Toshiba | ESC, F1 |
How to enter the BIOS in other ways
The standard method of entering the I/O menu requires a keyboard. However, there are some ways login without using it. Typically, this need arises if the keyboard is broken or the settings have been changed, which makes it impossible to enter the BIOS in the usual way.
Using a special button without a keyboard
There is a special button for entering the BIOS on some computer models, for example, Lenovo. You don't need to restart your computer to use it. It is active in any case and allows us to immediately enter the system we need.
The disadvantage of this method is that not all computers have such a button, but it is this button that allows you to enter the BIOS without using the keyboard at all.
Resetting BIOS settings
This method allows you to reset the settings for entering the BIOS in the usual way. To do this, find a jumper under the system unit case “ Clear CMOS", change its position and return it back. This way, the settings will be reset, which means you will be able to enter the BIOS in the standard way using the keyboard.
If jumper missing, then you can remove the BIOS battery for 20-30 seconds and put it back in. It's not difficult to find. It is quite large and there are no other batteries on the motherboard.
Using a PS/2 keyboard
The problem that prevents you from entering the I/O menu may be hidden in the keyboard. This happens on older computers. The solution is to use a keyboard with a PS/2 connector.
How to load bios via command line
One of the simple and accessible methods, understandable to every average user, is to enter the BIOS using command line. The essence of the method is to run just one command and easily and quickly enter the BIOS.
Step-by-step process for entering BIOS via the command line:
1 step. Hold down the keys Windows and R. In the window that appears, enter “ cmd", as shown in the screenshot. 
Step 2. We are waiting for the command line window to appear. 
Step 3. In the window that appears, enter the command to call the system reboot "shutdown.exe /r /o", as shown in the picture, and press Enter:
After completing these simple steps, the computer will begin to reboot. When turned on, a menu of different launch methods will open. There will be a key combination indicated for the simplest and fastest way to enter the BIOS.
Is it possible to enter the BIOS without rebooting?
If none of the above methods helped you enter the BIOS, you should seek help from a specialist. It is impossible to enter the BIOS without rebooting, since it is when the input and output menu is turned on that the BIOS no longer works when the computer is running.
BIOS is the Basic Input/Output System, the heart of the computer, without which the normal operation of other components and software is impossible. When you turn on your computer, the BIOS starts first and only after you turn it on, the operating system starts loading.
Theoretically, since Windows boots after the BIOS, reinstalling the operating system or adding another OS should not affect the normal operation of the BIOS. However, there are often cases when an attempt to install a second operating system results in the BIOS not loading.
In this case, we can assume that the BIOS settings have gone wrong and restoring the default settings may solve the problem. To reset the settings, you need to perform the following operations.
- Disconnect the PC and monitor from the electrical network.
- Open the system unit and remove the battery from the motherboard.
- Wait a few minutes.
- Return the system battery to its place.
- Connect power to the computer and monitor.
After restarting, the BIOS will start loading “like the first time”. If the problem goes away after this, it is recommended to format the boot hard drive and reinstall the operating system. Preferably one that has previously worked without problems. It is quite possible that the added operating system was damaged in the distribution.
Connection problems
There is a high probability that the BIOS does not load due to breaks in the power supply networks or data loops. To check this option, you first need to listen to see if the cooler on the motherboard is spinning. The BIOS is part of the processor and therefore poor cooling of the motherboard leads to malfunctions.
Perhaps the contact groups of the fan have come loose, which is why it does not work. After this, carefully inspect all cable and cable connections. Check to see if dust has accumulated on the motherboard or contacts. Dust is an excellent conductor of electric current, and it also creates electrostatic fields, to which electronics are very sensitive.
- Clean the device from dust using a vacuum cleaner and a brush.
- Sequentially disconnect the contactors and clean the terminals from dirt and oxidation. You can use a school eraser to clean the contacts.
- Check that all connectors are securely attached. It is likely that vibration caused the contacts to separate, and therefore the equipment stopped working correctly.
After the maintenance, you can try to start the computer again. The screen is black again and the BIOS won't load? Then we can assume that one of the internal modules is faulty. Including the motherboard itself could fail or need to be reflashed.
You can download the new firmware for the motherboard on the manufacturer’s official website. Updating the firmware is a difficult and quite risky task. Therefore, if you don’t know exactly what and how to do, it’s better not to take risks, otherwise you could ruin your entire computer, including the hard drives. It is better to contact the service center.
Faulty blocks in the computer
None of the above helped? Then the likelihood of hardware failure increases and you can start checking the blocks.
Disconnect and remove anything from the device that is not necessary for the computer to start. Leave only the motherboard, power supply and one of the RAM sticks. The computer will not work in this state, but it is possible to check the serviceability of the motherboard itself.
A common reason for the inability to start a computer is insufficient power from the power supply. For example, you replaced the motherboard with a more advanced one, which requires more electricity. However, the power supply remains old. Or so - additional hard drives or some other functional components were installed in the system unit. Energy consumption can increase quite significantly. Installing a more powerful power supply will solve the problem. If the issue, of course, is a lack of energy.
Often, loading the BIOS is prevented by a malfunction in the video card. If possible, you need to check the video card by replacing it with another similar one. Or install the video card in another computer. Here you need to look at the compatibility of the equipment. Otherwise, you won’t find the problem, but you may create new problems.
If the minimum configuration - motherboard, power supply, RAM socket - the system unit is working and the BIOS is loading, then the problem is in one of the removed modules. After installing and connecting the next unit, try turning on the computer again and see what happens. As soon as the BIOS stops starting again, we can assume that you have discovered a faulty unit. Now all that remains is to find a similar one and replace it.
In reality, everything often turns out to be much more complicated. For example, the computer sometimes boots and works quite normally, and then, for no apparent reason, it starts to fail. The problem can be either software or component failures.
Such periods of normal operation, alternating with the inability to load the BIOS, are typical for three types of problems.
- Presence of microcracks on the motherboard. Because of this, contact periodically disappears.
- The electrolytic capacitors on the motherboard or power supply have dried out. This malfunction mainly applies to old system units that have been in use for a long time. Sometimes faulty capacitors can be identified by characteristic swelling of the housing.
Poor contact in the connected wires. As already mentioned - the presence of dust, oxidation of contacts, insufficient pressure. If the contactors have fixing screws, they must be tightened completely. The opposite situation also happens - clamping screws that are tightened too tightly lead to deformation of the connectors and poor contact in the connection.
For a number of reasons, users are not always able to access the BOIS of a laptop. Also, the BIOS itself may not load or not start. Let's understand the problem.
Many software problems in laptops can be resolved by carefully configuring the BIOS. But what should you do if you can’t log in when loading? This case is relatively rare and is more often affected by serious hardware failures or errors in the boot sector. A case like this always requires professional intervention.
Black screen
If the laptop basically does not start beyond the splash screen, only the service can figure out the reasons. Very often this means a failure of the motherboard or its parts. The reason almost never lies in the hard drive, since HDD or SSD do not affect the BIOS in any way. There may be problems with the power supply; the computer may not have enough voltage to start adequately.
- Almost always in such situations it is necessary to select and replace not the cheapest computer parts.
- The BIOS also has its own battery, the resource of which does not last forever.
Firmware and updates
Experts usually configure boot modes via F8 or F10: they switch the boot source, which sometimes helps. It is also advisable to clean your laptop from viruses before booting the system.
- If Windows boots but there is no BIOS, special programs are used that update the BIOS from the system.
- Sometimes the BIOS is reset by disconnecting the power supply or by pressing the “reset” button. The battery is usually removed for at least 5 minutes.
- To restore access to the BIOS, various techniques are used: sometimes, oddly enough, replacing or formatting the hard drive helps.
- In some cases, a simple system restore helps.
There is a specific error: by default, the image is displayed on the external display, so it seems that the download is not happening. In this case, you need to find the hotkey for switching to the main screen and try to press it at boot. It’s a stupid situation when the problem turns out to be the keyboard: the laptop does not receive a command from the key when booting.
Hi all! The question of writing a note on how to enter the BIOS has been brewing for quite a long time... however, I kept putting it off because I didn’t know how to properly structure this whole thing and convey it to readers. There is no universal solution, there are generally accepted standards with some nuances that I would like to tell you - so please do not scold too much and, if possible, write down your observations in the comments. I, in turn, will try to constantly keep the note up to date along with reader comments and additions.
The evolution of computers has already lasted quite a long time and thanks to the huge number of manufacturers of both motherboards and BIOS, there are a lot of options for entering computer parameters (but some manufacturers have been gone for a long time - for example EPoX). Below I tried to put together all the methods that will help you access the BIOS settings (BIOS Setup).
IMPORTANT: This note will not help if you visited this page to find out how to get into password-protected CMOS Setup
If your computer is relatively new (produced in the current 21st century) then you can get into the BIOS settings using one of the five buttons on the keyboard held down while starting the computer.
- Del (Delete)
* If pressing F2 opens the diagnostic tool (relevant for some HP models), then with a high degree of probability it will be possible to get into the BIOS using the F10 key
** F10 can be used to call up a menu with a choice of boot device (the so-called BOOT MENU). If F10 opens the boot menu, then most likely the F2 (or DELETE) button leads to the BIOS
The BIOS buttons must be pressed immediately after turning on the computer before Windows starts. From the outside it looks like the picture below - we stupidly click on the buttons until we get to the BIOS (and we are constantly figuring because I won’t tell you the exact moment when to press)
Some old computer (well, or motherboards, whichever is more convenient for you - the BIOS is on it) When loading, they write which button you need to press to enter the BIOS...
Press
I think it’s very clear what you need to press on the keyboard. However, modern computers have the so-called Fast Boot and this message is simply physically impossible to see - from the moment you press the power button until the desktop loads, it can only take a couple of seconds! (thanks to SSD, modern computers start up very quickly)
Advice: if these tips did not help you, then you can always refer to the documentation of the developer of your motherboard (or laptop if you have a portable friend) It will help you determine the motherboard model
After successfully entering the BIOS, you will see a screen similar to the screenshot below. It is possible that everything will look completely different for you. (especially in modern solutions - there is a graphical interface) but this does not change the functionality and in general everything is approximately the same.
If you are not sure about some points, then on the right there are usually hints with hot keys (for example, there may be buttons to change the boot device F5 And F6)
After all the settings have been made, you must save the new settings. In 99% of cases this is possible with the F10 button (however, if this method does not work, then you should take a closer look at the annotations at the top or bottom of the screen... or on the Exit tab, which, by the way, is not always visible and appears only when scrolling through the tabs)
How to enter BIOS on Windows 10
Enter BIOS from Windows? - about five years ago, I would have twisted this question at my temple and continued drinking strong coffee, laughing at the users... however, with the advent of UEFI and Windows 8, the situation has changed and if it is possible to run the installed OS on the computer, then you can get into the BIOS through a tricky menu automatically after reboot the system.
Step 1. Open Settings in the Start menu (gear icon)
Step 2. Find "Update and Security"
Step 3. On the left side of the window, select “Recovery” and in the “Special boot options” section, click on the “Restart now” button.
Step 4. The computer will reboot in a special menu where you need to select “Troubleshooting” (I apologize in advance for the crooked photos, I couldn’t make normal screenshots on a virtual machine)
Step 6. This is where the “UEFI Firmware Settings” item we need is located (don’t forget to agree to the reboot - I didn’t put this in a separate item).
The computer or laptop will reboot and automatically enter the BIOS (which is what we needed)
This method only works with UEFI and on older computers this option simply does not exist when rebooting. For example, I used my home Mi Notebook Pro
How to enter BIOS on an Asus laptop
What I like about ASUS is that it’s hassle-free - in 99% of cases you can go to the BIOS by pressing F2 at startup. However, there are models where Delete or even Insert can be responsible for entering the BIOS (and the F10, often found by other manufacturers, is rarely used by ASUS)
How to enter BIOS on an Acer laptop
Acer is like an old computer - with a high degree of probability it is F2 or Delete (as on regular computers) ... if the laptop is old enough, you should try F1
By the way. If your computer has Acer BIOS, you can try restoring its settings by holding F10 while booting until the beep sounds.
How to enter bios on hp laptop
On HP laptops, the main keys to enter the BIOS are F10 or ESC. Many people confuse it with diagnostic utilities that are called via F2.
How to enter BIOS on a Lenovo laptop
Lenovo is such a company... when I first encountered the fact that I had no idea how to enter the BIOS and felt like a worthless specialist. In fact, everything turned out to be simple - the block of function keys in some models must be pressed in combination with a key... but everything is standard - F1 or F2
Results
Unfortunately, it is impossible to clearly answer the question of how to enter the BIOS (UEFI). Manufacturers of laptops, computers and motherboards do not use a universal key to enter parameters - as a rule, if you do not find the answer in a note, you can find the answer in the official documentation for the motherboard or try to get an answer by leaving a comment on this note!
BIOS is the basic input and output system that stores special algorithms necessary for the proper functioning of the entire computer. The user can make certain changes to it in order to improve the performance of the PC, but if the BIOS does not start, this may indicate serious problems with the computer.
There is no universal way to solve this problem, since, depending on the cause, you need to look for a solution. For example, in some cases, in order to “revive” the BIOS, you will have to disassemble the computer and carry out some manipulations with the hardware, while in others, it will be enough to simply try to enter it using the capabilities of the operating system.
Reason 1: Problems with components
If, when you turn on the PC, the machine either does not show any signs of life at all, or only the indicators on the case are lit, but there are no sounds and/or messages on the screen, then in most cases this means that the problem lies in the components. Inspect these components:
Physical damage to important computer components occurs, but the main reason for the inability to start a PC normally is severe dust contamination of its insides. Dust can become lodged in fans and contacts, disrupting the flow of voltage from one component to another.
When disassembling the system unit or laptop case, pay attention to the amount of dust. If there is too much of it, then do “cleaning”. Large volumes can be removed with a vacuum cleaner operating at low power. If you use a vacuum cleaner while cleaning, be careful as you may accidentally damage the inside of your PC.
When the main layer of dust has been removed, arm yourself with a brush and dry wipes to remove the remaining dirt. It is possible that contamination has entered the power supply. In this case, it will have to be disassembled and cleaned from the inside. Also check the contacts and connectors for dust.
Reason 2: Compatibility issues
In rare cases, the computer and BIOS may stop working due to incompatibility of any component that is connected to the motherboard. Usually, identifying the problem object is quite simple, for example, if you recently added/changed a RAM stick, then most likely the new stick is incompatible with the rest of the PC components. In this case, try starting the computer with old RAM.
Less commonly, it happens when one of the computer components fails and is no longer supported by the system. It is quite difficult to identify the problem in this case, since the computer does not start. Various sound signals or special messages on the screen that the BIOS provides can be very helpful. For example, by looking at the error code or sound signal, you can find out which component is having a problem.
In the case of incompatibility of certain components on the motherboard, the computer often shows signs of life. The user can hear the operation of hard drives, coolers, and the startup of other components, but nothing appears on the screen. Most often, in addition to the startup sounds of computer components, you can hear some extraneous signals produced by the BIOS or some important PC component, thus reporting a problem.
If there is no signal/message or they are illegible, then you will have to use this instruction to find out what the problem is:
If you completely assembled the computer (without finding a problematic element), connected all the devices to it and it began to turn on normally, then there can be two explanations for this behavior:
- Perhaps due to vibration and/or other physical impact on the PC, the contact from some important component has come out of the connector. In the actual disassembly and reassembly, you simply reconnected an important component;
- A system failure occurred due to which the computer had problems reading a component. Reconnecting each element to the motherboard again or resetting the BIOS solves this problem.
Reason 3: System failure
In this case, the OS loads without any complications, work in it also proceeds normally, but when you need to enter the BIOS, you are unable to do anything. This scenario is extremely rare, but it does happen.
The method for solving the problem that has arisen is effective only if your operating system boots normally, but you cannot enter the BIOS. Here we can also recommend trying all the login keys - F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, F10, F11, F12, Delete, Esc. Another option is to use each of these keys in combination with Shift or fn(the latter is only relevant for laptops).
This method will only be applicable for Windows 8 and higher, since this system allows you to restart the PC and then enable the BIOS. Use this instruction to perform a reboot and then start the basic input and output system:
If you have an operating system Windows 7 or older, and also if you have not found the item "Firmware and UEFI Settings" V "Advanced options", you can use "Command line". Open it using the cmd command in the line "Run"(called by key combination Win+R).
You need to enter the following value in it:
shutdown.exe /r /o
After clicking on Enter the computer will reboot and enter the BIOS or offer boot options with entering the BIOS.
Typically, after such an entry, the basic I/O system will boot without any problems in the future if you are already using key combinations. If it is not possible to re-enter the BIOS using the keys, it means that a serious failure has occurred in the settings.
Reason 4: Incorrect settings
Due to a failure in the settings, the hot keys for entering may change, so if such a failure occurs, it would be wise to reset all settings to factory settings. In most cases, everything returns to normal. This method is recommended only in cases where the computer boots without problems, but you cannot enter the BIOS.
