Contenuti
Intro
Today we will look in more detail at how to enter the BIOS of your computer, focusing on the different types of brands.
The use of a personal computer, whether desktop or laptop, is now commonplace for daily work and entertainment activities. Those who particularly love the world of PCs do not stop at just using software, but also devote themselves to deep knowledge of the hardware. This process inevitably leads to inquiring about what technologies make up a PC, starting with the BIOS and ending with the technical specifications and functions of the operating system.
How to enter the BIOS: what is the BIOS
As trivial as it may seem, before we begin to list the access modes in the BIOS, it is appropriate to give a definition. The term BIOS (Basic input/Output System) is nothing more than a software which is started the moment a PC is turned on, this contains the instructions to identify hardware and boot peripherals that allow communication with the hard disk, optical drives, and floppies, in the case of obsolete machines.
Although it is identified as software capable of managing communication between hardware and software, the BIOS is also a physical component installed on the motherboard, or other types of electronic devices. This physical unit has a small memory in which instructions are stored, the latter being essential for identifying PC software and hardware.
Newer motherboards, or even more so video cards, have two BIOSes (DUAL BIOS) and are able to use the better one depending on the user’s needs, but also in case one of them becomes damaged.
How to enter the BIOS: types of BIOS
Each company may install a different BIOS on its electronic device, this also partly determines its optimization and proper operation. As much as BIOS is broadly speaking a program that stores instructions and employs them to boot the operating system, it is not the only nomenclature by which it can be found.
In fact, the BIOS is an integral part of the Firmware, which in turn can be implemented with either BIOS-based or UEFI-based technology.
BIOS
As previously mentioned, the BIOS contains advanced settings that allow you to optimize your computer’s performance, from RAM clock speed to processor clock speed. This nomenclature was an integral part of information technology from 2010 to 2020, when it was replaced.
UEFI
As it is easy to deduce, the replacement of the BIOS occurred precisely in 2020 in favor of the UEFI system, a much more advanced technology that allows management not only of hardware and software parameters already present in the BIOS, but adds several features to the interaction.
More parameters can be changed with the UEFI interface, as well as employing the mouse to speed up operations. With the traditional BIOS, only the keyboard can be used to interact with advanced on-screen options.
How to enter the BIOS: why to do it
Having understood the meaning of BIOS, it is interesting to understand the motivations that may arise for those who need to access it. As we will see, once you understand how to enter the BIOS you will be able to access a lot of useful functions to improve the performance of your PC, it is always recommended to pay attention to some parameters, but we will elaborate on which ones in the next paragraphs.
Change frequencies
One of the most important reasons for entering the BIOS is to be found in the ability to change RAM and processor frequencies.
This function is interesting for all those who want to get some additional performance from the installed hardware components by applying some manual or automatic overclocking.
Newer BIOSes allow you to quickly and easily change frequency settings; older BIOSes, on the other hand, are characterized by defaults beyond which you cannot go.
Those with a high-end motherboard and a very good processor can take advantage of the BIOS to make the changes precisely. Of course, not everyone is able to figure out the right voltages and frequencies to choose, in which case it is always advisable to rely on specialized guides, or at least to understand well what values not to exceed in order to make the whole system stable.
Change CPU parameters
As already pointed out, within the BIOS you can change the processor and RAM frequencies, but you can also go further. In fact, the more experienced will know that a processor is characterized by multiple physical cores and as many threat cores, which are essential to achieve the proper computational calculations.
Although you may think that the number of cores and threat is locked to the factory number, actually, with a modern BIOS you can also limit it. So many reviewers and insiders need to understand how a processor with fewer cores than those installed on the CPU chip works, once you understand how to enter the BIOS you will also be able to choose the number of units to use.
Of course, this feature is useful not only for reviewers and insiders, but also for those who experience slowdowns in their machine and want to check whether all cores and all threats are active.
Windows Boot
Understanding how to enter the BIOS can be very helpful in doing a new Windows installation the right way. As much as Microsoft has been preferring automatic desktop installation for its Windows 11 in recent years, in many cases it is unavoidable to initiate a formatting and installation from scratch.
In order for this to be done with speed, one must necessarily insert a pendrive into a dedicated input on the motherboard and initiate the command from the BIOS that recognizes the pendrive as the Boot system instead of the hard disk.
Entering the BIOS becomes, therefore, a necessity, since one must place, in the boot drives, the pendrive as primary. Many experts will know that this function can also be activated from the motherboard home screen, but unfortunately only on recent systems. Those who perform an installation from scratch on a system from a few years ago will need to set their BIOS to start the process.
Some systems with Linux distros make this step superficial, but if you are using a Windows system, then there is no other solution.
Analysis of technical characteristics
Accessing the BIOS also provides detailed knowledge of all system components. Each PC consists of a motherboard, processor, RAM memory, hard disk, network card, sound card, power supply and video card; these elements have specific drivers and obviously well-defined frequencies and voltages.
Thanks to the BIOS, you can observe the default settings and change them should you need them, again if your system allows it. In several cases, especially with outdated BIOSes, there is no leeway at all, limiting functions to only changing boot units and displaying basic parameters.
Those who need to figure out which processor, RAM, and hard disk are installed will be able to do so in a matter of seconds, avoiding the need to install dedicated software such as CPU-Z and the like.
Legacy Mode
Earlier, we pointed out that there are two types of firmware: BIOS and UEFI. Those who need to figure out how to enter the BIOS are most likely doing so on a dated computer, a condition that limits some of its functions even in Windows.
In addition to BIOS and UEFI, there is also the Legacy system, which is a backdated version of the newer UEFI that allows access to certain settings on new electronic devices.
Accessing the BIOS is essential to be able to choose between Legacy and UEFI modes, therefore, may be the ideal solution for those looking for a specific feature that is incompatible with today’s systems.
Certainly one of the most common uses of Legacy mode is to make a state-of-the-art SSD compatible with a potentially incompatible older system. By activating the Legacy setting in the BIOS, magically the SSD will appear within the system resources.
How to enter the BIOS: preliminary information
Once the advantages of understanding how to enter the BIOS have been determined, it is appropriate to make some assumptions about how to access it. Although the procedure for entering the BIOS is very simple, in most cases consisting of pressing the default key or key combination, it should be pointed out that not all computers feature the same procedure.
Accessing the BIOS can be done in several ways, but these depend mainly on the developer of one’s personal computer. The HP company has a different key combination than Acer, as do many other famous brands.
Generally speaking, however, the ways of interacting with your PC are the same for each device, you just need to pay attention to the key combination to use and the timing when loading the logo.
In order not to make the guide boring and built from a simple list made of brands and symbols, we are going to analyze the most famous brands and how to enter the BIOS quickly and easily. Specifically we will focus on the brands-HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, MSI, and Gigabyte. Then we will also devote a few lines to how to log into the BIOS of Windows and a Chromebook.
How to enter the BIOS: HP brand
Among the most famous brands for both desktop and laptop computers certainly figures HP, let’s see how to enter the BIOS of a system with a motherboard from this company.
First of all, it is essential to turn off the PC totally; we do not recommend using the System Reboot function as it would speed up the boot process and you would not have time to press the appropriate data sequence to initialize the BIOS.
Once the PC is completely turned off you have to press the power button (Power) and press a specific key as soon as the motherboard logo is displayed.
In case you had a notebook computer, then the key to press would be F1, or F10 in case it was a newer device.
As for an HP branded fixed PC, on the other hand, the key to press is Esc, this allows you to view multiple types of access, in fact, immediately afterwards you have to press the F10 key on the keyboard to access the BIOS.
Those who have a modern notebook or desktop PC will not have access to the BIOS but to the UEFI, in which case it is advisable to perform the login process with the Windows modes, we will examine in the next few lines.
Key: F1 or F10.
How to enter the BIOS: Lenovo brand
In recent years, the Lenovo company has been among the most active for those seeking balanced computers built with quality materials. To enter the BIOS of a Lenovo machine, a distinction must be made between notebooks and desktop or all-in-one PCs. Let’s see how to access it in a few seconds.
Notebook: in this case, it is very important to turn off the laptop and press the F12 key on the keyboard repeatedly before the motherboard logo screen appears. In case the notebook has all the colored keys from F12 to F1, then the sequence to press would be Fn+F12. If you did not get the desired result with the most up-to-date models, you could opt for the Fn+F2 key combination.
Desktop and all-in-one: in this case you have to press the F1 key repeatedly, before the motherboard logo appears. In the condition where you owned a Lenovo ThinkPad series, then the key to press would be Enter and immediately after F1. Older models, however, rely on the Esc key to enter the BIOS, so it is advisable to press it if you were not getting results with the previous combinations.
Key: F12 or F1.
How to enter the BIOS: ASUS brand
Accessing ASUS branded computers is really super easy, the company has been striving for years to develop products that are affordable for everyone without too many complications.
Again, it is essential to turn off the laptop completely, but you should not press the Power key to start the device right away.
In fact, for ASUS systems, one must press the F2 key for a few seconds and then immediately press the power key, but without releasing the previous command. You can leave the F2 key only when the BIOS control dashboard appears on the screen.
ASUS desktop versions, on the other hand, allows you to enter the BIOS after turning on the PC and waiting for the motherboard logo to appear. When the logo appears on the screen you can press Del/Canc on the keyboard repeatedly until the BIOS dashboard appears. Some ASUS models allow firmware access with the F2 key, as you can easily deduce it depends on the motherboard model and the ASUS series purchased.
Key: F2
How to enter the BIOS: Acer brand
The steps to enter the Acer BIOS do not differ much from those reviewed in the previous lines, as a first step you need to turn off the PC and wait a few seconds.
After the shutdown process is finished, you will need to boot the computer and wait for the Acer motherboard logo to appear, at the same time you will need to press the F2 key on the keyboard repeatedly and wait for the BIOS dashboard to appear.
Some notebooks require instead, the combination Fn+F2, trying both will not cost too much time, especially if you have a fast SSD.
As for Acer’s desktop models, one must, as always, turn off the PC and immediately boot it up. In this case, the key to press immediately after the Acer logo appears is not F2, but Del/Del. Some personal computers from many years ago can also start the BIOS with the F1 key or Ctrl-Alt-Esc.
We recommend opting for a Windows solution if you were buying a late-generation Acer computer-the presence of very fast storage memories makes it particularly frustrating to find the perfect moment to press the key that allows you to enter the BIOS.
Keys: F2 and Delete.
How to enter the BIOS: MSI brand
The company MSI has been producing PCs devoted to gaming for some time, enthusiasts will know how motherboards from this well-known brand are almost always the ideal solution to push beyond the processor.
When accessing the BIOS of an MSI motherboard, it is more correct to speak of UEFI; you are unlikely to find a dated device with an older generation BIOS.
The login procedure is really very quick, you have to turn on the PC and wait until MSI’s motherboard screen appears, with the famous logo with dragon and red crest. As soon as the logo appears you have to press the Del/Del key repeatedly, or F11 or F12 for business models.
In case the commands have no effect, it is advisable to press, again after the MSI logo appears, the key combination Fn+F2.
Usually MSI places a Boot menu at the top of the screen to display options for booting from other memories or for BIOS access functions.
Key: Delete.
How to enter the BIOS: Gigabyte brand
The well-known Taiwanese company has been producing motherboards with both Intel and AMD chipsets for several years, but this does not change in the least either the UEFI BIOS interface or the keys to be used to enter the firmware.
In order for you to enter the Gigabyte BIOS, you must turn off the PC completely and start it up immediately afterwards. A few seconds of waiting and the POST screen will appear, at which point you will need to press either the F2 key or the Del/Canc key on the keyboard.
Indications of which key to use will appear on the screen; newer systems rely on the F2 key, those with a few years on their shoulders need the Del/Canc key.
At the moment, there are very few Gigabyte-branded notebooks on the market, aimed among other things at the hardcore portable gaming sector. Even on the gaming versions of this company’s notebooks, the keys to press are identical, except of course for custom modes due to manufacturer requirements.
The SSDs used by Gigabyte are particularly high-performance, therefore, you have to be very careful and precise not to end up at the Windows boot screen instead of the BIOS screen.
Key: F2 or Delete.
How to enter the BIOS: Windows
As simple as the procedure for accessing a PC’s BIOS is, after all, you only need to press one key, at most two, at the appropriate time. However, you are not always able to hit the keyboard in time because your PC’s SSD is extremely fast enough to make that instant almost imperceptible. To free yourself from repetitive power-off and power-on, you can opt to enter the BIOS directly using the dedicated function of Windows 10/11.
Most computers running Windows 8.1 or later versions have a UEFI BIOS. Thanks to this advanced firmware, it is also possible to forward automations through software, which in this case will be Windows itself.
Taking into consideration Windows 10, the most installed version in the world, one will need to press on the Start menu, found in the lower left corner, and click on Settings, a cog icon.
Then you will need to select the Update and Security item and immediately after that the Restore option. A window with several entries will appear on the screen; to enter the BIOS, you must first select Advanced Startup and immediately after Restart Now.
Windows will restart the operating system and bring up an advanced screen on the screen, in which there are numerous options. From these, select Troubleshooting and immediately afterwards, respectively: Advanced Options and UEFI Firmware Settings. The PC will reboot and show the BIOS screen directly on the screen.
After the changes are complete, Windows will not restart the same procedure again to enter the BIOS; if you needed to access the firmware again, it would be appropriate to repeat the above procedure.
How to enter the BIOS: Chromebook
When trying to figure out how to get into the BIOS, one almost always associates a Windows-equipped computer, whether this is in its latest Windows 11 version or earlier.
Not everyone knows that the BIOS of other types of operating systems can also be accessed, one of them being the Chromebook. Those with particularly dated machines know the potential of a Chromebook and how Google’s home operating system can breathe new life into even the weakest hardware.
To access the BIOS of this type of computer, one must, as always, wait until the PC is completely turned off and then immediately press the Power button on the case. Chromebooks hardly have a logo for the boot screen; therefore, it is advisable to start pressing the Ctrl-Alt-F2 key combination repeatedly until the BIOS interface appears.
Some Chromebooks have a different combination, but most models on the market rely on the one just mentioned.
Keys: Ctrl-Alt-F2.
How to enter the BIOS: mistakes to avoid
Accessing the BIOS to take a look at the technical specifications of your computer will certainly not result in damage to your machine. This reasoning, however, does not apply the moment you start changing certain parameters, inducing potential instabilities in the system. But what mistakes should absolutely be avoided when accessing the BIOS?
Change the voltages
The urge to overclock one’s processor is certainly great, especially for those who want to push a CPU with a few years on its back to the max. Although it is not complicated to increase the frequencies of processor cores, people often fall into the mistake of changing the voltages too much.
The electrical current within the motherboard circuits is too important a component to leave to experiments; you need to be clear about how far you can push with the voltages so as not to cause the motherboard to break.
Entering the BIOS to change voltages, without having a clear idea of how to go about it, can compromise the stability of the system and obviously lead to potential failure. It is recommended that the motherboard voltages be touched as little as possible, unless the manufacturer has issued detailed information about this.
It is not uncommon for a motherboard to be manufactured with non-optimized voltages, in which case changing them will be able to significantly improve computer performance.
Do not save changes
So many users enter the BIOS of their computer, be it a notebook, an all-in-one or a fixed, and after changing some parameters they select the Exit option without saving.
As obvious as the fear of making mistakes may be, not saving the changes is like never having logged into the BIOS in the first place. In many cases it can be useful to eliminate all forms of modification, but in so many others it ends up making them in vain.
A UEFI BIOS will usually notify the user that changes have been made and must be saved before returning to Windows, but an older generation PC is unlikely to provide that benefit.
Do not verify the model of the motherboard
As highlighted clearly in the lines above, each motherboard has a different key combination for entering the BIOS. As much as the motherboard manufacturer always inserts a logo before booting the operating system, in so many cases the dedicated option is not active, therefore, the Windows desktop will appear directly on the screen.
To avoid trying all possible combinations, you should check the motherboard model installed in the case. This can be verified with dedicated software, such as CPU-Z, or simply by taking a look inside the PC and reading the brand reference.
Most motherboards graphically transcribe the company name in the center of the component, usually near the RAM and processor slots.
Reverse Boot SSD and HDD
When you access the BIOS, 80% of the time you do so to set up booting from a pendrive for the purpose of installing a new operating system. A common mistake is to fail to reverse the arrangement of hard drives and always end up at the Windows screen.
In order for you to get booting from the desired hard disk, SSD, or pendrive, you need to access the BIOS and go to the Boot section. Within the edit window all removable devices connected to the PC will appear, including, of course, hard drives and pendrives.
If you were using a Legacy BIOS or an even older one, you would have to change the peripherals manually with the keyboard, pressing on the F5 and F6 keys to move the settings.
The BIOS will place the device that will boot first as the 1st Drive, so, you must place the pendrive first if you would like to boot a new Windows installation, or your hard drive/SSD if you want it as your primary.
The most common mistake is not to be found in this operation, but in forgetting to place as 1st Drive the hard disk on which the operating system to be used daily is installed. In this case, the BIOS will remember, until further modification, the changes made.
XMP 2.0 of RAM memories
Buying a new generation computer and not using its full potential is definitely not a smart move. Some changes in the BIOS could provide better performance, even without changing voltages and frequencies.
Those who have a motherboard with UEFI BIOS and have chosen RAM memories with XMP 2.0 technology can enable the frequency unlock function directly from the firmware by selecting a single option.
A great many users make the mistake of buying 3200 MHz RAM memories and then finding themselves exploiting them only at 2666 MHz. This is due not to a system malfunction, but to the motherboard not having XMP 2.0 active. This term is used to identify a technology that ensures maximum performance of RAM memories, but without affecting system stability and without changing voltages or frequencies manually.
Not enabling this function is really unintelligent, going into the BIOS in this case would have a purely performance purpose. We emphasize that only EUFI BIOSes allow XMP to be enabled.
How to enter the BIOS: speed up the process
Entering the BIOS is definitely not an everyday task, very few people have the need to do it, and in many cases it becomes a mere quirk of those who love computing.
But when you need to upgrade PC components, or constantly check the frequency values and behavior of hard drives, it becomes an almost necessary task. In order for it to be made as quick an activity as possible, steps can be taken. Let’s see which ones.
Verify the correct key combination
This guide on how to get into the BIOS, much like the manual for your personal computer’s motherboard, can be very helpful in speeding up the process of accessing the firmware.
Checking, before turning on the PC, which key combination to use will make it easier and less frustrating.
Once you have verified the key combination, it is advisable to mark it on a piece of paper or simply with a very thin marker under the computer case. This will make it immediate to find the combination when you need to log in again.
Motherboard manufacturers rarely change the keys to access the BIOS, even doing a firmware update will not result in changes. Each company clearly defines maintenance operations.
Set initial boot with motherboard screen
Not everyone is aware that some motherboards allow you to choose dedicated screens to access the Boot window and the BIOS window.
Such a function can be very useful for those who want to enter the BIOS in a matter of seconds, as much as accessing one of the hard drives to perform booting.
Again, it is easy to find these features on motherboards with UEFI BIOS, in fact, within the settings there are two entries that allow you to implement these features. Usually the options are found in the area of the BIOS called Other, where there are several interested features, especially for those who want to overclock.
Setting the dedicated screen to boot the BIOS will greatly reduce the login time, making the user experience much more pleasant.
Set up automatic BIOS access
As much as functions to set up a dedicated Windows boot screen for hard drives, some computers also allow you to program automation for BIOS access.
Following in the footsteps of Windows, which, as we pointed out, allows you to manage BIOS access via software, some very versatile motherboards also have a specific firmware-only function. In this case, finding a motherboard capable of offering such an option is certainly not easy, not least because not very many users really need it.
In the future, however, it is not ruled out that it will be implemented on more motherboards, still offering a feature that speeds up the login operation.
Conclusions
Understanding how to enter the BIOS can be very useful not only for those who need to install a new operating system, but also for those who want to take a look at their computer’s technical features or those who like to overclock.
An operation that may seem so trivial, however, requires small steps, the latter of which are essential to avoid creating damage to the system. Unfortunately, each company has its own key combination to enter the BIOS, you have to pay attention to the brand you own to speed up access with the dedicated key combination.
