For some reason, you can’t access BIOS on your computer. If so, take a look at this post. Here, NewsPivot summarizes the possible reasons for the issue and offers some troubleshooting methods based on that.
BIOS (Basic Input Output System) controls input and output operations. In BIOS, you can make some changes such as change boot order, enable TPM and secure boot, enable or disable POST, modify system voltages, etc. However, sometimes you may find that your PC won’t boot to BIOS.
Why you can’t access BIOS? After looking into this issue, we find many factors can result in the discussed error. Some possible reasons for BIOS entry failure are listed as follows:
- You press the wrong BIOS key. As you know, the BIOS key varies depending on specific PC brands and models. So, you cannot enter BIOS if you press the incorrect BIOS key.
- The keyboard is broken and the BIOS key doesn’t work.
- The motherboard is broken.
- The BIOS chip on the motherboard has failed to work.
- The BIOS jumper is broken or missing on the motherboard.
- The power connector isn’t seated properly.
- The CMOS battery of your motherboard has failed to work.
- RAM or other hardware stops the PC from entering BIOS.
When you can’t enter BIOS on Windows 10/11, you can try the methods below to solve the problem.
Also read: What to Do When Your Computer Keeps Booting to BIOS?
Method 1: Use UEFI Firmware Settings
If your computer can’t access BIOS but can boot system properly, you can enter BIOS by using UEFI firmware settings. Here are the steps for doing that.
Step 1: Open Settings by pressing the Windows and I keys.
Step 2: Click Update & Security and Recovery.
Step 3: Tap the Restart now button under the Advanced startup section.
Step 4: After your computer reboot to a screen with title “Choose an option”, click the Troubleshoot button to continue.
Step 5: Tap on Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart one after another.
Step 6: Then your computer will boot into BIOS.
Method 2: Change the Startup Services Settings
To access BIOS or the advanced startup menu, certain startup services are required to be enabled. Once these services are disabled, your PC won’t boot to BIOS. If so, try changing the startup services settings to solve the problem. Here’s the tutorial for you.
Step 1: Hold the Windows and R keys to open the Run dialog window.
Step 2: In the Run window, type msconfig and click OK.
Step 3: Go to the General tab and tick the Normal startup option.
Step 4: Click OK to save changes and then restart the PC.
Step 5: After the PC boots up, check if you can enter BIOS successfully. If not, try other methods in the post to troubleshoot the error.
Also read: How to Boot Laptop from USB in ASUS UEFI BIOS Utility
Method 3: Update BIOS
When you can’t access BIOS, it’s recommended to check if your BIOS is up to date. If not, update it to the latest version manually.
Step 1: Check the BIOS version.
- Open the Run window.
- Type msinfo32 in the Run window and hit Enter.
- In the System Information window, locate the BIOS Version/Date field and check the BIOS version.
Step 2: Go to the official website of your motherboard to see the latest BIOS version. If the found BIOS version is earlier than that of the official website, it means that your BIOS is outdated. Then you need to update it with the given instructions.
Step 3: Download the latest BIOS file from the official website.
Step 4: Extract the downloaded BIOS Zip file to an empty USB flash drive (formatted with FAT32).
Step 5: Boot into the BIOS and locate the BIOS update utility. To be specific, find options like EZ Flash, Q-Flash, or something like that. The option varies according to the motherboard manufacturer.
Step 6: Follow the prompted instructions to stat the update process. Then wait for the finish of the process.
Method 4: Reset the BIOS/CMOS
If you cannot enter BIOS still, reset the BIOS/CMOS by removing the BIOS battery. Resetting BIOS/CMOS will restore your BIOS settings to original settings, which means that any changes have been made to BIOS will be undone. Here are the general steps to reset the BIOS.
Step 1: Turn off the computer and unplug all the connected cables including the power cables and the peripheral devices.
Step 2: Open the PC case and find the CMOS battery on the motherboard. Being small and round, this battery offers power to the BIOS and retains its configurations.
Step 3: Remove the battery and leave it out of the PC for a few minutes. You may need to use a screwdriver to take out the battery.
Step 4: Place the battery back and fasten it.
Step 5: Close the PC case and reconnect all the cables. Then reboot your PC.
What to do if you can’t access BIOS? Well, this post collects some methods to troubleshoot the error. You can have a try!
Related post: How to Fix The CMOS Checksum Is Invalid Error on Windows