Ultimate Guide to PC Building: Demystifying BIOS and Mastering Troubleshooting Techniques

Buzz

Content

Understanding BIOS

How to Access BIOS?

Pressing a Button When Booting Up

Using Windows 10/11 Advanced Start Menu

Utilizing External Drive

Hardware Malfunction

Conclusion

During the journey of building and using your PC, encountering issues requiring BIOS adjustments is inevitable. Many users feel apprehensive about this, considering BIOS to be delicate, where mistakes can lead to troublesome consequences.

In today's comprehensive guide

on DIY PC assembly

let's temporarily shift our focus from hardware components to BIOS, a small yet incredibly vital part of every computer. Specifically, Mytour will walk you through various methods to access BIOS, whether your system is running smoothly or facing glitches.

Understanding BIOS

Understanding BIOS: Unveiling the Backbone of Your PC

Incorrect BIOS settings can hinder your PC's performance or render certain features unusable (such as CPU virtualization for running Android emulators or TPM2.0 for installing Windows 11). Worse still, they can render your PC completely non-functional, necessitating a BIOS reset to factory settings.

However, with the increasing complexity of CPUs and chipsets, BIOS settings are becoming more convoluted. The same feature may go by 2 or 3 different names, and the abundance of slang terms or abbreviations can leave even experienced professionals dizzy. Not to mention that resetting the BIOS is often much more challenging.

This is why many OEM PC manufacturers like Dell, HP, Gateway, etc., obscure certain BIOS features to prevent users from meddling and needing technical support. Therefore, if you're using a pre-built machine, you may not find many options mentioned in online guides. You should only access the BIOS if you know exactly what you need to do or have enough understanding of BIOS features to avoid mishaps.

Learn more: How to Activate TPM 2.0 and Check if Your PC is Windows 11 Ready

How to Access BIOS?

There are several different methods to accomplish this, and Mytour will guide you through all of them in this article, starting from the easiest to the most complex, to help you access BIOS in any situation.

Pressing a Button When Booting Up

The simplest way is to follow the instructions displayed on the screen every time you boot up your PC. It will be a short message prompting you to press a specific button to enter 'BIOS setting' or 'setup' – both of which mean accessing BIOS. Unfortunately, there is no standard for the chosen button - each motherboard manufacturer uses a different one, causing headaches for users. Additionally, modern PCs boot up quickly due to SSDs, so you might not have pressed the button in time.

The list of buttons to access BIOS for various manufacturers is as follows:

ASRock: F2 or DEL
ASUS: F2 for PCs, F2 or DEL for motherboards
Acer: F2 or DEL
Dell: F2 or F12
ECS: DEL
Gigabyte / Aorus: F2 or DEL
HP: F10
Lenovo (Consumer Laptops): F2 or Fn + F2
Lenovo (Desktops): F1
Lenovo (ThinkPads): Enter then F1.
MSI: DEL
Surface Tablet: Hold volume up button
Origin PC: F2
Samsung: F2
Toshiba: F2
Zotac: DEL

Sometimes you might not be able to use the method above – some computers don't recognize signals from USB until the POST process is complete (they still receive signals from the old P/S2 keyboard). Or if the computer is already on, or if it boots up too quickly for you to press the button, this second method will be very useful.

Step 1:

Click on the Start menu and type 'advanced startup' in the search box. Select 'Change advanced startup options'.

Step 2:

In the new Recovery window that opens, select Restart now in the Advanced startup section. Your computer will immediately restart, so remember to save any ongoing work.

Step 3:

Your system won't boot into Windows as usual; instead, you'll see a blue menu labeled 'Choose an option'. Navigate to 'Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings'.

Step 4:

Click Restart to confirm. Your system will automatically restart once more and boot straight into BIOS for you.

In case you're using a Linux operating system (like Ubuntu), type the command 'sudo systemctl reboot –firmware' (without quotes) into the command prompt.

Utilizing External Drive

This method allows you to access BIOS when you can't power on your machine and press the BIOS button, such as when both the operating system and bootloader on the hard drive are corrupted. To force BIOS to open in this situation, you can use a boot drive – for example, a USB containing a Windows 11 installation.

Hardware Malfunction

This is the last resort when you can't even use a boot drive to power on your machine and access BIOS. It sounds a bit risky, but it's actually a simple and safe method: just remove all hard drives, or disconnect the keyboard from the machine. Most PCs will issue an error message in this case, allowing you to access BIOS to address the issue if necessary.

Learn more: Essential Tips for Building a PC for the New School Year

Conclusion

Whatever you intend to do with your BIOS, remember that it's a crucial part of your computer, and any mistakes can have serious consequences. Nowadays, the risk of bricking your motherboard due to BIOS tinkering isn't as high as before, thanks to various safety measures, but you should still equip yourself with the necessary knowledge, along with superior Google-fu skills and the contact of a technician for assistance when needed!

The content is developed by the Mytour team with the aim of customer care and solely to inspire travel experiences. We do not take responsibility for or provide advice for other purposes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the common methods to access the BIOS on a PC?

Common methods to access BIOS include pressing a designated key during startup, using the Windows 10/11 Advanced Start Menu, or utilizing a boot drive if the OS is corrupted. Each method varies depending on the PC manufacturer.

How do incorrect BIOS settings impact your computer's performance?

Incorrect BIOS settings can severely hinder your PC's performance, causing features like CPU virtualization to be unusable or even rendering the system completely non-functional, which may require a reset to factory settings.

Is it safe to modify BIOS settings for your computer?

Yes, it is generally safe to modify BIOS settings if you know what you're doing. However, mistakes can lead to serious issues, so it’s crucial to understand the settings before making changes.

What should I do if my PC does not recognize the BIOS access key?

If your PC does not recognize the BIOS access key, try using the Windows Advanced Start Menu to access UEFI Firmware Settings. Alternatively, consult your motherboard's manual for the correct key to use.

How can I access BIOS if my system fails to boot properly?

You can access BIOS if your system fails to boot by using an external boot drive or by removing all hard drives. This forces the system to display an error message that allows BIOS access.