# How to Enter BIOS or UEFI Settings in Windows 11

URL: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enter-bios-uefi-windows-11/
Published: 2026-07-27 | Author: Ankit Kumar
Tags: Windows 11, System, Setup, Boot, Hardware
Summary: Need to change boot order, enable TPM, or turn off XMP? Here is how to enter BIOS or UEFI on Windows 11 from inside Windows and with the setup key at startup.
Recommended app: Ultimate PC Repair Tool — https://www.mytechnician.tech/apps/my-technician/ (Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9PH863L9C6HC?hl=en-us&cid=mytechnician-web). Optional; every step below uses built-in Windows tools.

## The Problem
On an older PC you tapped **Delete** or **F2** at power-on and the BIOS appeared. On a modern Windows 11 machine that often does nothing, because Fast Startup and fast UEFI initialisation leave almost no window for the keypress — on some laptops the gap is under a second.

There are two reliable routes: the **Advanced startup** menu inside Windows, which needs no timing at all, and the manufacturer's **setup key** pressed correctly at boot. Learn the first one; keep the second for when Windows will not start.

> **Trying to enable TPM or Secure Boot for the Windows 11 upgrade?** The full procedure is in [enable TPM and Secure Boot](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/enable-tpm-secure-boot-windows-11-upgrade/). **Trying to boot from a USB stick?** Start here, then change the boot order in Step 6.

## Symptoms
* Pressing **Delete**, **F2**, or **F10** at startup goes straight to the Windows logo.
* The manufacturer's splash screen flashes past too quickly to read the prompt.
* You need to change boot order, disable XMP, enable virtualisation, or turn on TPM, and cannot get into the menu.

## Step 1: Enter UEFI from Inside Windows (Most Reliable)
This route ignores boot timing completely and works on every UEFI PC.

1. Open **Settings** → **System** → **Recovery**.
2. Next to **Advanced startup**, click **Restart now**, and confirm with **Restart now**.
3. The PC reboots to a blue **Choose an option** screen.
4. Choose **Troubleshoot** → **Advanced options** → **UEFI Firmware Settings**.
5. Click **Restart**. The PC boots straight into firmware setup.

If **UEFI Firmware Settings** is not listed, the PC is running in legacy BIOS mode — use Step 3 instead.

## Step 2: Use the Shift + Restart Shortcut
Same destination, fewer clicks, and it works from the sign-in screen when you cannot log in.

1. Open the **Start** menu (or the power icon on the lock screen) and click **Power**.
2. Hold **Shift** and click **Restart**. Keep Shift held until the blue menu appears.
3. Choose **Troubleshoot** → **Advanced options** → **UEFI Firmware Settings** → **Restart**.

You can also trigger it from **Terminal**:
```
shutdown /r /o /f /t 0
```
This restarts immediately into the advanced startup menu.

## Step 3: Press the Setup Key at Power-On
Use this when Windows will not boot at all.

1. Shut the PC down fully — **Start** → **Power** → **Shut down**, not Restart or Sleep.
2. Press the power button, then **tap the setup key repeatedly** (about twice a second) from the instant you press power. Do not hold it down; some firmware reports a stuck key.

Common keys by brand:

* **ASUS** — F2 (laptops), Delete (desktops/motherboards)
* **MSI**, **Gigabyte**, **ASRock** — Delete
* **Dell** — F2 (F12 for the boot menu)
* **HP** — F10 (Esc first on many models, then F10)
* **Lenovo** — F1 or F2; ThinkPads also use the small **Novo** button next to the power jack
* **Acer** — F2 (Delete on some desktops)
* **Samsung** — F2
* **Microsoft Surface** — hold **Volume Up** while pressing and releasing power, then keep Volume Up held

If the key does not register, use a **wired** keyboard directly in a rear USB port. Wireless and USB-hub keyboards often are not active early enough.

## Step 4: Turn Off Fast Startup So the Key Works
Fast Startup shortens the pre-boot window and skips a real cold start.

1. Open **Control Panel** → **Power Options** → **Choose what the power buttons do**.
2. Click **Change settings that are currently unavailable**.
3. Untick **Turn on fast startup (recommended)** → **Save changes**.
4. Shut down fully and try the setup key again. It also makes shutdown behaviour more predictable in general — see [fix Windows 11 not shutting down or restarting](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-windows-11-not-shutting-down-restarting/).

## Step 5: Find Your Way Around the Firmware Menu
Layouts differ, but the same sections exist everywhere.

* **Main / Information** — CPU, memory, and BIOS version. Compare this with the vendor's latest release before updating.
* **Advanced** — virtualisation (**Intel VT-x / SVM Mode**), **TPM / PTT / fTPM**, SATA mode, USB settings.
* **Boot** — boot order, **Secure Boot**, **CSM / Legacy support**, Fast Boot.
* **Security** — supervisor password, Secure Boot keys, drive password.
* **Exit** — **Load Optimized Defaults**, **Save Changes and Exit** (usually F10).

Most boards have an **Easy** or **EZ Mode** on entry — press **F7** or the on-screen link for **Advanced Mode** to see everything.

## Step 6: Change the Boot Order or Use the One-Time Boot Menu
For a single boot from USB, you rarely need to change settings at all.

1. Restart and tap the **boot menu** key: **F12** on Dell and Lenovo, **F8** on ASUS, **F11** on MSI and ASRock, **F9** on HP.
2. Pick the USB device from the list — this affects one boot only and is the safer option.
3. To change it permanently, go to the **Boot** tab in setup and drag or select the device for **Boot Option #1**, then save with **F10**.
4. If the USB stick is not listed, it may not be UEFI-bootable, or Secure Boot is blocking it. Related: [how to clean install Windows 11](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-clean-install-windows-11/) and [fix no bootable device](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-no-bootable-device-windows-11/).

## Step 7: Reset the Firmware if You Change Something You Should Not Have
1. In setup, press **F9** (or find **Load Optimized Defaults** on the Exit tab), then **F10** to save.
2. If the PC will not POST at all, shut it down, unplug the power, and use the motherboard's **CLR_CMOS** jumper or button — or remove the coin cell for five minutes.
3. Defaults also clear an unstable XMP profile, which is a common cause of crashes: [fix WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-whea-uncorrectable-error-windows-11/).

## What Not to Do
* **Don't set a BIOS supervisor or drive password you might forget.** Unlike a Windows password, there is usually no recovery — see [reset a forgotten Windows password](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/reset-forgotten-windows-password/) for what *is* recoverable.
* **Don't change several settings at once.** Change one, boot, and confirm it works.
* **Don't flash firmware unless you need to.** An interrupted update can leave the board unbootable.
* **Don't switch SATA mode from AHCI to RAID (or back) on an installed system** — Windows will not boot afterwards.

## Still Not Working?
If neither the Windows route nor the setup key gets you in, the machine may be in legacy BIOS mode with a very short window, or the keyboard is not being initialised in time. Try a wired keyboard in a **rear USB 2.0** port, with all other USB devices unplugged.

On a locked-down work laptop, firmware access is often disabled by policy — you will need your IT team.

Related: [how to check your PC specs](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-check-pc-specs-windows-11/) and [install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/install-windows-11-on-unsupported-pc/).

---
Source: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enter-bios-uefi-windows-11/ — My Technician, free Windows 10/11 troubleshooting guides.
Related tool: Ultimate PC Repair Tool (Ultimate PC Repair Tool is a Windows diagnostic and repair toolkit with system analysis, automated troubleshooting, and hardware checks for Windows 10/11.) — https://www.mytechnician.tech/apps/my-technician/
More guides: https://www.mytechnician.tech/llms.txt