BIOS is the most important component of a computer, the activity of which is aimed at setting up the operation of the equipment, checking its functionality, launching the operating system, and more. One of the most unpleasant situations that a user may encounter is when the BIOS refuses to start.
Let's imagine a situation: suppose you decide to reinstall Windows on your computer, but in order to run the installation program, you need to enter the BIOS. You have made more than one attempt to enter the BIOS, and all of them were unsuccessful.

Another situation: when the computer starts, the user first sees the BIOS interface, after which the computer proceeds to load the operating system. In some cases, the user may not see any image at all, that is, neither the BIOS window nor anything else.

Reason 1: Wrong key (combination)

First of all, you should question the correct hotkey you are using to enter the BIOS. Unfortunately, you can only find out which key in your case is by experience, that is, it was not possible to enter the BIOS using one button, next time you should try another.

The process of entering the BIOS is as follows: you reboot the computer or simply turn it on and at the very first stage of turning it on, you begin to repeatedly and quickly press the BIOS hotkey.

There are a huge number of options for entering the BIOS (this is especially true for laptops), but in most cases you will find one of the following keys: F1, F2 and Del. If not a single key helps you enter the BIOS, try Googling the model of your motherboard (for a desktop PC) or laptop model on the Internet to find out how to enter the BIOS for your device.

Reason 2: Non-working or unsupported keyboard

And although in rare cases the user has the opportunity to enter the BIOS without a keyboard, in 95% of cases it is impossible to do without it.

Needless to say, a computer keyboard must be in good working order? Be sure to test the keyboard's functionality by logging into Windows or connecting it to another computer.

If everything is fine with the keyboard, then perhaps the problem is that the keyboard is not supported by the BIOS. As a rule, a similar problem is observed among users of old computers (laptops), and if you use a wired or USB keyboard, then this may well be the case.

If you have a wireless keyboard, then we will need to use a wired one to eliminate the possibility of such a problem. Especially older BIOS versions may not support the USB keyboard interface, but to check this, you will either need to connect an old keyboard with a PS/2 connector or purchase a PS/2 adapter for a USB keyboard.

Reason 3: USB port not working

The port to which the keyboard is connected must be working. Try connecting the keyboard to a different port and try entering the BIOS again.

Reason 4: conflicting devices

One of the computer devices may have malfunctioned, resulting in a conflict, which is why you cannot enter the BIOS.
Try disconnecting everything you can from the computer: drives, hard drives or solid-state drives, all USB devices connected to the motherboard, PCI cards. If there is a built-in video card, then disable the discrete one, and then try to enter the BIOS again. If the attempt is successful, connect one device to the computer at a time to find out what is conflicting. Having identified a problematic device, it is precisely this device that you will need to deal with (it is better to take it to a service center for diagnostics).

Reason 5: Computer malfunction

If, when you turn on the computer, the BIOS starts making sounds, but does not want to start, you should listen to the signals and record them. Often the BIOS uses such signals to make it clear what went wrong. There are a lot of tables on the Internet that decipher sound signals for different BIOS versions, using which you can quickly understand the cause of the problem and begin to fix it.

Reason 6: Problematic BIOS settings

As a rule, a similar cause of the problem occurs when the user makes changes to the BIOS. In this case, you should try returning the BIOS to factory settings. As a rule, in most cases you will need to look under the system unit case, where on the motherboard you can find a special switch (CMOS jumper), which is set to position 1-2. To perform a reset, just move the switch to position 3-4 for 15-30 seconds, after which you can return it to its previous position.

Reason 7: Problems with the motherboard

The most unfortunate cause of this problem is that the motherboard is practically the entire computer. If you suspect a problem with its operation, you can carry out a short diagnostic procedure.

First of all, you will need to inspect the motherboard itself: is there any oxidation, are the capacitors swollen. Any external changes indicate its malfunction, which means that all this must be eliminated. If there is oxidation, it must be carefully erased with an eraser. If the capacitors are swollen, they should be soldered with new ones.

If visually everything is fine with the motherboard, you should try the following:

1. Disconnect your computer from the network, and also remove all unnecessary devices: mouse, speakers, keyboard, any additional devices and cables. As a result, only a network cable and a monitor need to be connected to the system unit.
2. Reset CMOS. To do this, you should remove the battery from the motherboard for a few seconds and then install it back.
3. Remove all cards from all motherboard slots, leaving only the processor and speaker connected.
4. Start the computer and pay attention to the sound: if there is any sound, this tells you that the motherboard is working. If not, then everything is much sadder - she does not respond.

If you have confirmed your guess that the problem is in the operation of the motherboard, you should try to take it to a service center - it is quite possible that a specialist will be able to restore its functionality.

These are the main reasons that affect the BIOS not starting. If you have comments on the article, leave them in the comments.

The basic input/output system is the beginning of a computer's electronic life. In the event of a hardware or software malfunction of the BIOS microchip, successful startup of the computing device simply becomes impossible. Despite the extreme degree of reliability of the specified element of the computer system, software failures in the basic microsystem (due to many factors!) still occur. In most cases, the problem “BIOS does not start: what to do?” is resolved by simply replacing the CMOS battery, otherwise it is necessary to apply a comprehensive diagnostic plan, and only after identifying the cause of the problem, carry out a repair (correct!) algorithm of actions, -. details in the article!

Not a short introduction: small BIOS and big consequences...

Indeed, everything depends on a small microcircuit, which contains a set of microprograms in its memory, and in totality is the basic microsystem of a computer! A very rare electronic ailment that occurs in our time is damage to the main BIOS record of the system (not to be confused with temporary data stored in CMOS memory!) - this is a “dead” motherboard. That is, the motherboard becomes completely useless, since it is deprived of a startup control element.

A partial malfunction of the microchip BIOS can be accompanied by an incredible variety of surprises, both hardware and software. In general, the beginning of all computing principles is a small microcircuit with a certain set of programs. The degree of efficiency of the computer you are using directly influences the overall service life of the computing device as a whole depends on how correctly you configure the BIOS. If for you, dear reader, everything written above has become news, then it makes sense to think: “Do I comply with the manufacturer’s critical instructions regarding operating rules?”

Why the BIOS suddenly stopped starting: a little about all the reasons

Let's move on to specifics, because the situation “does not start” can look different:

1. When you press the “on” button, nothing happens - a black screen and silence.
2. The computer turns on, the screen flickers with a black void (not active) - the noise of the fans is heard and the system speaker (BIOS speaker) beeps.
3. The computing device starts, some message is displayed on the screen - the buttons do not respond, except that... the restart works.
4. The system boots too quickly (and safely!), but you can’t get into the BIOS.

There is another interpretation of the problem voiced, when a novice user does not correctly understand what exactly is happening and at the same time wonders how to enter the BIOS in general? Let's start with the last one...

How to enter basic computer settings

Depending on the BIOS version(s), as well as the design features of the computer, access to basic settings may differ radically from the methods that are considered standard.

For example, in most PC modifications, entering the BIOS is done by pressing the “F2” or “Delete” function button. Moreover, the activation of one of these buttons is carried out immediately at the moment of starting the computer system at its initial stage. By the way, there is a special technique for calling the BIOS main menu - repeatedly pressing the corresponding button with an interval of two clicks per second.

There are other “tactile schemes” for entering the BIOS - some manufacturers equip the devices they produce with special mechanisms, push-button or lever type, when activated, the user enters the service menu of the base microsystem. However, there are also more exotic buttons - touch ones. However, the essence of the listed keys and service gadgets is the same - calling the BIOS Setup menu.

As for the “speed resistance” to entering the basic computer settings menu, there are several possible solutions:

• Enter the BIOS menu through Windows OS - use this link to read about how this is done.

• Try calling the BIOS using other service keys, for example, “F8”.

• Finally, you can get to the basic settings using the System Restore rescue disk or Windows distribution.

Black screen and silence: causes and solutions

This “electronic incident” has a rather long list of “causes and consequences”, however, it is possible to identify the main symptoms of the malfunction, namely, to quickly identify the real culprit of the “silent triumph”.

• There is a 99.9% chance that the power supply has failed. Naturally, replacing the component with a known-good power supply unit will correct the situation in the direction of “Problem resolved!”

• The power button has failed - replace the switching element or check the wire for mechanical damage (obvious breakage, deformation of the wire, oxidation of contacts, etc.), of course, with its subsequent restoration (soldering, cleaning).

• Dust contamination of the inside of the computer case (especially important for portable computer equipment - a laptop) - it is necessary to clean all components of the system board, as well as the attached modules and wiring equipment, from dust. Do not forget to clean the protective mesh of the air intakes and other structural elements of the body.

The computer turns on, but the monitor screen is “full of dark secrets”

As a rule, problems with starting a computer system are always accompanied by a specific sound signal, the tone and sequence of which has its own decoding code.

To solve the problem described, you can also try changing the computer’s power supply, but more likely this “PC behavior” indicates that the BIOS has detected a faulty component in the system: one of the memory sticks (RAM) has failed, the hard drive has broken, or The processor temperature has reached a critical value. In the latter case, it is necessary to replace the thermal paste and check the cooling system cooler for serviceability.

Otherwise, user actions should be as follows:

• Disconnect all peripheral devices (printer, fax, web camera, external storage devices, etc.).

• Remove all RAM modules.

• Disconnect hard drives.

• Switch to a different graphics mode - change the video circuit from integrated to discrete, or switch to the built-in video chip if you used an external video card.

If an empty continent starts up, add one component at a time from the previously disabled components and carefully monitor the reaction of the microsystem as a whole. In any case, if the BIOS starts, it means you have already achieved a positive result!

By the way, do not forget that a black screen may be the result of a failed monitor. In laptops, the integrity of the connecting cable is often compromised, which is constantly subjected to dynamic load when opening/closing the display cover. In the latter case, it is better to contact a laptop repair service center. In both the first and second cases, to check the truth of the assumption, you can always try connecting an external monitor to the VGA connector.

In conclusion

Here, in brief, is the entire list of instructions for the problem “BIOS does not start: what to do.” We hope everything worked out for you and access to basic settings is restored. Of course, you should not lose sight of another not described way to resolve the problem - switch the CMOS jumper to the RESET position (then return the contact element to its original position).

And you know, this article has a big continuation, because the BIOS may not start due to swollen capacitors, as well as “dead” transistors... Don’t miss it!

Hello friends. Sometimes readers come to me in the comments with a problem, they say, I can’t enter the BIOS, what should I do? At the same time, they report that they have tried all possible keys that may be responsible for entering the BIOS. How to solve this problem? Below we will look at its cause and solution using a specific example with individual models of Acer laptops. We’ll also talk about an alternative universal way to access the UEFI BIOS - from a running Windows EFI system or from a system recovery environment on removable media.

I can’t enter the BIOS: what should I do?

How to get into the BIOS if the keys intended for this do not work

So, friends, certain keys are responsible for entering the BIOS at the stage of starting the computer. These can be F2, Delete, Esc, Ctrl+Alt+Esc, Ctrl+Alt+Del, Ctrl+Alt+B, Ctrl+Alt+S, Ctrl+Alt+Esc. If you are working with a new, previously unfamiliar device, you can try them at random. But you should always look at the instructions for your motherboard or laptop for the exact key or combination. If there are no instructions, well then you need to use the information on the Internet.

But what if you cannot enter the BIOS and have tried various key combinations, including those specified in the instructions for your motherboard or laptop?

Recently, a reader asked in the comments with the following problem:

Quote: Julia

Help me please. I can’t enter the BIOS of the Acer V5 571 laptop. Neither F2 nor any other key or their combinations help. This was preceded by replacing the hard drive on which Win 7 had to be installed. This is the first thing. Second, the desired Win 7 was installed on this new hard drive on another laptop, but the Acer laptop does not see this hard drive. And it displays the message “Operaion sistem not found”. At the same time, it loads perfectly the hard drive on which Win 10 is installed.

Experienced users probably guessed that Julia’s problem is most likely that the active UEFI mode in the BIOS prevents Windows 7 from starting on her laptop. Or, using another laptop, she installed “Seven” on a disk with the MBR partitioning style. Or on a disk with GPT style, but booting Windows 7 on the Acer laptop is prevented by the inclusion in the BIOS. What should Julia do? She needs to enter the BIOS and disable UEFI mode, switch it to Legacy.

Or, if you can disable Secure Boot separately, then disable only it, and then either reinstall Windows 7 on an empty unallocated space, clearing the disk of the partition structure, or convert the MBR disk to GPT from the Windows 10 or LiveDisk environment using programs like AOMEI Partition Assistant, Paragon Hard Disk Manager, MiniTool Partition Wizard, etc. These not only change the layout style of the hard drive while preserving the partition structure and data stored on them, but also preserve Windows functionality by converting the system boot partition “System Reserved” into an EFI boot partition.

But how can Yulia perform these operations if she does not have access to UEFI functionality? There are two options for how to deal with this situation:

• The first is to enter UEFI from a running Windows 10 environment, and if there was none, then, accordingly, this could be done from bootable media with a recovery environment for EFI Windows systems;
• The second is to update the BIOS of your device.

BIOS update for Acer V5 series laptops

The second option - updating the BIOS - is a difficult path for the average person, and, accordingly, should be resorted to as a last resort. And this recipe does not work with every device. But it can definitely help Acer V5 series laptops, of which our reader owns one of the models. Its essence is to create a flash drive with a BIOS update utility and boot the laptop from this flash drive. This process is demonstrated in detail in a video on YouTube.

How to enter UEFI if the BIOS entry keys do not work

Well, now let’s talk about the mentioned universal, simpler way to enter UEFI in case the BIOS entry keys do not work. If we have a working Windows 8.1 or 10 EFI system, UEFI can be entered using special boot options. Open the Settings application. In Windows 8.1, go to the “Update and Recovery” section. Go to the “Recovery” subsection. On the right we look at “Special download options”. Click “Reboot Now”.

In Windows 10, the same option is located in the “Update and Security” section, in the “Recovery” subsection.

Let's get to the recovery environment action selection menu. Here we can not enter directly into the BIOS environment, but simply select a boot device different from the current hard drive, for example, a flash drive or DVD. To do this, select the “Use device” option.

If you need to enter the BIOS, then in the action selection menu click “Troubleshooting”.

Then - “Advanced options”.

Click “Reboot”.

And we will get to the BIOS UEFI interface.

How to enter BIOS UEFI if Windows does not boot or is not installed at all? In principle, we do not need Windows itself, but its recovery environment. This is implemented in the installation process of Windows 8.1 and 10. But here two circumstances need to come together:

• The bootable flash drive must be UEFI, it is created, for example, by the Rufus utility with the ISO burning parameters as in the screenshot below;

• And the computer by default should start from such a bootable USB flash drive, as from a device that is in boot priority next to the hard drive on which Windows has crashed or is missing.

So, at the first stage of the installation process, click “Next”.

Click “System Restore”.

Friends, many of you, experienced users, know about one of the suitable WinPE-based resuscitation Live disks - , the possibilities of which we review from time to time on the pages of the site. If you have one stored in a safe place in case of a system failure, you don't need to worry about creating bootable media with the Windows installation process. You can run the system recovery environment on the Sagittarius Live disk. Access to it is provided in the Live disk menu.

Launch it and select the keyboard layout.

Reset, update and flash BIOS

If the BIOS has suffered a software glitch, updating through Windows may help. In the latter case, accordingly, the operating system must start on the computer. Instructions and software for updating the BIOS must be found in the specifications of the motherboard or laptop on the manufacturer's official website. The most extreme case is restoring damaged BIOS firmware using a programmer. You can see how this is done in principle. However, friends, without proper preparation and experience, I do not advise you to resort to this kind of action. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to contact a computer technician.

Greetings, dear readers! You know, this probably wouldn’t be a blog with computer tips, if I hadn’t written anything about such a system as BIOS.

I'm sure search engines are asked this question every day, how to enter BIOS, and today I will try to tell you about this system and how to log into BIOS on different computers.

What is BIOS?

Let's first figure out what it is. In professional terms, this is:

(English basic input/output system - “basic input/output system”) is a part of system software implemented in the form of microprograms, which is intended to provide the operating system with API access to the computer hardware and devices connected to it.

Well, to put it simply, then BIOS this is a set of firmware written into the motherboard. Even before the operating system starts loading, BIOS Performs many useful and necessary functions. For example, the BIOS has such a very important task, it is checking all the components of the computer - POST.

As soon as you press the power button on your computer, the procedure starts POST, which checks for the serviceability and presence of all computer components (video card, RAM, hard drive, and so on) and if any of the components fails, it generates an error by which one or another failure can be determined. A sound signal is also issued, but it seems to me that this happens on older computers; I have not seen this on new ones.

The BIOS also controls the loading of the operating system and indicates which source to boot from (DVD/CD drive, hard drive, or connected flash device). This is especially true when installing an operating system; I’ll write about this below. The BIOS also stores a lot of different settings that can be changed. For example, I overclocked my processor a little through the BIOS by increasing the system bus frequency.

How to enter BIOS?

In order to enter the BIOS system, immediately after pressing the computer’s power button, you need to diligently press the key, but we’ll figure out which one now. The fact is that different manufacturers of motherboards or laptops have their own key combination for entering the BIOS. Usually these are keys Del , F2, or Esc , there may also be combinations of different keys, and this is why I will post a table in which you can see the keys for entering the BIOS from different manufacturers.

One of the most common situations is when the computer does not start, the system does not enter the BIOS. In this case, power is supplied to the motherboard, but the system self-test does not run. Typically, users describe this malfunction something like this: when I start the computer, I can hear the noise of the fans on the processor and in the case, but the monitor is blank and does not emit any signals.

What could be causing the problem?

When the computer system boots normally after being turned on, it diagnoses its electronic components and initializes them. For this purpose, the BIOS chip contains a special program code. When the BIOS loads, this code is executed. If everything is normal, one short beep is issued. If an error is detected, the system does not start; a signal specific to the detected problem is issued. If the system does not perform a self-test upon boot, this does not mean that the code embedded in the bios has failed. In fact, this happens very rarely, and the cause is unsuccessful experimentation with the BIOS firmware.

Some possible reasons for a computer freezing when the bios does not load include:

• incorrect;
• contacts: either there is no contact somewhere, or, on the contrary, something is shorted (it happens, for example, that the metal plug of the motherboard on the rear panel of the case short-circuits the USB sockets);
• faulty RAM;
• dead battery (to power bios) on the motherboard;
• stuck buttons on the front panel of the case, for example, “reset”;
• a faulty power supply may be the reason why your computer won't boot;
• damaged chipset chips;
• swollen or leaking capacitors on the motherboard;
• general contamination of the system unit.

Procedure for “treatment”

To cure the problem when the bios does not start, the first thing you need to do is open the system unit and assess the degree of contamination. Often the system does not boot for such a prosaic reason as a large amount of dirt. If dust is visible on the motherboard and other components, it is necessary to clean the computer. To do this, you can use a brush and a vacuum cleaner. Dust from surfaces is swept away with a brush and captured in the vacuum cleaner hose. When doing this, care must be taken not to damage any elements. In addition, you should not touch the vacuum cleaner hose to anything, as static electricity may accumulate on it during operation.

If the computer does not start, that is, general cleaning did not help, you must perform the following steps:

1. Check if the speaker is connected correctly. Maybe the BIOS booted and found errors, but the signals are not heard.
2. Check the front panel buttons for sticking.

These procedures can be done quickly and without much effort, and their result is often a solution to the problem - the system enters the BIOS.

Usually on the motherboard for resetting the BIOS there are three pins in the area where the battery is located, as well as a jumper that closes two of them. The jumper marking looks like “CLR” or “CMOS CLR”. To reset the bios settings in this case, you need to move the jumper to the other two contacts and wait a few seconds. The jumper then returns to its original position.

If there is no such jumper, the bios parameters are cleared by removing the battery from the board socket. But keep in mind that the bios reset does not occur instantly, but with a delay. The delay is explained by the fact that power to the microcircuit is retained from the charged capacitors of the motherboard. On high-quality boards, their discharge time can reach half an hour or more. To accelerate the discharge, you can close the contacts to which the battery is connected.

Element-by-element check

If these actions lead to nothing, it is necessary to perform an element-by-element check. To do this, leave the processor with the fan and the wire leading to the speaker on the motherboard. Disconnect all other cables from the motherboard and remove the expansion cards. When you start the bios you should hear a “no RAM” sound. If it is heard, the diagnostics have worked, the processor and motherboard are operational. Then after that you need to insert one memory stick and start the computer again. If the video card is external, there should be a sound signal from the BIOS indicating its absence. By connecting all other devices gradually, one at each step, you can identify the faulty one, when installed, the system does not start.

Before installing memory sticks and expansion cards, you should make sure that they are not chipped or damaged, and then clean their contacts. To do this, it is best to use a cotton swab moistened with alcohol. But you can also wipe it with a regular rubber eraser.

Checking the processor is the last thing to do when finding the reason why the BIOS crashed

If even after removing all elements except the processor, the system does not boot and no bios signals are heard, you need to check the functionality of the processor. It is best to replace it with a known good one. If this is not possible, remove the cooler, press your finger to the surface of the processor, and turn on the computer. When we feel heating, we quickly turn it off - the processor is working. Otherwise, we check the motherboard: are there any chips, are there visible swollen or leaking capacitors. Problem capacitors, if any, can be replaced. But this, of course, requires a good level of soldering iron skills.

To check that the chipset chips are “live”, we check their temperature. They should warm up slightly within a minute of turning on the power. If the chip remains cold or heats up to a high temperature, there is a very high probability that it is faulty and the computer will not start because of it.

So if, when you turn on the computer, it does not boot and freezes at the bios self-test stage, you should not despair. In this case, you need to follow the procedures described above, and you will almost certainly achieve a positive result - the BIOS starts and the system starts working.