How to Enter BIOS on ASUS Motherboard

Regardless of the operating system you select, for instance, Windows or Linux, you need to be aware that the BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) of your computer is in charge all in the background.

The BIOS, which is sometimes called UEFI firmware on more recent models of computers, normally tells your computer what CPU it has, how much RAM it has, which storage disk to boot from, and a lot more. To overclock your CPU, enable virtualization, adjust the speed of your memory, or enable TPM encryption, you should visit the BIOS menus.

A PC's BIOS menus can be accessed in various ways, such as by using Windows' Advanced Startup menu, pressing a hotkey during POST, or executing a Linux command. All of these techniques are covered in this article. If you need to upgrade your BIOS, refer to our instructions on how to obtain a new firmware version.

Table Of Contents

Method 1: Use a BIOS Key

A computer goes through an immediate POST (power on self-test) when it is first turned on. You can access the BIOS menu by pressing the right key before the POST is finished or by holding it down while you press the power button. Nevertheless, some PCs boot up so quickly that they do not detect input from the keyboard in time for you to press a key. If you are in that category, then you need to use method #2.

The BIOS keys for many PC brands are annoyingly different. The majority of current motherboards use the DEL key; however, gaming laptops, PCs, and ultrabooks are not as consistent. For instance, on an Asus, pressing F2 might work, but on an Acer, you will need to use F10.

If you are unsure of your computer's hotkey, you can try pressing one of its 12 function keys for instance, DEL, Enter, or ESC is always the same, or you can wait for a message to appear during POST to find out what key to press. It can take several tries to figure out what one it is. DEL and F2 were by far the most prevalent in our study.

What are some of the BIOS Keys by Manufacturers

This is a brand-by-brand list of popular BIOS keys. Your model's age will determine which key fits it.

ASRock: F2 or DEL
ASUS: F2 for all 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 for motherboards and PCs
Microsoft Surface Tablets: Press and hold the volume up button.
Origin PC:F2
Samsung: F2
Toshiba: F2
Zotac:DEL

Unfortunately, some computers boot up so fast that you can't even press a key. While some PCs can detect input from an outdated PS2-style keyboard, some won't even acknowledge input from a USB keyboard until POST is finished. If your system is running Windows 11 or 10 and is unable to use a BIOS key, you can reach that point by using the "Advanced startup" function.

Although Windows 11 is shown in the screen photos below, Windows 10 can also follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Open Settings and find the Advanced Startup section. The simplest method to get there is to use Windows search to look up "advanced startup" and then click the top result.

Step 2: The advanced startup heading will appear. Click Restart now. A new menu will soon emerge after your computer reboots.

Step 3: Click Troubleshoot.

Step 4: Click Advanced options.

Step 5: Click UEFI Firmware Settings.

Step 6: Click Restart to confirm.

Use Other Utilities

There are more ways to access ASUS BIOS besides the ones listed above. There are alternative OS-based utilities that provide far faster options.

Making a desktop shortcut is one of my personal favorites. In this manner, I won't have to worry about searching for the right key or opening the Windows Recovery panel repeatedly.

I can quickly access the ASUS BIOS screen by double-clicking the shortcut file after granting administrative privileges.

Here is a brief rundown of all the many methods for accessing the firmware interface on your motherboard addition to that. These are compatible with any system, regardless of the brand, including ASUS:

1. To force your computer to enter BIOS on the next boot-up, use this straightforward Windows CLI command: shutdown /r /fw. This is compatible with CMD and PowerShell

2. A specific option in certain motherboard utilities provides direct access to BIOS. Gigabyte's Fast Boot software and ASRock's Restart to UEFI Utility are two examples.

3. Sadly, ASUS motherboards do not have this option; the previously suggested techniques should work just fine.

What if you can't boot your OS or hit a BIOS key?

When your computer detects no bootable drive and is unable to load an operating system, it will typically pause, beep, and prompt you to enter the BIOS, a process it often refers to as "setup."

The largest issues arise, though, when Windows or Linux attempts to boot but fails because the machine POSTs too quickly for you to press a key. I experienced this issue once when I had a corrupted or missing bootloader. After that, I saw the Windows splash screen before the blue screen of death appeared.

Suppose your computer can either choose a boot device at startup or has an external USB drive set as a higher boot priority than its internal storage drive(s). In that case, you can force the BIOS to appear in these situations by utilizing an emergency boot disk.

A Windows installation disk can serve as a backup boot disc in an emergency. Click "Repair your computer" rather than "Install" when the USB has booted up, and then select Troubleshoot -> UEFI Firmware Settings -> Restart.

In the case that you are unable to start your computer from an emergency disk, you may attempt to trigger a system pausing error, which would stop it from trying to start from its internal disks. After that, you will have the choice to access the BIOS menu.

If the keyboard is not connected (check out our list of the Best Gaming Keyboards if you need help locating one) or if the keyboard buffer is full from pressing too many keys at startup, many desktop computers will display an error message. If your primary internal storage drive has an OS that is not starting, removing it could also result in an error that allows you to access the BIOS. However, after you replace it, your issues might resurface.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How do I go directly into BIOS?

Only the authorized BIOS key may be used to access the BIOS straight from startup. Either F2 or DEL is the most common option.

Q. How do I get into BIOS without F2/DEL?

If your keyboard's allocated BIOS key isn't working (for whatever reason), you will need to use the Windows Advanced Startup procedure described above.

Q. Can I reset my BIOS without a keyboard?

You are going to be required to reset your CMOS if you have messed with the improper settings and can no longer access BIOS.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, you can troubleshoot hardware issues, optimize system performance, or make specific configuration changes by learning how to access the BIOS on your ASUS motherboard. You can get to the BIOS and manage the hardware settings on your computer by following the instructions mentioned above.