The BIOS and Basic Input/Output System are the same in the computer’s world. The BIOS is a special software embedded into the processor’s chip that acts as a medium between the OS and the devices connected with the system. In the BIOS Menu, you can troubleshoot your system, change the boot order/system’s date, overclock, or adjust the fan speed. The BIOS is not a part of any OS, but the OS uses it for the device interaction during the boot. Now the question is “How to Open the BIOS Menu in Windows 11”.
In Windows 11, you can open the BIOS Menu via the Settings app, using the Shift + Restart method, the Windows Terminal, or create a shortcut for frequent access. Additionally, you use the keyboard shortcut keys to open the BIOS Menu when the boot screen appears.
To open the BIOS Menu on your system, you can utilize either of the following methods.
- From the Settings App.
- Using the Shift + Restart Button.
- Via the Windows Terminal/Command Prompt.
- Using a Shortcut.
- Utilizing the Keyboard Shortcut Keys.
Method 1: Open BIOS Menu Windows 11 From the Settings App
To force Windows 11 to reboot into the BIOS Menu, you must use the Windows Recovery Environment, To do that, open the Settings app, navigate to System > Recovery, and click/tap on the Restart Now button from the Advanced startup option:
It now opens the Windows Recovery Environment and from here, navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options and select UEFI Firmware Settings to reboot the system into the Startup menu:
After the system reboots, press the key according to what you see on your screen (F10 in this case) to enter the BIOS Setup:
Method 2: Open BIOS Menu Windows 11 | Shift Restart
You can directly reboot the system into the Advanced options by holding the Shift key and then using the restart button. You can do it at the Login screen as well:
Method 3: Open BIOS Menu Windows 11 | Windows Terminal
To reboot the system into the Windows Recovery Environment and then open the BIOS Menu in Windows 11, execute the below command in Windows Terminal (PowerShell) or the Command Prompt:
shutdown /r /o /f /t 00Note: You can use the “shutdown /r /o /f /t 00” in the Command Prompt as well.
Method 4: Open BIOS Menu Windows 11 | Keyboard Shortcut
If you are unable to boot Windows 11 and want to open the BIOS Menu, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts (depending on your system’s motherboard manufacturer) at the boot screen:
| Keyboard Key | System Motherboard Manufacturer’s Name |
|---|---|
| Dell | F2 or F12. |
| Lenovo | F2 |
| HP | F10 or ESCAPE |
| MSI | DEL |
| ACER | DEL or F2 |
| Samsung | F2 |
| ASUS | DEL or F2. |
Method 5: Open BIOS Menu Windows 11 | Shortcut
If you are one of those users who often require to open BIOS to change their system’s hardware, you can create a shortcut that reboots the system into Recovery Mode, and from there you can open the BIOS menu. To create a shortcut to reboot Windows 11 into Recovery Mode, create a new shortcut and add “shutdown /r /o /f /t 00” as its path:
Now, name the shortcut and you can use it to quickly reboot the system into the Recovery Environment from where you can open the BIOS Menu:
Conclusion
To open the BIOS Menu Windows 11, use the dedicated keyboard shortcut according to your system’s motherboard manufacturer. Or navigate to Settings App > System > Recovery and use the Restart now button from the Advanced startup option; after that navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options and select UEFI Firmware Settings to reboot the system into the Startup menu and boot into BIOS Menu. Additionally, you can use the Windows Terminal/Command Prompt or create a shortcut to reboot into the Windows Recovery Environment and then open the BIOS Menu, as discussed in the above guide.