Method 1: Use a BIOS Key

When you first power-on a computer, it goes through a very quick POST (power
on self test). If you can hit the correct hotkey before the POST is completed (or
hold it down as you hit the power button), you will get into the BIOS menu.
However, some computers go through POST so fast that they don't recognize
input from the keyboard in time for you to a hit key. For those, skip to method
#2 below.

Annoyingly, different PC brands use different BIOS keys. Most

modern motherboards use the DEL key, but ultrabooks, gaming laptops and gaming
PCs are less consistent. For example, hitting F2 might work on an Asus, you'll
need F10 on an Acer computer.

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 If you don't know the hotkey for your computer, you can look and see if a
message comes up during POST, telling you what key to press or you can try
hitting one of the 12 function keys, the DEL key, the Enter key or the ESC key
since it is always one of those. You may have to try a few times to determine
which one it is. In our research, DEL and F2 were, by far, the most common.

BIOS Keys by Manufacturer

Here's a list of common BIOS keys by brand. Depending on the age of your
model, the key may be different.

 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 volume up button.
 Origin PC: F2
 Samsung: F2
 Toshiba: F2
 Zotac: DEL

Method 2: Use Windows 10's Advanced Start Menu

Unfortunately, some computers go through POST so quickly that there's no time
to hit a key. Some desktops won't even recognize input from a USB keyboard until
after POST is completed (though they will see input from an old PS2-style
keyboard). If you can't use a BIOS key and you have Windows 10, you can use the
"Advanced startup" feature to get there.
1. Navigate to Settings.

2. Click Update & Security.

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3. Select Recovery in the left pane.

4. Click Restart now under the Advanced startup header.

Your computer will reboot.

5. Click Troubleshoot.

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6. Click Advanced options.

7. Click UEFI Firmware Settings.

8. Click Restart to confirm.

Method 3: Use a Linux Command

If you're running a modern version of Linux such as Ubuntu, you may be able to
get to the BIOS by typing "sudo systemctl reboot --firmware" at the command
prompt.

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

If your computer can't load an operating system, because it doesn't detect a
bootable drive, it will usually pause, beep and give you the option to enter the
BIOS, which it will often call "setup."

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However, the biggest problems occur when the system POSTs too fast for you to
hit a key and then Windows or Linux tries to boot and fails. I've had this problem
when I had a missing or corrupted bootloader, I got the Windows splash screen
and then a blue screen of death.

To force the BIOS to appear under these circumstances, you can try using an
emergency boot disk, provided that you can either select a boot device at
startup or your computer has set an external USB drive as a higher boot priority
than its internal storage drive(s).

You can use a Windows 10 install disk as an emergency boot disk. Once the USB
boots, you need to click "Repair your computer" instead of install and then click
Troubleshoot -> UEFI Firmware Settings -> Restart.
Finally, if you can't boot off of an emergency disk, you can try to cause a system
halting error that would prevent your computer from attempting to boot off of
its internal drives. Then, you'll be given the option to enter the BIOS menu.

Many desktop computers will give an error message if there's no keyboard

plugged in (if you need help finding one, check our out Best Gaming Keyboards list)
or if the keyboard buffer is overloaded from holding down too many keys at
start. Pulling out your primary internal storage drive would also cause an error
that would let you into the BIOS, but if that drive has a non-booting OS on it,
your problems might resume once you plug it back in.

Bottom Line
Whatever method you use to access your BIOS, be careful when making changes
to your settings there. You could end up disabling key components.