How to enter bios on a dell laptop. How to enter BIOS on a laptop How to set up BIOS on a Dell laptop

Want to know what BIOS is and how to check and change BIOS settings on your Dell computer? This article provides details.

1. What is BIOS?

Abbreviation BIOS stands for B asic I nput O utput S ystem (basic input/output system). BIOS (also called System Setup) is a built-in set of firmware stored on a small memory chip found on the computer's system board, commonly called CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic) memory. This system configuration software acts as an interface to the PC hardware and operating system(for example, Windows), thanks to which software controls computer hardware components.

The BIOS also contains the algorithms by which the PC performs basic actions, such as booting over a network or using hard drive, determining in the latter case the order in which the disks are used.

BIOS is also used to identify and configure the computer's hardware components (hard drive, floppy drive, optical drive, processor, memory, Plug and Play devices, etc.). This process is performed using ESCD (Extended System Configuration Data), which is typically stored in an additional non-volatile memory NVRAM.

Technology has changed somewhat over time, but users still often refer to BIOS as "CMOS memory" and "NVRAM memory", although in reality there is little difference. CMOS memory contains the BIOS system (along with its settings), and the NVRAM memory stores the ESCD table. However, updating the BIOS does not clear the NVRAM memory.

To enter BIOS or system settings on your Dell PC, press F2 when the Dell logo appears on the screen when the PC boots up. (Fig. 1)

Rice. 1

Or click F12 and select the menu item BIOS Setup(BIOS setup program). (Fig. 2)

Rice. 2

Attention! Be careful when changing BIOS settings. The BIOS interface is designed for advanced users. Incorrect operation of the settings can lead to errors when booting the computer and loss of data.

In Fig. Figure 3 below shows the BIOS system setup screen.

Rice. 3. OptiPlex 990 BIOS screen

2. Why is it necessary to update the BIOS?

Dell recommends updating the BIOS according to the update cycle schedule. As with new versions of the operating system and drivers, these updates contain relevant improvements or changes that are compatible with other system components ( Hardware, firmware, drivers and software), security updates and system stability improvements.

Unlike Windows updates And antivirus programs, which usually boot automatically, you must update the BIOS manually.

Dell provides a self-installing update package that makes the task much easier.

Attention! Before the process starts BIOS updates always follow backup data, since any error can lead to data loss.

There are several ways to find out the BIOS version, but the easiest is to look at the system information.

For Windows 8 and 8.1 editions, enter run on the Metro screen. Then press the key Enter, in the Run dialog box, enter and click OK.

For Windows 10, type in the search bar and press Enter.

For earlier editions of Windows, you can go to system information by clicking Start(Start) and then Run(Run). In the Run dialog box, type and click OK.

In the system information window that opens, the system summary information item should be highlighted in the navigation panel on the left. The BIOS update version/date can be viewed in the summary window on the right (Figure 4).

Rice. 4. System Information

You can also find out the BIOS version using the command line.

    Click Start. In the Run or Search dialog box, enter cmd and then in the search results click cmd.exe.

    When the User Access Control window appears, select Yes(Yes).

    In the Command Prompt window ( Command line) in line C:\ enter and press key Enter. The BIOS version will be displayed in the results (Figure 5).

Rice. 5. Command line systeminfo

4. Updating the BIOS on Windows Systems

It is important that the BIOS version is always up to date. BIOS updates may include improvements related to hardware compatibility, diagnostics, security, and system stability.

The new BIOS can be downloaded from the Dell Support website:

The video below shows the BIOS update process.

Video "Update" System programs Setup (BIOS)" (2:07) (English only)

Note. When updating the BIOS on a laptop or mobile device the battery must be installed and the adapter alternating current must be connected to an electrical outlet.

    Open your web browser ( Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc.) and go to the web page.

    If the screen prompts you Identify your product(Product Definition), enter the service tag information, or select Browse for a product(Product Search) to search for the product manually.

    If the product is identified incorrectly, click View a different product(Other Product) and either enter the information from the service tag or search manually again.

    Having selected the desired product, click on the item Find it Myself(Find it yourself) and scroll to the bottom of the page to the section Refine your results:(Refine search terms). From the Category drop-down menu, select BIOS. This will narrow your search to only show results in the BIOS category.

    If more than one file appears in the list, click View details(More details) next to the newer BIOS version. Then click Important Information (Important information).

Note. In some cases, you may need to install an intermediate BIOS version before upgrading to latest version. The need for an intermediate update before installing the latest version is called a BIOS dependency. This information can usually be found in the section Important information. You can find other BIOS version files to download from the links on the web page.

    To start downloading, click Download File(Upload file).

    Save the file on your computer.

    Follow the on-screen instructions (Figure 6) to complete installation. The system will reboot with the BIOS update applied.

Rice. 6. BIOS Flash Update Hint

Appearance screen above may vary depending on the version and system type.

5. Overwrite BIOS from the one-time boot menu (F12)

Most Dell computers released after 2012 can be updated from the One Time Boot menu (F12). This process can be completed with a USB drive formatted in file system FAT32, and executable file BIOS downloaded from website technical support Dell and copied to the root directory of the USB drive.

For more information about this process, see the following article:

6. Updating the BIOS on systems with BitLocker enabled

Attention! If BitLocker is not disabled before starting the BIOS update, the next time you restart the system, the BitLocker key will not be identified.

You will be prompted to enter your recovery key, and the system will prompt you for it every time you restart.

If you don't know the recovery key, it may result in data loss or unnecessary reinstallation of the operating system.

For more information, see the following knowledge base article:

7. Updating BIOS Using USB Flash Drive

If Windows is unable to start and you need to update the BIOS, you can download the BIOS update file on another system and save it to a bootable USB flash drive.

To with my own hands To reinstall the operating system on a Dell laptop, you need to go into the BIOS. BIOS is a basic information input and output system. It is installed on all laptops.

Entering the BIOS is done to prioritize booting from hard drives, changing the date and time on the laptop, monitoring it. CPU cooler speed, random access memory– all this is controlled by the user from the BIOS.

Attention! When you boot the laptop, “Press Del to Set Up” is displayed in the lower left corner of the screen. Usually the key that the system asks you to press is the entrance to the BIOS.


On laptops with Windows 7 and XP

A distinctive feature of Win7 is the display of a post-check window. Thanks to it, the user will be able to press several times the desired key and login.

To open the BIOS on a Dell laptop from Windows 7 or an older version of XP, the user must:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Turn it back on. When the laptop boots quickly, press the F2 button on the laptop keyboard several times. F2 is the trigger to enter the BIOS in Dell models such as Inspiron and Presicion. In the Dimension and Optiplex modifications, instead of this button, the role of the input key is played by Delete or Del.
  3. The settings window will appear on the screen. If installed security code To unlock the input, you need to enter it.
  4. Now the user will be able to make the necessary amendments to the system.
  5. To save these changes and continue using Windows, you need to click on F10.
  6. The system will ask: “Save settings and exit”? To confirm the changes, you need to left-click on “Yes” on the monitor.
  7. The computer will remember the settings, reboot and the user will be able to continue working with Windows OS or will install it.


Attention! Pressing a button once to enter an input/output system does not always work. Sometimes it takes two or three tries to get into the BIOS.

To log in to a Dell 4400 modification, the user must do the following:

  1. If the gadget is turned on, then reboot it.
  2. When the logo of the company that produced the laptop appears, have time to click on the F12 key.
  3. Press your finger on it until the settings window appears on the screen.
  4. Next, repeat steps 4 - 7 from the previous description.

And the Dell 400 modification uses a completely different button, unlike previous types of laptop. Therefore you need:

  1. Reboot Dell 400.
  2. While it is loading, quickly press one of the keys or alternately both: F1 or F3.
  3. Repeat steps from steps 4 to 7 of the very first description of entering the BIOS.

If the modification of the laptop is already quite outdated, then another key will be required. In this case, the instructions change:

  1. You need to log out of the system by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del on the laptop keyboard at the same time.
  2. The device will reboot.
  3. Have time to press the Del button several times.
  4. Register the necessary settings in the input/output system.
  5. Use the F10 button to save the settings and click “Ok”.

You can log in to Windows 8 and 10 directly from the operating system. These OSes do not have a post-check window because they use fast boot mode. Now in these operating systems the BIOS is called UEFI.

UEFI is a new type of motherboard firmware. It supports heavier volume hard disks, loads quickly and is secure.

On laptops with Windows 8 and 10

To enter Bios on a Dell laptop, the user needs to use the following instructions:

  1. Open the operating system desktop.
  2. Move the mouse cursor to the upper right position.
  3. A menu will appear on the right side of the laptop monitor.
  4. Click the “Options” button.
  5. In the window that opens, select “Change computer settings.”
  6. Several sections will appear on the screen. Click on the tab titled: “Update and Recovery”.
  7. Find the “Recovery” item in the window that opens.
  8. Click on it with the left mouse button.
  9. Find the "Restart" button. Click on it.
  10. Wait until the laptop reboots.
  11. The laptop will enter the recovery menu.
  12. Now the user needs to open the “Diagnostics” item.
  13. Then go to the Advanced Options tab and finally select Embedded UEFI Options.

Now the user can use BIOS settings to improve computer performance or to boot from removable media. To save the changes and exit, he will need to click on the F10 button on the Dell keyboard and press the “OK” key.

On older Dell models, enter the BIOS as follows:

  1. You need to open the Windows 8 or 10 desktop.
  2. Move the cursor to the upper right corner.
  3. In the drop-down menu, find and click on the “Options” button.
  4. Press the “Shutdown” button.
  5. Press Shift on the laptop keyboard and hold it.
  6. After the laptop reboots, go through the same tabs that were indicated in paragraphs 12, 13, 14 previous instructions to log into Windows 8 and 10 I/O systems.
  7. Save changes to BIOS settings and exit using the F10 button.

For this type of operating system, there is another option for entering the BIOS, this is the command line. You need to do this:

  1. Click the “Start” button in the lower left corner of Windows.
  2. IN search bar enter “cmd.exe”.
  3. The “Open command line as administrator” option will appear in the menu. Click on it.
  4. A command prompt dialog box will open on your desktop.
  5. Write the following code in it: shutdown.exe /r /o.
  6. The user will see the laptop reboot and various settings appear on the screen.

However, the user can remove quick start in Windows 8 or 10 to use standard keys to enter the information input/output system.

How to disable fast startup

The POST verification window is enabled on Dell laptops with Windows 8 or 10 operating systems as follows:


Attention! If the BIOS settings are lost and the PC owner has forgotten the parameters that were set, he can always reset them to factory settings. He needs to remove the battery, disconnect the CMOS battery on motherboard and wait twenty minutes. Then plug it back in. The settings will return to standard.

Now you know how to enter UEFI or BIOS using different keyboard shortcuts. Next, in the BIOS you can configure the laptop for yourself and make the necessary changes.

Let's look at how to configure the BIOS of a laptop Dell Inspiron 15 for operating room installation Windows systems 7 or 8 from a flash drive or CD/DVD disk.

Before starting work, install the flash drive into the laptop connector.

We turn on the laptop. During loading, press the “F2” button.

After entering the BIOS, go to the “Boot” tab of the main menu. Here we select the line “Fast Boot”.

Click on the “Enter” button. In the small window that appears, select the “Disabled” value. Click on the “Enter” button.

The appearance of the window will change, and a list of devices will appear on which the operating system will be searched for loading, in order of priority.

Go to the first line from the list and press the “Enter” button.

A small window will appear with a list of available devices. In the list we need to find the device we need - a flash drive " USB Storage Device" or "CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive".

Go to the device name and press the “Enter” button.

Click on the “Enter” button. This way we will save the changes we made to the BIOS settings.

The computer will reboot.

After we have configured the BIOS, press the “F12” button while the system boots. The Boot Menu will appear. From here we select the device from which we will boot.

Press the “Enter” button.

The computer will redirect to the download window from the selected device.

Step-by-step instructions for setting up the bios of a DELL inspiron 3520 laptop.

Create bootable USB flash drive, For Windows installations 7, 8, XP, you can do it yourself, according to THIS instructions.

1. To enter the BIOS of the beech, press the F2 button when starting the laptop.

If you were unable to enter the BIOS the first time, reboot the laptop and try again.

2. After entering the BIOS setup menu, you need to enter the menu item called BOOT.

In the first line we check that Legacy is written.

If it’s not Legacy, but UEFI, we change it to Legacy.

Here we choose from which device we will install WINDOWS.

My system was on a flash drive and I selected the USB Storage Device option.

And press enter.

4. Then go to EXIT and press enter on the top line.

With a second click I confirm saving the settings.

5. After this, the laptop goes into reboot.

Below is a video instruction for setting up Dell Bios.

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How to enter BIOS settings from a DELL computer/laptop?

Most often, on DELL laptops, to enter the BIOS settings, you need to press the F12 key (sometimes F2 or delete) when turning on the computer. There are a lot of things you can change there. For example, speed up the processor (not advisable), change the hard drive settings (for Windows boot or other OS). But the most amazing thing is that you can set three passwords on your laptop: administrative, system and hard drive password (the correct order for setting passwords). And if the passwords are all different, then when you turn on the laptop you will be asked for at least 2 passwords. But here it is important to know that now on laptops, if you lose your password (forgot your password), it may be possible to recover it only in a service center. It’s unlikely that you can do this yourself at home, because... Turning off the battery on the motherboard does not reset the password.

And by the way, you can uncheck the boot disk from the OS when you turn on the computer, which will not allow someone who wants to “dig” into your computer to “destroy” the OS. But it is advisable to set a password on the OS. Then on your computer, in order to get to your data, you will have to enter 3 passwords: admin or system, hard drive and OS.

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Setting up the BIOS of a Dell Inspiron 15 laptop to install the WINDOWS 7, 8 operating system from a flash drive or disk

Let's look at how to configure the BIOS of a Dell Inspiron 15 laptop to install the Windows 7 or 8 operating system from a flash drive or CD/DVD drive.

Before starting work, install the flash drive into the laptop connector.

We turn on the laptop. During loading, press the “F2” button.

After entering the BIOS, go to the “Boot” tab of the main menu. Here we select the line “Fast Boot”.

Click on the “Enter” button. In the small window that appears, select the “Disabled” value. Click on the “Enter” button.

The appearance of the window will change, and a list of devices will appear on which the operating system will be searched for loading, in order of priority.

Go to the first line from the list and press the “Enter” button.

A small window will appear with a list of available devices. In the list we need to find the device we need - a USB Storage Device flash drive or a CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive.

Go to the device name and press the “Enter” button.

Click on the “Enter” button. This way we will save the changes we made to the BIOS settings.

The computer will reboot.

After we have configured the BIOS, press the “F12” button while the system boots. The Boot Menu will appear. From here we select the device from which we will boot.

Press the “Enter” button.

The computer will redirect to the download window from the selected device.

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How to enter and configure the BIOS of a DELL VOSTRO 1015 laptop to install the Windows 7 or 8 operating system

Let's figure out how to enter and configure the BIOS of a Dell Vostro 1015 laptop to install the Windows 7 or 8 operating system from a flash drive or drive.

The flash drive or disk must be connected to the laptop. We turn on the laptop. While the system is booting, press the “F2” button to get into the BIOS. The BIOS on this laptop is original. At the same time, we will work with it using the touchpad.

In the “Settings” section, select “Boot Sequence”.

A list of devices from which it is possible to boot the operating system will appear on the right side.

This is a floppy disk HDD, USB drive, CD/DVD.

Even further to the right there is a table with our devices. In it they can be moved up and down, depending on our needs.

To do this, move the cursor to to the desired device(in the image below the flash drive is highlighted with an arrow). Then use the up and down buttons to move to the first position.

Now, when the system boots, the laptop will turn to the flash drive in search of the operating system first.

The “Load Defaults” button activates the BIOS factory settings. We don't touch her.

The laptop will reboot. When you turn it on again, the laptop will automatically start loading the operating system from the flash drive.

We use similar actions if it is necessary to load the operating system from another device.

There is a second method, which is faster.

When you turn on the laptop, press the “F12” button. We get to the “Boot Menu” window.

Using the cursor buttons, select the device from which we want to load the operating system. Press the “Enter” button. After a few seconds, the download from the selected device will begin.

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Knowledge base

Want to know what BIOS is and how to check and change BIOS settings on your Dell computer? This article provides details.

Note. For information about resetting and clearing the BIOS, see the following knowledge base article:

  • Reset BIOS or CMOS and Clear NVRAM on Dell PC

The abbreviation BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System. BIOS is software on a small memory chip motherboard PC (CMOS - complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor structure). This system settings software acts as an interface between the PC hardware and the operating system (such as Windows), allowing the software to control the computer's hardware components.

The BIOS also contains the algorithms by which the PC performs basic operations, such as booting over a network or using a hard drive, in the latter case determining the order in which the drives are used.

BIOS is also used to identify and configure the computer's hardware components (hard drive, floppy drive, optical drive, processor, memory, Plug and Play devices, etc.). This process is performed using ESCD (Extended System Configuration Data), which is typically stored in optional non-volatile NVRAM.

As technology has advanced, this process has changed, but users still refer to BIOS as both CMOS and NVRAM despite their slight differences. The CMOS contains the BIOS and its settings, and the NVRAM stores the ESCD data. However, updating the BIOS does not clear NVRAM.

To enter BIOS or System Settings on your Dell PC, press the F2 key when the Dell logo appears on the screen when your PC boots up. (Fig. 1)

Rice. 1. Screen BIOS boot

Or press F12 and select BIOS Setup from the menu. (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. One time boot menu

Attention! Be careful when changing BIOS settings. The BIOS interface is designed for advanced users. Incorrect operation of the settings can lead to errors when booting the computer and loss of data.

In Fig. Figure 3 below shows the BIOS system setup screen.

Rice. 3. OptiPlex 990 BIOS screen

2. Why is it necessary to update the BIOS?

Dell recommends updating the BIOS according to the update cycle schedule. As with new versions of the operating system and drivers, these updates contain recent improvements or changes to other system components (hardware, firmware, drivers, and software), security updates, and improvements to system stability.

Unlike Windows updates and antivirus programs, which are usually downloaded automatically, updating the BIOS must be done manually.

Dell provides a self-installing update package that makes the task much easier.

Attention! Always back up your data before starting the BIOS update process as any mistake can result in data loss.

3. How to find out the BIOS version

There are several ways to find out the BIOS version, but the easiest is to look at the system information.

For Windows 8 and 8.1 editions, type run on the Metro screen. Then press Enter, type msinfo32 in the Run dialog box, and click OK.

For Windows 10, type msinfo32 in the search bar and press Enter.

For earlier editions of Windows, you can access system information by clicking the Start button and then clicking Run. In the Run dialog box, enter msinfo32 and click OK.

In the system information window that opens, the system summary information item should be highlighted in the navigation panel on the left. The BIOS update version/date can be viewed in the summary window on the right (Figure 4).

Rice. 4. System information

You can also find out the BIOS version using the command line.

    Click Start. In the Run or Search dialog box, type cmd, and then click cmd.exe from the search results.

    When the User Access Control window appears, select Yes.

    In the Command Prompt window, at the C:\ prompt, type systeminfo and press Enter. The BIOS version will be displayed in the results (Figure 5).

Rice. 5. Command line systeminfo

4. Updating the BIOS on Windows Systems

It is important that the BIOS version is always up to date. BIOS updates may include improvements related to hardware compatibility, diagnostics, security, and system stability.

The new BIOS can be downloaded from the Dell Support website: www.dell.com/drivers

The video below shows the BIOS update process.

Note. When updating the BIOS, your laptop or mobile device must have a battery installed and the AC adapter must be plugged into an electrical outlet.

    Open a web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, etc.) and go to www.dell.com/support/drivers.

    If you are prompted to Identify your product, enter the service tag information or select Browse for a product to manually locate the product.

    If the product is not identified correctly, click View a different product and either enter the service tag information or search manually again.

    Once you've selected the product you want, click Find it Myself and scroll to the bottom of the page to the Refine your results: section. From the Category drop-down menu, select BIOS. This will narrow your search to only show results in the BIOS category.

    If more than one file is listed, click View details next to the newer BIOS version. Then click Important Information.

Note. In some cases you may need to install previous version before upgrading to latest version. This is usually listed in the Important Information section. You can find other BIOS downloads from the links on http://downloads.dell.com.

    To start the download, click Download File.

    Save the file on your computer.

    Follow the on-screen instructions (Figure 6) to complete installation. The system will reboot with the BIOS update applied.

Rice. 6. BIOS Flash Update prompt

The appearance of the screen above may vary depending on the version and type of system.

5. Updating the BIOS on systems with BitLocker enabled

Attention! If BitLocker is not disabled before starting the BIOS update, the next time you restart the system, the BitLocker key will not be identified.

You will be prompted to enter your recovery key, and the system will prompt you for it every time you restart.

If you don't know the recovery key, it may result in data loss or unnecessary reinstallation of the operating system.

For more information, see the following knowledge base article:

  • Updating the BIOS on systems with BitLocker enabled

Good time!

You may need to enter the BIOS for a variety of reasons, such as: Windows reinstallation, For fine tuning work function keys, to check device definitions, etc.

In this regard, Dell laptops are quite simple: latest models various lines of this manufacturer, entry is carried out using the F2 key (it is best to press several times when the company logo appears). However, in some cases it is not possible to enter the BIOS in this way...

For example, once I even had to drain the battery to solve this problem. Actually, I will give this and other methods a little lower in the article.

Everything I write below is relevant only for devices from the manufacturer Dell!

Classic version

The most common BIOS entry scheme, suitable for most modern models, This:

  1. turn on the device;
  2. immediately press the key in succession F2 (several times, the main thing is to “catch” the logo when loading (which can flash for less than 1 second));
  3. Next, the BIOS/UEFI settings menu should appear.

I note that in some cases the key F2 must be pressed simultaneously with Fn(this happens if multimedia functions were enabled on F2).

By the way, just below I provide data from the specification from Dell for various models PCs and laptops (Dimension, Inspiron, Latitude, Optiplex, Vostro, Precision, etc.). Alternative buttons: F1, Del, F3, Fn+F1.

By the way! If you have a fairly old device (before 10 years of manufacture), pay attention to the message when loading (it indicates the button you are looking for).

For example, one of the most common boot messages is - means that when you click on the "Delete" button, you will be taken to the BIOS settings.

We find information on the official website. website

If you have difficulty logging in, you can find out details about your specific laptop model on the manufacturer’s official website (so that it provides specifications and manuals in Russian). I’ll show you how to do this in the screenshots below.

Official support site:


Alternative: using a dead battery

Some laptops from Dell (for example, the Inspiron line) do not always process the F2 key correctly (more precisely, they load so quickly that it is quite difficult to get into the “window” when you need to press this key). As a result, entering the BIOS becomes a real quest...

As one of alternative options(which I recommend trying) is to discharge the battery to ~5% (in my case 2%). Then you need to turn off and turn on the laptop again. You should see a window warning you that your battery is low (example below).

Note: this method will not work on all lines of laptops.

Please note that the message also contains buttons:

  • F1 - continue booting the laptop (i.e. boot Windows);
  • F2 (to run setup the utility) - go to BIOS settings(this is what you need to choose).

The most main feature of this window is that it is waiting for you to press a button! Which means you will be in time.

As a result, in this “cunning” way you can easily enter the BIOS/UEFI.

Using the Windows interface

If you have a modern Windows 10 installed, it boots and you can work with its interface, then you can enter the BIOS through options. To do this, press the button combination Win+i(to open Windows settings), then in the section "Update and Security/Recovery" reboot the OS with a special boot option. See screenshot below.

That's all for now...