Luckily, today there are other, much more intuitive, less rudimentary ways to enter the operating system settings. We will see these forms below.
What can we do from the BIOS/UEFI
The BIOS, or UEFI, if we have a relatively modern PC, is, broadly speaking, the basic configuration menu of our PC. Depending on the range of PCs we have, we can do more or less things. But, broadly speaking, all computers will allow us to apply a series of settings from this panel.
For example, one of the basic aspects that we are going to be able to configure from this menu is the start of the PC. We will be able to choose which hard drive we want to boot by default when we turn on the computer in order to choose how to load the operating systems.
We will also be able to change the time of the PC, and apply overclock settings to the processor and RAM. Some motherboards also offer the ability to set power consumption, perform auto OC, and even configure the PC’s RGB lighting, if it has one. We are also going to find all kinds of parameters to activate or deactivate related to the board and the CPU, although one of the most basic is the possibility of activating the virtualization functions of the CPU.
Finally, UEFI systems also allow us to update it directly from a USB, and even from the Internet, in order to improve the general performance and compatibility of the PC.
Access BIOS or UEFI from Windows
Windows 10, like Windows 11, has a series of options to easily enter this basic configuration of our computer. Next, we are going to see all of them to be able to use the one that we like the most. They all end up at the same point.
Reboot your PC into UEFI from CMD
Although Windows is designed to be used graphically, we can also carry out many tasks from the command prompt, or CMD. To do this, the first thing we will do is open a CMD window with administrator permissions on our computer and execute the following command:
shutdown /fw /r
The fw parameter indicates that we want the UEFI settings to open on reboot, while the r parameter indicates that we want to restart the PC now.
When you press enter, Windows will restart. When our computer starts up again, we can see either the UEFI configuration directly, or a menu from which we can access it.
Shift + Restart takes us to the recovery options
From the start menu every day we usually turn off or restart our computer. These are the most basic and essential options of Windows, something that we all know. If there are updates available, in Windows we will see the option to “update and restart” or “update and turn off”, but little else.
If we press the shift key when clicking on the restart button, we can give this option a new use. Specifically, when doing so, our computer will restart directly to the advanced options of Windows.
Here we will find an option called “UEFI Firmware”. If we select this option we can directly access the UEFI configuration.
From Windows settings
It is also possible to reach this Windows configuration section from the Windows 10 recovery options. To do this, we open the Configuration menu of the operating system, open the “Update and security > Recovery” section and select the option to restart the computer in Advanced Startup mode.
The result, in the end, is the same as before. We will be able to see the Windows 10 recovery section and from it we will be able to access the BIOS or UEFI configuration of our PC.
Enter the BIOS / UEFI of a PC
If we still do not have Windows installed on our PC or if we cannot get it to start normally, we can access the BIOS / UEFI without the need for Windows. In fact, this is the fastest and easiest method since it is not necessary to load the operating system, we just have to take into account the model of the motherboard, since, unfortunately, there is no specific key to press while the computer is starting to access the configuration of the board.
Depending on the manufacturer of the motherboard of our PC or the manufacturer of our laptop, when starting the computer, for less than a second, it shows how to access its configuration. If we do not have time to see which key we must press, we can use the guide that we show you below.
- F1 on Sony and Toshiba computers
- F2 for Acer, Samsung, Asus, Dell and Sony computers
- F3 only on Sony equipment
- F10 on Compaq, Samsung and HP computers
- del for computers from the manufacturer Acer and Asus
- Esc for computers made by Acer, HP and Toshiba
As we can see each manufacturer has different methods to access the BIOS, methods that vary depending on the range of equipment and its age on the market.
Can we configure the BIOS or UEFI directly from Windows?
Classic BIOSes controlled the basic and low-level settings of the computer. Therefore, it was impossible to configure them from the operating system itself. Older operating systems, like Windows XP, weren’t designed for this either.
However, times change. The systems UEFI, In addition to controlling the operation of the hardware and other basic elements for the computer to function correctly, it also has extended functions that can be accessed from an operating system such as Windows 10 or Windows 11.
We will not be able to configure all the elements of the UEFI from Windows, as many settings must already be configured before the PC starts up. However, if the manufacturer allows it, we will be able to access some specific functions and features, such as lighting systems, overclocking, power options or fans. It is also possible (but not recommended) to update the UEFI of many manufacturers from within Windows.
Not all manufacturers offer software to perform these tasks and configurations. To find out if our model is compatible with this function, we simply have to go to the manufacturer’s main website and look in the software section if it offers these tools.
Finally, we recommend that if we don’t know what we are doing, it is better not to change the UEFI settings, since if we do it, our computer may start to work worse. It may even stop working.
Other uses of UEFI: Activate the TPM
Within the UEFI we can find a large number of advanced options to control the operation of the motherboard, CPU, RAM and other hardware components. However, there is one element that has gained great popularity lately: the TPM. This chip, which is included in new and only high-end computers, has become an essential requirement to be able to install Windows 11 on a computer. Without it, we will not be able to enjoy the new Microsoft OS.
Computers that do not have this chip on the PC board itself will not be able to do anything. However, those who do have it, but have it disabled (it usually comes that way by default) will have to activate it manually. And for this we will have to enter the UEFI, losing the fear (or respect) that we may have for it.
Since each UEFI is different, there are no fixed steps to follow to be able to activate this functionality on computers to be able to install Windows 11. All we can do is move through the menus in search of an option like the one we have just seen. The descriptions of the functions will help us to know what we are doing.
The UEFI has a virus: what do I do?
Generally, the virus they usually affect a specific operating system, such as Windows. This is because, being a high-level system, it is easy to run and has no restrictions on access to resources. Infecting a low-level system, such as the BIOS or UEFI, is much more complicated, and requires much more complex techniques. But it’s not impossible. There are viruses that infect the firmware of PCs and, by doing so, are capable of taking control of the Windows Kernel and are almost undetectable.
In the event that our BIOS or UEFI has been infected by malware (and we are able to detect it, even if it is on suspicion), we only have to do one thing: reinstall the firmware of the PC. We must download the latest version of the firmware, the BIOS or the UEFI from the main website of the manufacturer, and install it by hand on our computer. By doing so, we will overwrite the malicious lines and the malware will be gone.
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