Difficulty Entering BIOS on ASUS Motherboard

Question

I’m having trouble accessing the BIOS on my ASUS motherboard. I’ve tried pressing the Delete key and F2 during startup, but it seems like nothing happens, and my system boots straight into Windows. I’ve also attempted to restart using Ctrl+Alt+Delete, but that didn’t work either.

Is there a specific timing or method I should be aware of to successfully enter the BIOS? Additionally, are there any alternative methods to access it if the usual keys don’t work? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Flake_Tom · Accepted Answer

To enter the BIOS on your ASUS motherboard, follow these steps:

Restart your computer: If it's already on, you can restart it.
Press the Delete or F2 key: As soon as the ASUS logo appears, repeatedly press the Delete key or F2 to access the BIOS setup. Timing is crucial, so try to press the key right after the logo shows up.
Alternative methods: If you miss the timing, you can restart your computer using Ctrl+Alt+Delete and try again. If that fails, turn off your computer and then back on, pressing the Delete key immediately.

If you continue to have issues, ensure your keyboard is functioning properly and try using a different USB port, especially if you're using a USB keyboard.

rrdxsstfug · Answer

Honestly, if you're running a high-speed NVMe like the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB, the boot window is basically non-existent. Over the years I've found that Windows Fast Startup combined with the ASUS default fast boot settings makes the F2 or Del timing nearly impossible to hit. I dealt with this on an ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi recently and the POST process finished before my monitor even finished waking up from standby. Try these instead:

Hold the Shift key while clicking Restart in the Windows start menu. It'll trigger the recovery environment where you can select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings.

If you're totally locked out, you can clear the CMOS by jumping the CLRTC pins on the board. It usually forces a 'Press F1 to Run Setup' screen on the next cold boot. Once you finally get in there, look for the 'POST Delay Time' setting. I usually bump mine to 3 seconds. It gives the keyboard controller and your display a few extra moments to sync up before the OS handover starts. Worth the extra few seconds of wait time imo.