How do you customize BIOS boot options and order? (2024)

To access BIOS, you need to restart your computer and press a specific key or combination of keys during the initial boot process. The exact key or keys depend on your computer model and manufacturer, but some of the most common ones are F2, F10, F12, Del, or Esc. You may see a message on the screen that tells you which key to press, or you can consult your computer manual or website for more information. Once you enter BIOS, you will see a menu with different tabs and options that you can navigate using the arrow keys, Enter, and Esc.

Boot options are the settings that control which devices and operating systems your computer will try to load first. For example, you may have a hard drive, a DVD drive, a USB drive, or a network device as boot options. You can change the boot options by going to the Boot tab in BIOS and selecting the Boot Device Priority or Boot Order option. You will see a list of available boot devices that you can move up or down using the + or - keys, or by dragging and dropping them with the mouse. You can also enable or disable certain boot devices by pressing Enter or Space. The device at the top of the list will be the first one that your computer will try to boot from.

Boot mode is the setting that controls how your computer recognizes and loads the operating system on the boot device. There are two main boot modes: Legacy and UEFI. Legacy mode is the older and more compatible mode that supports BIOS-based booting and MBR (Master Boot Record) partitions. UEFI mode is the newer and more advanced mode that supports EFI-based booting and GPT (GUID Partition Table) partitions. UEFI mode also offers faster boot time, better security, and more features than Legacy mode. You can change the boot mode by going to the Advanced or System Configuration tab in BIOS and selecting the Boot Mode or Boot Configuration option. You will see a list of available boot modes that you can choose from using the arrow keys and Enter.

Secure boot is a feature that prevents unauthorized or malicious software from running during the boot process. Secure boot works by verifying the digital signature of the boot loader and the operating system against a trusted database stored in the firmware. Secure boot can protect your computer from malware, rootkits, and other threats that may compromise your system integrity and data. You can enable secure boot by going to the Security or Boot tab in BIOS and selecting the Secure Boot option. You will see a list of available secure boot modes that you can choose from using the arrow keys and Enter. The most common modes are Disabled, Enabled, and Custom. If you choose Custom, you can also manage the secure boot keys and certificates.

Fast boot is a feature that reduces the time it takes for your computer to start up by skipping some of the BIOS checks and routines. Fast boot can improve your user experience and productivity by allowing you to access your system faster. However, fast boot may also prevent you from entering BIOS or accessing some of the boot devices, so you may need to disable it if you want to make changes to your BIOS settings or boot from a different device. You can enable fast boot by going to the Power or Boot tab in BIOS and selecting the Fast Boot option. You will see a list of available fast boot modes that you can choose from using the arrow keys and Enter. The most common modes are Disabled, Enabled, and Ultra Fast.

After you have customized your BIOS boot options and order, you need to save and exit BIOS to apply the changes and restart your computer. You can save and exit BIOS by pressing F10 or by going to the Exit tab and selecting the Save Changes and Exit option. You will see a confirmation message that asks you if you want to save the changes and exit. You can press Y or N to confirm or cancel. Alternatively, you can also discard the changes and exit BIOS by pressing Esc or by going to the Exit tab and selecting the Discard Changes and Exit option. You will see a similar confirmation message that asks you if you want to discard the changes and exit.

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Computer Hardware Installation

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