Step-by-step instructions for correctly setting up the BIOS on your computer. How to configure the BIOS to boot from a disk or flash drive BIOS version 2.10

Setting up the BIOS on a computer is a simple process in itself, but it requires certain knowledge and care, because the performance and performance of the PC depends on its result. BIOS is a group of microprograms responsible for interaction between PC components and its further loading. This set of programs is “hardwired” into a microcircuit on the motherboard.

An interesting fact is that the BIOS was developed in 1981 and has remained virtually unchanged to this day. Only in 2005 did UEFI BIOS appear, but it has yet to displace the good old BIOS from the market.

Setting up BIOS on a new computer

You have a new computer in front of you. If this is a branded computer, then most likely you will not need to configure the bios of the new computer. The manufacturer did this for you. If not, take the documentation for your motherboard and see how to get into the BIOS. Usually, during initial boot, you need to press one of the keys: Del, F2, or F10, but there are other options. Now you know how to find BIOS settings on your computer. Let's see what needs to be configured in the BIOS.

For example, let's look at how the BIOS is configured on an Asus computer. This is AMI BIOS version 02.61. We get into the BIOS by pressing the "Delete" key. The MAIN section will open. Here you can set the date and time, as well as configure hard drives and CD-DVD drives. Please note: on the left side of the screen there is a hint which keys can be used to control the BIOS. Left-right arrows switch sections. You can use the up and down arrows to move between items in the section. The Enter key enters the selected setting item. You can save the settings using the F10 key.

1. In the MAIN section we can see information about the processor, BIOS version and RAM size. To do this, you need to enter the System Information item. In the Storage Configuration item, you can configure the operating mode of hard drives. Here you can set the SATA configuration mode to IDE or ACHI. In IDE mode, you can install an old operating system like Windows XP on your computer. To install modern operating systems, ACHI is set.

2. Advanced section. Here we are interested in the USB configuration settings item. In this section, you must enable the USB ports by selecting Enabled and set the highest data transfer speed (HighSpeed). It is better to leave the remaining settings in the Auto position.

3. Another computer setup via BIOS is performed in the Power section. Here we are interested in the Hardware Monitor item. It displays the temperature of the processor, as well as the number of volts supplied by the power supply. Here you need to enable intelligent cooler control. In the CPU Q-Fan Control menu item, select Enabled.

4. Next, let's see how to configure the computer's bios in the Boot section. Here we set the download from a particular device. When your computer has more than one hard drive, you need to select the drive from which to boot from in the Hard Disk Drives item. In the Boot Device Priority item, select the device from which the computer will boot (for example, a hard drive).

5. In the Boot Setting Configuration section, enable NumLock in the Bootup Num-Lock item (select ON). We also select to quickly boot the computer in the Quick Boot section. In the Security section you can set a password to enter the BIOS.

6. Exit section. Here we save the settings. If you configured something incorrectly, you can set the standard settings.

A laptop is built on the same principle as a regular computer. Accordingly, it also has a BIOS. To get into it, you need to press one of the F1, F2, F10, or ESC keys, depending on the motherboard manufacturer. In principle, the BIOS of all laptops is very similar, so it will not be difficult for you to understand how to properly configure the BIOS on a laptop.

According to this scheme, you perform step-by-step setup of the BIOS on your computer. We learned how to configure the bios of an asus computer. In order to better understand what and how to configure, it is recommended to watch a video on how to properly configure the BIOS on a computer.

Setting up BIOS on an old computer

There are no fundamental differences between the BIOS of the old computer and the new one, so setting up the BIOS in the old computer is carried out according to the above scheme. The only difference is that on an old computer you cannot set it to boot from a flash drive - only from a CD-DVD or hard drive.

In order to install an operating system on an old computer, you need to configure the BIOS.

Let's see how to configure the BIOS in pictures for an HP computer. Here we configure the hard drive in the IDE and boot from CD-ROM. That's it, you can start installing the operating system.

Have you reconfigured your BIOS but can't install Windows? The cost of installing an operating system by a specialist can be found here. Read about how to set up the Internet on your computer yourself.

UEFI setup

We looked at how the BIOS should be configured on a computer in its classic form. Modern computers use UEFI - a system that is completely different from the old BIOS, but has the same functions. In fact, UEFI is a simple operating system with a graphical interface, so you can easily figure out how to configure your computer through the UEFI BIOS. UEFI has the same tabs as in a regular BIOS, you can select the Russian interface language, boot order, etc. For clarity, you can watch a video of setting up the BIOS on your computer.

Conclusion

As you can see, setting up a computer through bios is really a simple process. The answer to the question “how to configure the BIOS on an asus computer” is given above. This is also easy to do on computers from other manufacturers. All settings are the same. Also now you know how to properly configure bios on a laptop. It is best to perform BIOS settings using the manual for your motherboard, which describes how to set up the BIOS on your computer in pictures. This article provides recommendations for typical BIOS settings. If something goes wrong, you can always return to factory settings - to do this, you need to remove the battery on the motherboard and insert it back after 10 seconds.

If you were looking for BIOS settings in pictures, then you have come to the right address.

The changes made will be protected by a lithium battery built into motherboard and maintaining the required parameters during voltage loss.

Thanks to the program, it is possible to establish stable interaction between the operating system (OS) and PC devices.

Attention! The present Boot network configuration section allows you to adjust parameters related to system boot speed and keyboard and mouse settings.

After finishing work or familiarizing yourself with the Bios Setup Utility menu, you need to press the hot Exit key, which automatically saves the changes made.

Section Main - Main Menu

Let's start working with the MAIN section, which is used to modify settings and adjust timing indicators.

Here you can independently set the time and date of your computer, as well as configure the connected hard drives and other storage devices.

To reformat the operating mode of the hard drive, you need to select the hard drive (for example: “SATA 1”, as shown in the figure).

Type - This item indicates the type of connected hard drive;
LBA Large Mode- is responsible for supporting drives with a capacity of more than 504 MB. So the recommended value here is AUTO.
Block (Multi-Sector Transfer) - For faster operation here, we recommend selecting the AUTO mode;
PIO Mode - Enables the hard drive to operate in legacy data exchange mode. It would also be best to select AUTO here;
DMA Mode - gives direct memory access. To get faster read or write speed, select AUTO;
Smart monitoring - this technology, based on an analysis of the drive’s operation, can warn of a possible disk failure in the near future;
32 bit Data Transfer - The option determines whether the 32-bit data exchange mode will be used by the standard IDE/SATA controller of the chipset.

Everywhere, using the “ENTER” key and arrows, the Auto mode is set. The exception is the 32 Bit Transfer subsection, which requires the Enabled setting to be fixed.

Important! It is required to refrain from changing the “Storage Configuration” option, which is located in the “System information” section and not to allow correction “SATADetectTimeout".

Advanced section - Additional settings

Now let's start setting up the basic PC components in the ADVANCED section, which consists of several sub-items.

Initially, you will need to set the necessary processor and memory parameters in the system configuration menu Jumper Free Configuration.

By selecting Jumper Free Configuration, you will be taken to the Configure System Frequency/Voltage subsection, where you can perform the following operations:

automatic or manual overclocking of the hard drive - AI Overclocking;
changing the clock frequency of memory modules - ;
Memory Voltage;
manual mode for setting chipset voltage - NB Voltage
changing port addresses (COM,LPT) - Serial and Parallel Port;
setting controller settings - Onboard Devices configuration.

Power Section - PC Power

The POWER item is responsible for powering the PC and contains several subsections that require the following settings:

Suspend Mode- set automatic mode;
ACPI APIC- set Enabled;
ACPI 2.0- fix the Disabled mode.

BOOT section - boot management

Here you can determine the priority drive, choosing between a flash card, disk drive or hard drive.

If there are several hard drives, then in the Hard Disk sub-item the priority hard drive is selected.

The PC boot configuration is set in the Boot Setting subsection, which contains a menu consisting of several items:

Selecting a hard drive

The PC boot configuration is set in the Boot Setting subsection,

Quick Boot– acceleration of OS loading;
Logo Full Screen– disabling the screen saver and activating the information window containing information about the download process;
Add On ROM- setting the order on the information screen of modules connected to the motherboard (MT) via slots;
Wait For 'F1' If Error- activation of the function of forced pressing “F1” at the moment the system identifies an error.

The main task of the Boot section is to determine boot devices and set the required priorities.

ASUS EZ Flash– using this option, you have the opportunity to update the BIOS from such drives as: floppy disk, Flash disk or CD.
AINET– using this option, you can obtain information about the cable connected to the network controller.

Exit section - Exit and save

Particular attention should be paid to the EXIT item, which has 4 operating modes:

Save Changes– save the changes made;
Discard Changes + EXIT– leave the factory settings in effect;
Setup Defaults– enter default parameters;
Discard Changes– we cancel all our actions.

The following step-by-step instructions explain in detail the purpose of the main BIOS sections and the rules for making changes to improve PC performance.

Bios setup

Bios Settings - Detailed instructions in pictures

In the last article we talked about that. And now I’ll tell you how to configure your computer’s BIOS to install Windows from a disk or flash drive.

1. What is BIOS and UEFI

Each motherboard has a special program for booting the computer and configuring the parameters of various devices. This program is flashed (programmed) into a special chip on the motherboard and is therefore called firmware.

Previously, all motherboards had firmware called BIOS, which had a simple graphical interface with white letters on a blue background and was limited in functionality. For example, in the BIOS it was impossible to use the mouse, select a language, and there were no graphic elements (pictures) due to the limited capacity of the BIOS memory chip. Also, motherboards with BIOS did not support disks larger than 2 TB due to limitations of the old disk partitioning system (MBR).

Nowadays, many motherboards have a new type of firmware called UEFI, which features an improved graphical interface using a beautiful background, hand-drawn buttons, the ability to select a language (including Russian) and some improvements. For example, support for a new type of disk partition (GPT), allowing the use of hard drives with a capacity of more than 2 TB.

What type of firmware your motherboard has can be found in its manual, on the website of the motherboard or laptop manufacturer, and also visually when entering the Setup configuration program. The Setup program is also flashed into the motherboard and is used to change BIOS or UEFI settings.

2. How to enter BIOS Setup

To enter the Setup program, immediately after turning on the computer, press the “Delete” button on the keyboard. On some motherboards and laptops, the “F2”, “F10” or “Esc” keys are used for this. You can read which button to press in the messages that appear immediately after turning on the computer.

In text form

Graphically

If you don’t have time to read, then press the “Pause” button on your keyboard to pause the download. You can continue loading by pressing any key. If you press the key designated to enter Setup, you will immediately be taken to the motherboard setup program.

Classic BIOS

UEFI interface

3. Basics of working in Setup

3.1. Control keys

The Setup program is a set of various parameters grouped on separate tabs, depending on their purpose. On the right or below there will be a description of the keys with which all actions are performed.

To navigate between tabs, you usually use the “right” and “left” arrows on the keyboard. To move between lines within one tab, use the down and up arrows.

To change values, use the arrows to navigate to the required field, press the Enter key, and then use the arrows to select a new value from the drop-down menu. For this, the “+”, “-” or “Page Up”, “Page Down” keys can also be used.

To return up a level or to the previous page, press the Esc key. The “Esc” key on one of the main tabs will mean exiting the BIOS without saving the settings, which you will need to confirm or refuse to exit.

In the Setup program with the UEFI interface, you can perform all actions using the mouse.

3.2. Saving settings

This is a very important point. After making all the necessary settings, go to the “Exit” tab, select the “Exit and Save Changes” item using the arrows (“Exit and Save Changes”, the word order may be different), press “Enter” and confirm saving the settings by selecting the “OK” arrows or “Yes” and “Enter” again.

You can save the settings much easier and faster by pressing the “F10” key on the keyboard and confirming your decision. This key works in many versions of BIOS, UEFI and is often indicated in tooltips (bottom or right).

3.3. Cancel Settings

If you accidentally changed something or are not sure about the correct settings, then go to the “Exit” tab and select “Exit and Discard Changes” or press the “Esc” key until a message appears about exit without change settings and confirm the action (“OK” or “Yes”).

3.4. Restoring settings

To restore all settings to optimal defaults, go to the “Exit” tab and select “Load Setup Default”. After this, you can immediately change other settings or simply exit the BIOS and save the settings (“Exit and Save Changes” or “F10”).

4. Download options

Insert a bootable disk or flash drive into the computer on which you plan to install Windows. Now, in order to start installing Windows, you need to configure the BIOS (or UEFI) using the Setup program to boot from a disk or flash drive. You can also use the special boot menu of the motherboard (Boot Menu) for this. The last option is simpler and more convenient, but we will consider both methods.

5. BIOS setup

5.1. Changing boot priority

Go to the "Boot" or "Download" tab.

Install your DVD drive or flash drive first in boot device order.

If you install Windows from a disk, then the first item is to select a device like “ATAPI CD-ROM”, a name indicating the manufacturer or model of the drive. For example, “CDROM:PM-HL-DT-STDVD-RAM GH22NP” (this is an LG DVD drive).

If you plan to install Windows from a flash drive, then first choose something like “Removable Dev.” or the name of the flash drive indicating the manufacturer. For example, “USB: Patriot Memory” (this is a “PATRIOT” flash drive).
Transcend JetFlash 790 8Gb

The second should be a hard drive, which is designated as “Hard Drive”, “HDD” or the interface to which it is connected, the manufacturer and model of the disk. For example, “SATA:3M-SAMSUNG HD502HJ” (this is a 500 GB Samsung hard drive with a SATA interface).

Please note that in the “Boot” section there may be other items responsible for boot priority, such as “Hard Disk Drives” or “Removable Device Priority”.

They also need to check that the DVD drive or flash drive comes first.

If you have two hard drives, then the one on which you are installing the system should be higher. But in this case, I recommend disconnecting one of the disks to avoid confusion and possible errors in installing the system. It can be connected after installation.

In the Setup program with the UEFI interface, everything is done similarly. Look for the “Boot” or “Download” section, find your DVD drive or flash drive there and move it to the very top of boot priority. Plus, you can use a mouse for this, which is easier and more convenient.

5.2. SATA controller operating mode

In principle, this is not so important, but many people are interested in this issue, so I decided to clarify it a little. SATA drives can operate in compatibility mode with older IDE drives and in the more modern AHCI mode. AHCI gives a small increase in hard disk performance when multiple simultaneous accesses are made to it. This mode of disk operation occurs mainly on servers and is practically useless for an ordinary home computer.

When setting up the BIOS, it is possible to select the operating mode of the SATA controller.

These settings may be located in different places and have slightly different names, but the principle is the same everywhere. You are offered IDE compatibility mode or the new AHCI mode.

In general, IDE compatibility mode is recommended for Windows XP, since it does not natively have SATA drivers and simply will not see the hard drive, which will not allow Windows to be installed. Drivers can be built into the Windows installation distribution, but this makes no sense, since it will not affect the speed of operation and may add problems.

There is an easier and more convenient way to boot from a DVD or flash drive for both BIOS and UEFI - boot using the “Boot Menu”.

To call the boot menu, the “F8”, “F10”, “F11”, “F12” or “Esc” keys can be used. They can often be seen in prompts on the initial boot screen of your computer. You can also find out this information from the instructions, on the website of the motherboard or laptop manufacturer, by searching on the Internet, or at random.

Immediately after turning on the computer, press and hold the “Boot Menu” key until the boot device selection menu appears.

Use the down and up arrows to navigate to the DVD drive or flash drive and press Enter.
Sandisk Cruzer

The advantages of this method are obvious - you don’t need to delve into the BIOS, you don’t need to return the BIOS settings back later (although this is not always necessary), and it’s enough to call this menu just once, since after you start installing Windows, this will no longer be needed. Additionally, using the "Boot Menu" does not change the BIOS or UEFI settings.

7. Download problems

Friends, due to the fact that many people had problems loading when installing Windows and some wrote about it in the comments, I decided to make a separate section where I collected methods known to me to solve these problems.

If the computer stops booting at the very beginning and asks you to press F1, after which it enters the BIOS, then you most likely either have a low battery on the motherboard (the timing may be off), problems with the processor cooler (failure, not connected there) or hard drive (errors in SMART).
If, when you turn on your PC, the message “Reboot and Select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key” appears, this means that the boot area on the disk or flash drive is not found or is damaged. Try booting from the installation disk or flash drive using the Boot Menu (Section 6 of the article), if that doesn’t help, make the bootable media again using the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool utility.
If, after restarting the computer, the Windows installation starts from the beginning, then remove the boot disk or flash drive and restart the computer, the installation should continue from the hard drive.
Disconnect all unnecessary USB devices (flash drive, 3G modem, smartphone, printer) from the computer. You only need to leave the mouse, keyboard, DVD or flash drive from which you are installing Windows.
If you have several hard drives, then disconnect all drives from the motherboard except the one on which Windows will be installed.
Reset BIOS settings to default (described in this article).
If the installer does not see the disk or error 0x0000007B appears at the end, change the SATA controller mode in the BIOS from AHCI to IDE or vice versa.
If every time you boot your computer or laptop itself enters the BIOS or opens the boot menu, then set the Boot Pop Menu option in the BIOS to Disable (if any).
Disable Fast Boot in the Advanced section of the BIOS, and in the Boot section set the Launch CSM option to Enable (if available).
In the Boot section of the BIOS, change the boot mode from EFI (UEFI) to Legacy (if available).
Set the Secure Boot option in the BIOS to Disable (if available).
Select the version of Windows you are installing in the BIOS (if any).
If you have a laptop, one version of Windows is installed, but another is not, and the advice on setting up the BIOS did not help you, then contact support or the manufacturer’s forum. Updating the BIOS can also help, after which additional options may appear in it (sections 8-12).
If possible, from a DVD, since there are many different problems with flash drives.
Make from .
Insert the flash drive into the USB 2.0 connector on the back of the computer (motherboard) or the USB 2.0 connector of the laptop. Booting from USB 3.0 does not always work.
Try using the Boot Menu, as described in paragraph 6 of this article. This method is simpler and more reliable than setting boot priority in the BIOS and you can determine whether the computer sees your flash drive.
An underscore on a black screen indicates that the computer freezes while accessing a flash drive or hard drive. If the download continues without a flash drive, then that’s definitely the problem.
If the computer does not see the flash drive or does not want to boot from it, use a DVD or other flash drive for installation.
If this is not possible, then change the type of flash drive from “removable media” to “hard disk” using the “BootIt Next Generation” utility, format it with the “HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool” utility and make it bootable again using “Windows USB/DVD Download Tool". You can download all these utilities below in the “Links” section.
If the problem occurs after selecting the Windows installation partition, then use the tips for setting up the BIOS (sections 7-12). During installation, remove old partitions from the disk or do this using the Acronis Disk Director boot disk.
If the installer reports that it cannot install Windows on the disk, then try running it or back.

Let me remind you that to exit the BIOS and save the settings, use the F10 key.

8. Links

In the following articles we will look at how to install, and.

Sandisk Cruzer
Transcend JetFlash 790 8Gb
Sandisk Cruzer