Vaio boot selection. How to enter the boot menu - detailed instructions

Good day everyone!

Why memorize something you don't need every day? It is enough to open and read the information when you need it - the main thing is to be able to use it! I usually do this myself, and these hotkey signs are no exception...

This article is for reference; it contains buttons for entering the BIOS and calling the boot menu (also called the Boot Menu). Often they are simply “vitally” necessary for reinstalling Windows, when restoring the computer, setting up the BIOS, etc. I hope the information will be relevant and you will find the treasured key to call the desired menu.

Note:

1. The information on the page will be updated and expanded from time to time;
2. You can see the buttons for entering the BIOS in this article (as well as how to enter the BIOS in general :)):
3. At the end of the article there are examples and explanations of abbreviations in the table and a description of the functions.

NOTEBOOKS

Manufacturer	BIOS (model)	Hotkey	Function
Acer	Phoenix	F2	Enter Setup
		F12	Boot Menu (Change Boot Device, Multi Boot Selection Menu)
		Alt+F10	D2D Recovery (disk-to-disk system recovery)
Asus	AMI	F2	Enter Setup
		ESC	Popup Menu
		F4	Easy Flash
	Phoenix Award	DEL	BIOS Setup
		F8	Boot Menu
		F9	D2D Recovery
Benq	Phoenix	F2	BIOS Setup
Dell	Phoenix, Aptio	F2	Setup
		F12	Boot Menu
		Ctrl+F11	D2D Recovery
eMachines (Acer)	Phoenix	F12	Boot Menu
Fujitsu Siemens	AMI	F2	BIOS Setup
		F12	Boot Menu
Gateway (Acer)	Phoenix	Click mouse or Enter	Menu
		F2	BIOS Settings
		F10	Boot Menu
		F12	PXE Boot
HP (Hewlett-Packard)/Compaq	Insyde	ESC	Startup Menu
		F1	System Information
		F2	System Diagnostics
		F9	Boot Device Options
		F10	BIOS Setup
		F11	System Recovery
		Enter	Continue Startup
Lenovo (IBM)	Phoenix SecureCore Tiano	F2	Setup
		F12	MultiBoot Menu
MSI (Micro Star)	*	DEL	Setup
		F11	Boot Menu
		TAB	Show POST screen
		F3	Recovery
Packard Bell (Acer)	Phoenix	F2	Setup
		F12	Boot Menu
Samsung	*	ESC	Boot Menu
Toshiba	Phoenix	Esc, F1, F2	Enter Setup
Toshiba Satellite A300		F12	Bios

PERSONAL COMPUTERS

Motherboard	BIOS	Hotkey	Function
Acer		Del	Enter Setup
		F12	Boot Menu
ASRock	AMI	F2 or DEL	Run Setup
		F6	Instant Flash
		F11	Boot Menu
		TAB	Switch Screen
Asus	Phoenix Award	DEL	BIOS Setup
		TAB	Display BIOS POST Message
		F8	Boot Menu
		Alt+F2	Asus EZ Flash 2
		F4	Asus Core Unlocker
BioStar	Phoenix Award	F8	Enable System Configuration
		F9	Select Booting Device after POST
		DEL	Enter SETUP
ChainTech	Award	DEL	Enter SETUP
		ALT+F2	Enter AWDFLASH
ECS (Elite Group)	AMI	DEL	Enter SETUP
		F11	BBS POPUP
FoxConn (WinFast)		TAB	POST Screen
		DEL	SETUP
		ESC	Boot Menu
GigaByte	Award	ESC	Skip memory test
		DEL	Enter SETUP/Q-Flash
		F9	Xpress Recovery Xpress Recovery 2
		F12	Boot Menu
Intel	AMI	F2	Enter SETUP
MSI (MicroStar)			Enter SETUP

HELP (according to the above tables)

BIOS Setup (also Enter Setup, BIOS Settings, or simply BIOS)- this is the button to enter the BIOS settings. You need to press it after turning on the computer (laptop), and preferably several times until the screen appears. The name may vary slightly depending on the equipment manufacturer.

Boot Menu (also Change Boot Device, Popup Menu)- a very useful menu that allows you to select the device from which the device will boot. Moreover, to select a device you do not need to go into the BIOS and change the boot queue. That is, for example, you need to install Windows OS - press the button to enter the Boot Menu, select the installation flash drive, and after rebooting, the computer will automatically boot from hard drive(and no unnecessary BIOS settings).

Example Boot Menu - HP laptop (Boot Option Menu).

D2D Recovery (also Recovery)- function Windows recovery on laptops. Allows you to quickly restore the functionality of the device from hidden section hard drive. To be honest, I personally don’t like using this function, because... recovery in laptops is often “crooked”, works clumsily and there is not always a choice detailed settings“how and what”... I prefer installing and restoring Windows from a bootable USB flash drive.

Easy Flash - used for BIOS updates(I don’t recommend using it for beginners...).

System Information - system information about the laptop and its components (for example, this option is available on HP laptops).

PS

Thanks in advance for any additions to the topic of the article. Your information (for example, the buttons to enter the BIOS on your laptop model) will be added to the article. All the best!

Out of habit, or out of ignorance, some computer and laptop users use the BIOS or UEFI menu to boot from the device on which the files for Windows installations, to run LiveCD or backup systems. But you can use the Boot Menu for this, especially since this option is more practical and simpler. Just call up the menu with a special key and select the device ( hard drive, flash drive, DVD drive) from which the download will be carried out.

You can learn how to enter the Boot Menu on laptops and computers from this guide.
Since manufacturers do not have a specific rule for assigning a button to call the Boot Menu, each of them chooses the one that they think is ideal for this task. These instructions list the keys that, in most cases, allow you to display the boot menu. In addition, the nuances of calling it on laptops with pre-installed installed Windows 10 and specifically examples are given for laptops from Asus, Lenovo, Samsung and others, as well as motherboards from Gigabyte, MSI, Intel and so on.

General information on entering the BIOS boot menu

Manufacturers provide special keys for both entering the BIOS or UEFI and calling the Boot Menu. In the first case it could be Del, F2, or a combination Alt+F2. In the second they can be used Esc, F11 or F12, but there are exceptions, which are given later in the article. Typically, a key prompt for entering the Boot Menu appears on the screen when the computer starts, but this does not always happen.

Features of loading Boot Menu on Windows 10

On laptops and computers running Windows 10, the above keys may not work. This is because shutting down in this operating system is not exactly like that. This process is more like hibernation. Therefore, when using F12, F11, Esc and other boot menu keys may not appear.
In this case, one of the methods below may help to enter the Boot Menu:
Method 1:

Method 2:

How to open the Boot Menu on Asus

In the case of Asus motherboards, you can enter the Boot Menu using the key F8 immediately after turning on the computer. Actually, the same as when trying to enter the BIOS or UEFI using the keys Del / F9. On ASUS laptops, one of the options can be used - entering the Boot Menu using the key F8, or Esc.

How to enter the Boot Menu on Lenovo laptops

On almost all all-in-one PCs and laptops from Lenovo, the key is responsible for launching the Boot Menu. F12. It, like on other devices, must be pressed when turning it on. There are also models where a separate small arrow button is provided to enter the boot menu. It is often located near the power button.

How to open Boot Menu on Acer laptops

Acer laptops and all-in-ones have a single key to enter the Boot Menu - F12. However, go to this menu only possible after enabling a special option. To activate it, when you start your computer, you need to get into the BIOS using the key F2 and change state Disabled on Enabled opposite the point F12 Boot Menu in the main BIOS settings.

Other models of laptops and motherboards

Below is a list of keys for entering the Boot Menu on laptops and PCs with motherboards from different manufacturers.
Motherboards:

• Gigabyte - F12.
• MSI - F11.
• Intel - Esc.
• AsRock - F11.
• American Megatrends - F8.

Laptops and monoblocks:

• HP - F9, or Esc, and then the F9 key.
• Dell - F12.
• Samsung - Esc.
• Sony - F11.
• Toshiba - F12.
• Packard Bell- F12.

The Boot Menu can be called up when you turn on your computer or laptop by pressing the corresponding key. The key to call the Boot Menu (also known as the boot menu) depends on the laptop manufacturer, or motherboard your PC. If you have already entered BOIS, then the boot menu is called up in much the same way. Moreover, this menu applies to BIOS system(UEFI). This one is just a function.

In fact, this is a very useful thing. The boot menu is a window where you can select a device to boot your computer. For example, select a CD/DVD drive from the menu and boot the computer from boot disk. Or boot from a flash drive. You probably know that to install or restore Windows, scan your computer for viruses from a Live CD, or run other programs, you need to boot your computer or laptop from a boot disk or flash drive.

Since the key depends on the manufacturer of the motherboard or laptop, below I will consider different options for entering the boot menu for individual manufacturers of these same laptops and motherboards. But first, let's look at some of the nuances in Windows 10 and Windows 8.

Boot Menu in Windows 10, Windows 8 and 8.1. A few nuances

If you have Windows 7 installed, then everything should work out right away. But to enter the Boot Menu on a computer with Windows 10 or Windows 8 (8.1) installed, you will most likely need to perform several additional steps.

The whole point is that turning off the computer or laptop on these operating systems, it doesn't completely turn off. This is done for fast loading when turned on again. That's why, boot menu may not open.

If the Boot Menu does not open for you, try the following:

• Restart your computer and press the required key. Do a reboot, not a power cycle.
• In Windows 8, try holding down the Shift key and turn off the computer while holding this key. Then turn on the computer and press the key to enter the Boot Menu.

If this does not help, then you need to disable quick start. We do this (using Windows 10 as an example):

I hope everything worked out.

Boot Menu on ASUS laptops

On my not very new ASUS laptop (model K56CM), you need to press the Esc key to enter the Boot Menu. If Esc doesn't work, try pressing F8 or F9.

The boot menu itself looks like this:

As you can see, I have three devices there. This means that I can upload my ASUS laptop With SSD drive(by default), flash drive (it is already connected to the laptop) and DVD drive. Just select the required option and the download will begin. If you select “Enter Setup”, the BIOS will open.

Boot menu on Acer laptops

If you have an Acer laptop, then immediately press the F12 key when turning it on.

But, Boot Menu on Acer may not work. It needs to be activated in the BIOS settings, which can be accessed by pressing the F2 key. There you need to find the “F12 Boot Menu” item and turn it on (set Enabled). This setting is located on the “Main” tab.

After rebooting and pressing the F12 key, the boot menu we need should open.

How to enter the Boot Menu on a Lenovo laptop?

Use the F12 key when turning on the laptop. Almost all Lenovo laptops use this key.

This manufacturer has a little trick. I'll tell you now.

To enter the Boot Menu on an HP laptop you need to press the Esc key. But the menu will not open. You also need to press F9 in the start menu.

After this, a window should appear with different options for booting the laptop.

Keys for calling the Boot Menu on PCs (for motherboards) and other laptops

In the last section of this article, I want to collect information that will be useful to you when calling the boot menu on desktop computers with different motherboards and laptops, which I did not write about above.

Motherboards:

• MSI - F11 key
• ASUS-F8
• Gigabyte-F12
• Intel - Esc
• AsRock - F11

Laptops:

• The Boot Menu on a DEL laptop is called by the key – F12
• Toshiba-F12
• Samsung - Esc
• Sony Vaio - F11
• Packard Bell-F12

I will be glad if this information was useful to you. Write reviews in the comments, ask questions!

What is boot menu

Probably everyone knows that in order to boot from a disk drive or flash drive you need to set the order of devices to boot in the BIOS. For example, to install Windows XP from a disk onto a computer, you first need to boot from this very disk. To do this, you need to set the disk drive as the first boot device in the BIOS.

However, you don’t have to go into the BIOS and change nothing there. All you need to do is immediately after turning on the computer, press the boot menu key and in the list of devices that appears, select the one from which to boot. Selecting a boot device in the boot menu has no effect on BIOS settings. That is, this menu affects specifically a specific boot, and if you do not call it afterwards, the computer or laptop will boot as configured in the BIOS.

How to call the boot menu - keys for calling the BIOS boot menu

So, we figured out what the boot menu is in BIOS. Now I’ll tell you what hotkeys you use to call it. There is no standard here. It all depends on the manufacturer of the PC or laptop motherboard and on the version of the BIOS installed there. For example, calling the boot menu asus is different from calling the boot menu on an acer or sony vaio laptop.

In most cases, the key to call up the boot device selection menu is F12 , but some manufacturers use their own key combinations. Particular attention can be paid to the boot menu Samsung and HP. To get to the boot menu of a Samsung laptop you need to press Esc (only once!). If you click on Esc at least twice, the boot menu will close before it can open. Therefore, you need to calculate and clearly hit the time by pressing hotkey calling boot menu. This can be quite difficult to do without some skill.

Calling the boot menu on HP laptops is also specific. To do this, you first need to click Esc , after which the laptop service menu will appear. In it we already select the desired item (by pressing the hot key). To call the HP boot menu, press F9 .

For some manufacturers, the device to be loaded into the menu is selected using the cursor keys; for others, you need to press a key with a number indicating serial number devices in the list.

Below is a table that is easy to understand. This is a table of correspondence between hotkeys for calling up the menu for selecting a boot device, motherboard manufacturer and BIOS.

Yes, and one last clarification. In some cases, boot menu hotkeys are disabled by default in the BIOS. To be able to use the boot menu, you need to enable it in the BIOS settings. Typically this function is called F12 Boot Menu . To enable this feature, you must set its value to Enabled .

In addition to the keys for calling the boot menu, the table shows keys for entering the BIOS.

Manufacturer/device	BIOS version	Boot menu key	Key to enter BIOS
Mat. MSI boards	AMI	F11	Del
Mat. Gigabyte boards	Award	F12	Del
Mat. Asus boards	AMI	F8	Del
Mat. Intel boards	Phoenix Award	Esc	Del
Mat. AsRock boards	AMI	F11	Del
Asus laptops		Esc	F2
Acer laptops	Inside H2O	F12	F2
Acer laptops	Phoenix	F12	F2
Dell laptops	Dell	F12	F2
HP laptops		Esc -> F9	Esc -> F10
Lenovo laptops	AMI	F12	F2
Packard Bell laptops	Phoenix Secure Core	F12	F2
Samsung laptops	Phoenix Secure Core	Esc (once, pressing again exits the menu)	F2
Sony Vaio laptops	Inside H2O	F11	F2
Toshiba laptops	Phoenix	F12	F2
Toshiba laptops	Inside H2O	F12	F2

Hello! Today I rested all day, it was Sunday. But towards evening I thought that I needed, I needed to write something useful on the blog. I began to think about what I hadn’t written yet, and what might be useful to you in the process of solving various computer breakdowns, and then the thought came that I had already written about that, and how I also wrote in it, but there is also a way that when you turn on computer you can select device to download without having to go into the BIOS. I’ll write about this, I’m sure that this advice will be useful to many.

You often have to choose which device to start your computer from. For example, you want to, or simply boot your computer from a boot disk to scan your computer for viruses. And to do this you have to go into the BIOS, look for where this item is located in which the boot order is set, and also on different computers This is all done in different ways, and many at this stage abandon the idea of ​​repairing the computer themselves. If, for example, you need to boot once from a CD/DVD disk or flash drive, then you can do without changing the settings in the BIOS. And now I will tell you how to do this.

Selecting a boot device when turning on the computer

We insert the disk into the drive, or connect a flash drive. We restart the computer and as soon as it starts to boot, press the key F11.

A window will appear “Please select boot device:”, in which, using the up and down arrows, we select the device we need from which we want to boot, and confirm our choice by pressing “Enter”. As you can see, I have the opportunity to boot from a drive, a flash drive and, of course, a hard drive.

Whichever device you choose, the download will start from that device. As you can see, everything is much simpler than digging into BIOS settings. If nothing happens when you press F11, then there are at least two options:

• You have a USB keyboard, and in the BIOS settings, support for such keyboards is disabled when the computer starts. You need to connect a regular keyboard, and with its help go into the BIOS and in the Integrated Peripherals item, find USB Keybord support and set the value to Enable. After this your USB keyboard should work.
• And the second case is that you simply have a different key set to call up the boot device selection menu when you turn on the computer, or simply this function is disabled in the same BIOS. For example in Acer laptops in the BIOS there is an item “F12 select boot device” (or something like that), which needs to be enabled by setting Enable. After this, the menu will be called up by pressing the F12 key.

It seems like I wrote everything, if you have any questions, ask. Good luck!