How to Exit BIOS? What to Do If I Can’t Exit BIOS?

What Is BIOS?

In computing, BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a type of firmware used to provide runtime services for operating systems and programs and to perform hardware initialization during the booting process (power-on startup).

The firmware comes pre-installed on the computer’s motherboard. When the computer boots up, it will initialize and test the system hardware components (power-on self-test or POST for short), and load a boot loader from a mass storage device which then initializes a kernel.

Besides, the modern firmware also offers other advanced features like CPU/GPU/RAM overclocking, etc. Some people may enter BIOS to tweak these settings.

You can enter BIOS manually via various methods. The most commonly used way is powering on the PC and then pressing the BIOS key (F2, Del, etc.) immediately. Of course, if the computer can’t pass through the POST, it will get stuck in the BIOS screen.

How to Exit BIOS

How to exit BIOS? The simplest and quickest way is to use your designated hotkey. The exact hotkey will ultimately depend on your PC’s manufacturer and motherboard model. However, some manufacturers have their preferences.

For example, Acer, Asus, HP, Dell, Samsung, Gigabyte, Toshiba, Lenovo, MSI, and Samsung manufacturers always use the F10 key to save the changes and exit and use the Esc key to exit without saving changes.

If the F10, F12, and Esc hotkeys don’t work for you, you can check the specific exit hotkey at the bottom of the BIOS screen or in a message prompt. Or, you can search for the exit hotkey of your PC model online.

If the exit hotkey is correct but it doesn’t work, you can select the dedicated Exit option in the BIOS menu. The Exit option may be on a separate page or in a corner. You need to find this option carefully.

What to Do If You Can’t Exit BIOS?

If you have tried all the above methods, but you can’t exit BIOS still. There are mainly 2 reasons.

Reason 1. There is something wrong with the BIOS.

Do you have messed up the BIOS settings? If so, the computer can’t pass through the POST process. Is the BIOS corrupt? If so, the POST and other processes can’t be completed. Then, you can’t exit the BIOS. In this case, you can try resetting the BIOS to the default settings or updating the BIOS.

Reason 2. The firmware can’t find a bootable drive.

One of the jobs of the firmware is to find the bootable drive to load the operating system. If no bootable drive is found, the firmware will get stuck. Therefore, you need to check if the boot order or boot device is set correctly.

If the boot device is set correctly, you should then check if the boot device is well plugged into your computer. Some people say the unplugged SSD has caused the issue. Then, check if the operating system is corrupt and if the hard drive is damaged. If any issue is detected, take corresponding measures to troubleshoot it.

MiniTool Partition Wizard FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Bottom Line

Many people may be unfamiliar with BIOS or firmware. They don’t know how to enter or exit the BIOS. This post shows you how to exit the BIOS manually. It also tells you the reasons why you can’t exit BIOS in regular ways and offers the corresponding solutions. You can have a try.