Win8 Prevents BIOS Access

[pauldknight]

Hello,
I recently upgraded from “Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (OEM)” to “Windows 8 Pro 64-bit”, using the “Keep Windows settings, personal files, and apps” option. All except one of my programs work in Win8, and my Win8 desktop is unchanged (except for the Win8 Start Screen replacement for the Win7 Start Button). I am using a 2-year old desktop PC with hardware described at the bottom of this post.
Since I upgraded to Win8, I cannot access my BIOS settings!! The information that previously displayed during computer Startup no longer appears (so I do not know exactly when to press the [Delete] key for access to my BIOS Settings)! I have tried the following procedures, but none of these attempts would give me access to my BIOS Settings, or display any information during Startup:
• I pressed the [Delete] key repeatedly after the computer beeped once.
• I held down the [Delete] key immediately after starting my computer.
• I held down the [Delete] key before and during startup of my computer.
• I disconnected the power and data cables from my SSD system drive (to hopefully remove any influence from Win8), and started my computer.
• From the Win8 Start Screen, I selected “Charm Bar > Settings > Change PC Settings > General > Restart now”.
I am surprised that I cannot find any info online for this very significant problem with Win8. My questions:
1. Has anyone else had this problem?
2. How can I fix this so that I have access to my BIOS Settings?
3. Can I replace my traditional BIOS with UEFI on my existing motherboard?
4. Should I replace my motherboard with a newer one that includes UEFI?
5. Should I just accept that I can never access my BIOS Settings, or never change my boot device priority?
6. Why do Microsoft and/or Forum Members not warn of the Win8 problems with computers without UEFI? Please see below for some of my other disappointments with the Win8 upgrade on a traditional BIOS system.
My computer Startup is much slower with Win8; i.e. more than 40 seconds!
Win 8 will not let me perform a System Image restore.
USB 3.0 is not working with Win8’s native drivers. Backups to my USB 3.0 HDDs are very much slower with Win8.
----------------------------------------------
My system = Self-built in November 2010 with an Intel Core i7-950 processor; -- ASUS P6X58D-E motherboard; -- 6GB of DDR3 1333 RAM; -- ASUS ENGT450 GPU; -- ASUS 12X BD-ROM ODD; -- Samsung 128GB SSD Series 470 system drive; -- 3TB and 2TB HDDs for data; -- Corsair CMPSU-850HX 850W PSU; -- and dual 24” monitors.

 

[daswilhelm]

windows 8 loads after your bios is done posting, just the same as windows 7, so windows is not preventing you from getting in.

you say you disconnected your sata cable from your ssd? then it shouldnt be able to boot. period.

sounds like you arent hitting DEL at the right time.

 

[MotherFerJones]

1. It is not a problem
2. keep pressing "del" key, right after you power on the system, to quote Chubbs "Just tap it in"
3. Only if your mobo manufacturer offers a BIOS update that is a UEFI BIOS.
4. Definitely not, unless you like wasting money, then go for it
5. You can still access your BIOS
6. Because just like #1, its not a problem.

Hope this helps.

 

[DRosencraft]

Like the others have said, Win8, or any OS I know of, will not stop you from accessing your BIOS. Your timing must be off. Or your keyboard isn't quite hooked up right. As for your slow Win8 times, that could be a number of issues, including drivers. May want to check that you actually have the proper drivers installed (they may not have been kept despite your selection at install).

 

[pauldknight]

UPDATE:
Two weeks ago, I installed Win8 in my two-year-old computer. I have tried countless procedures to try to regain access to my BIOS Settings. Finally yesterday, I tried to reset my BIOS to factory settings as recommended in ASUS online troubleshooting, but I still could not access my BIOS Settings to complete that procedure. NOW MY COMPUTER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING!! Boat anchor anyone??

Today, Microsoft Win8 Technical Support said that they cannot help me because my ASUS P6X58D-E motherboard is probably NOT compatible with Win8. Thay said that their Pre-Install Compatibility Tests do NOT check our computers' hardware.

Later today, ASUS replied to my earlier email to say that their P6X58D-E may NOT be compatible with Win8.

Has anyone installed Win8 successfully with the ASUS P6X58D-E or similar motherboards, and then been able to access the BIOS Settings?

If not, be warned -- I think that I will have to buy a new motherboard with the new UEFI-BIOS, and a new CPU because of my attempt to use Win8 with this motherboard!!

 

[THfan]

I had the same problem that OP experienced except that it happened on my HP Pavilion DV6-2174-TX Notebook which also has standard or normal BIOS.I was worried initially that the problem was due to some virus.I got access to BIOS using this procedure.

1.Try to flash the BIOS inside Windows 8 OS environment itself.

I don't know whether if your PC manufacturer allows to do the same thing or not.Your PC may automatically restart, if not restart the system manually.

2.Format the Windows 8 partition and clean install Windows 7 as soon as you get access to BIOS.

Otherwise the same old problem of not being able to access BIOS setting will come back though the BIOS has been reflashed.

3.It is advisable to get a new PC which has hardware support for Windows 8 if you want to use Win8.

 

[Tseg]

Win 8:

- Swoosh to upper right corner, drag down and click Settings
- In Bottom right click Change PC Settings
- (I'm using W8.1 which is different so stating from memory) Click General (I think that is what it is called in W8)
- Go to bottom and click Advanced (I think)... whatever gets you to the screen with Refresh, etc...
- Click Advanced Startup... or maybe it is Advanced again and then Advanced Startup
- From there, there should be an option to restart into PC Settings
- Once system restarts, about 10 options will come up and one is to go to Settings (I think)... this sends your computer straight to your bios

The above is probably not exact... but keep clicking anything that starts with Advanced.

Why all this? Because with the introduction of SSDs, some computers have but a fraction of a second to press a button to take them to the BIOS like historically done. This is the alternative to ensure you can get in.

 

[optihelp]

Hello.

The "problem" is new shutting down way of windows 8.
When the user push the shutdown button, depends on bios, the system fall into an hybrid state (without energy consumption like hibernate but only affect to the kernel of system, not applications and so on).
Now to come to the point, if you want shutdown completly must write this command:
shutdown /s /t 0
You know, WindowsKey+R, and type the command.
After this shutdown (full and real shutdown) you will be able to enter bios with the keyboard, usually pushing Del or F2.

I hope this will be usefull to you. Sorry for my bad english.

Optihelp

Hello,
I recently upgraded from “Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (OEM)” to “Windows 8 Pro 64-bit”, using the “Keep Windows settings, personal files, and apps” option. All except one of my programs work in Win8, and my Win8 desktop is unchanged (except for the Win8 Start Screen replacement for the Win7 Start Button). I am using a 2-year old desktop PC with hardware described at the bottom of this post.
Since I upgraded to Win8, I cannot access my BIOS settings!! The information that previously displayed during computer Startup no longer appears (so I do not know exactly when to press the [Delete] key for access to my BIOS Settings)! I have tried the following procedures, but none of these attempts would give me access to my BIOS Settings, or display any information during Startup:
• I pressed the [Delete] key repeatedly after the computer beeped once.
• I held down the [Delete] key immediately after starting my computer.
• I held down the [Delete] key before and during startup of my computer.
• I disconnected the power and data cables from my SSD system drive (to hopefully remove any influence from Win8), and started my computer.
• From the Win8 Start Screen, I selected “Charm Bar > Settings > Change PC Settings > General > Restart now”.
I am surprised that I cannot find any info online for this very significant problem with Win8. My questions:
1. Has anyone else had this problem?
2. How can I fix this so that I have access to my BIOS Settings?
3. Can I replace my traditional BIOS with UEFI on my existing motherboard?
4. Should I replace my motherboard with a newer one that includes UEFI?
5. Should I just accept that I can never access my BIOS Settings, or never change my boot device priority?
6. Why do Microsoft and/or Forum Members not warn of the Win8 problems with computers without UEFI? Please see below for some of my other disappointments with the Win8 upgrade on a traditional BIOS system.
My computer Startup is much slower with Win8; i.e. more than 40 seconds!
Win 8 will not let me perform a System Image restore.
USB 3.0 is not working with Win8’s native drivers. Backups to my USB 3.0 HDDs are very much slower with Win8.
----------------------------------------------
My system = Self-built in November 2010 with an Intel Core i7-950 processor; -- ASUS P6X58D-E motherboard; -- 6GB of DDR3 1333 RAM; -- ASUS ENGT450 GPU; -- ASUS 12X BD-ROM ODD; -- Samsung 128GB SSD Series 470 system drive; -- 3TB and 2TB HDDs for data; -- Corsair CMPSU-850HX 850W PSU; -- and dual 24” monitors.

 

[PinchedNerve]

Windows can't prevent access to the bios until after the post and not at all if you actually disconnected the HD. Something else is the issue & it may be what's between the keyboard and chair.