Computer Repair – Knowledge Base: Manufacturer Bios Access Keys and Boot Menu Access Key directory.

Have you ever wanted to know, how do I go about entering bios to make changes? or perhaps needed to access boot menu and didn’t know which key to press or when?

Access BIOS Access Key – How to Enter the BIOS

Dell BIOS Access: F2 key
Info: Power the computer on. When you see the Dell logo, press the F2 key

Gateway BIOS Access: F2 key
Info: Power the computer on, then press the F2 key

PowerSpec BIOS Access: Delete key
Info: Power the computer on. When you see the PowerSpec logo, press the Delete key

Toshiba BIOS Access: F2 key
Info: Power the computer on. Immediately press and hold the F2 key.
Note: For windows 8 UEFI boot DVD or USB, you first will need to disable Secure Boot and change the boot mode to

Boot Menu Key – How to Access Boot Menu

Dell Boot Menu Key: F12 key
Info: Power the computer on. When you see the Dell logo, press the F12 key

Gateway Boot Menu Key: F12 key
Info: Power the computer on. Hold the Alt key and repeatedly press the F10 key

PowerSpec Boot Menu Key: F5 or F8 key
Info: Power the computer on. When you see the PowerSpec logo, alternately press the Delete F5 or F8 keys.

Toshiba Boot Menu Key: F12 key
Info: Power the computer on. Immediately press and hold the F12 key.

Dell Factory Restore Key – Dell System Restore Hotkey

Info: Many Dell computers ship with a factory reset feature. To use it, you need to press the correct keys while booting the computer in order to enter Dell recovery partition. Here are the keys I’ve used and documented:

Dell Dimension E521 System Recovery: Ctrl and F11
Info: Power the computer on. When you see the Blue bar / stripe at the top, simultaneously press Ctrl and F11 keys at the same time.

Gateway factory restore Key – Gateway System Restore Hotkey

Info: Many Gateway computers ship with a factory reset feature. To use it, you need to press the correct keys while booting the computer in order to enter Gateway Recovery Management. Here are the keys I’ve used and documented:

Gateway dx4200-09 system recovery:
Info: Power the computer on. Hold the Alt key and repeatedly press the F10 key. When the Gateway Boot Menu appears, select the hard drive. Quickly resume holding the Alt key and repeatedly press the F10 key. Gateway Recovery Management should load.