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I am trying to fix a computer whose Windows 10 will not boot any more because it gets stuck in the automatic system repair loop.

I am trying to boot that computer from a USB storage - however, for that I need to modify the boot order, which can be done from within BIOS/UEFI. Unlike it used to be the case on that particular computer before, pressing Del or F11 when the respective message is shown does not work. The computer will continue booting into Windows 10 right away, where it will get stuck in the automatical repair.

UPDATE: I have replaced the hard disk of the respective computer and started installing Windows 7. Due to various other issues, I have reinstalled Windows 7 several times in a row now, and I used one of the aforementioned keys to enter the UEFI settings or the UEFI boot menu almost every time. Now, the computer has stopped reacting to those keys once again and boots right into the installed Windows 7 after showing the message about pressing Del or F11. Hence, this does not seem to be specific to the state where Windows 10 is installed.

The message displayed when booting reads:

Press <del> to BIOS, <F11> to boot devices menu

How can I get into BIOS?

The computer in question is an ARLT Mr. Whisper XII desktop computer; its original specs as indicated on the linked page are:

  • AMD A6-5400K (2x 3,6GHz)
  • 4GB RAM
  • 2000GB HDD
  • AMD Radeon HD7540D

Meanwhile, Windows 7 had been upgraded to Windows 10 (which is being reverted now by reinstalling Windows 7 on a new HDD), and the HDD has been replaced with a new 4 TB HDD.

O. R. Mapper
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    Is it a laptop? If so please add model info. – conquistador Oct 31 '16 at 08:12
  • @MustafaAKTAŞ: No, it is a desktop PC assembled by German computer vendor Arlt. – O. R. Mapper Nov 14 '16 at 23:22
  • @MustafaAKTAŞ: I have added some more detailed model information to the question. – O. R. Mapper Nov 15 '16 at 08:27
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    You may have Fast Boot enabled. Remove the hard drive so it won’t work, you should then be able to access the setup. – Daniel B Nov 15 '16 at 08:38
  • @DanielB: Is it conceivable that Fast Boot got enabled by installing Windows 7 in UEFI mode, when it was not enabled by installing Windows 7 in legacy mode before? – O. R. Mapper Nov 15 '16 at 08:41
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    And repeatedly hitting F11 during boot does not display boot menu? There is sometimes a very small window for the F keys to interrupt. – John K. N. Nov 15 '16 at 09:08
  • Fast Boot only works with UEFI boot. – Daniel B Nov 15 '16 at 09:57
  • @DanielB: Oh, so the detrimental effects of having Fast Boot enabled would only show now that I have installed a Windows version with the UEFI-booted setup. That sounds like a good lead; will try when at home and report back, thanks. – O. R. Mapper Nov 15 '16 at 10:00
  • @DanielB: That was the decisive hint, thank you! I had come across mentions of Fast Boot in relation to this issue numerous times, usually with qualifiers like "on some systems". Given that Fast Boot was enabled on my computer while I still could access BIOS, I was convinced the issue was not related to Fast Boot in my case. Thus, the piece of information I was missing was that the issues with respect to Fast Boot will appear only when UEFI-booting and will be entirely absent otherwise. Please add your hint as an answer so I can accept it. – O. R. Mapper Nov 15 '16 at 21:23

3 Answers3

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When everything works correctly, but you cannot enter Setup, you may have “Fast Boot” enabled.

UEFI was originally supposed to speed up the boot process by doing away with legacy stuff. By disabling the Compatibility Support Module (CSM, BIOS emulation) and enabling Fast Boot, you can finally have that. There’s even another level, Ultra Fast Boot. In both modes, fewer devices are initialized. However, prompts for the user to enter setup or select an alternate boot medium are also disabled.

Fast Boot only applies to UEFI booting (because the CSM has to be disabled).

Windows 8 and newer offer better support for UEFI and Fast Boot. While clicking any Reboot button, hold down Shift to go the Advanced Reboot menu. From there, you can also enter the Firmware Setup.

Because Fast Boot will not work if the boot configuration is incorrect, simply remove/disconnect all drives. No operating systems will be present and you can enter Setup normally. From there, disable Fast Boot until you’re done setting up whatever.

Daniel B
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New Windows 8 PCs don’t include the traditional BIOS. They use UEFI firmware instead, just as Macs have for years. How you go about doing common system tasks has changed.

To access this menu, open the Settings charm — either swipe in from the right and tap Settings or press Windows Key + I. Click the Power option under the Settings charm, press and hold the Shift key, and click Restart. Your computer will reboot into the boot options menu.

Note: if you are using Windows 10 you can get to the power options menu from the Start Menu. Just hold SHIFT and click Restart the same way.

Source:

http://www.howtogeek.com/175649/what-you-need-to-know-about-using-uefi-instead-of-the-bios/

Andrew B
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Some computers have an additional key for the boot menu. Try F8 or F12 to get into the Boot menu.

What are the F1 through F12 keys?

John K. N.
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  • Unfortunately, pressing F8 and F12, respectively, has no effect, either. The message displayed during booting explicitly mentions Del and F11; added that to the question. When this state occurred while Windows 10 was still installed on the machine, I had also tried the other function keys, to no avail. – O. R. Mapper Nov 15 '16 at 09:04