How to Reset Your BIOS

How to Reset Your BIOS Have you recently made a change to your computer's hardware and need to reset your BIOS? Are you locked out of a computer that you purchased secondhand because of an unknown BIOS password? If so, you'll need to reset your BIOS to factory settings. Depending on what you have access to, you can reset the BIOS from within the BIOS menu itself, reset the jumper on your motherboard, or remove and reinsert the CMOS battery that powers the BIOS memory. Method 1 of 3: Resetting from Within BIOS 1. Access your BIOS. Turn on your computer and press the key on your keyboard to enter the BIOS. This is typically the Del (delete) key. Pre-built systems from major manufacturers may use a function key such as F1, F2, or F10. If you are using Windows 8 with a UEFI motherboard, you may not have access to a traditional BIOS screen and instead will need to use the Advanced Boot menu. See Step 4 of this guide for more details. If you cannot access your BIOS because you are locked out with a password or it has been corrupted, use one of the following methods following this section. 2 Find the factory reset option. The location and wording of this option varies for every different BIOS. It will typically be called "Reset to Default", "Factory Default", "Setup Defaults", or something similar. It may be located in one of the tabs or it may be an option listed near the navigation buttons. Select the option or press the button to load your factory defaults. If your BIOS does not have this option, use one of the following methods following this section. 3 Save your changes and confirm your selection if necessary. This will often be combined with the process of exiting a BIOS. Your computer will automatically reboot. If you need to change your BIOS settings once your BIOS resets, you may need to reboot your computer again and enter the BIOS to change them. Method 2 of 3: Resetting the Jumper 1 Power down your computer. Shut down your computer from within the operating system. Locate a rocker-style switch at the back of your PC (if applicable), and switch it from the ON position (I) to the OFF position (O). If there is no switch, unplug the computer from the outlet. This method will not work for laptops. 2 Open your case. You will need to be able to access the motherboard of your computer. be very careful when working on the inside of your computer, as electrostatic discharge can easily destroy sensitive components. Make sure that you are properly grounded before working inside the computer. 3 Find the CMOS jumper. Locate the three-pin jumper on your motherboard that controls the BIOS. It will usually found near the CMOS battery. The jumper will be covering two of the three pins. The jumper may be labeled CLEAR, CLR, CLEAR CMOS, PSSWRD, or a variety of other labels. Refer to your motherboard's documentation to find the correct jumper. 4 Move the jumper to the other two pins. For example, if the jumper is covering the first and second pins, move it so that it is covering the second and third pins. Be sure to pull the jumper straight up to remove it so that you don't bend the pins. 5 Press your power button. Press and hold the power button on your computer for about 10-15 seconds (nothing should happen because the power is turned off). This will discharge any remaining power stored in the capacitors. This will make the BIOS reset. 6 Return the jumper to its default position. Put the jumper back on the pins that it was originally on. This will allow you to access your BIOS when you start your computer up. Close up the case when you are finished. 7 Turn the power supply back on. Move the rocker-style switch at the back of your PC to the ON (I) position. If you unplugged the computer from the wall, plug it back in. 8 Power on your PC. Press the front Power button. You will need to enter your BIOS and reconfigure all of the settings, including the time, date, and boot order. Method 3 of 3: Removing the CMOS Battery 1 Power down your computer. Shut down your computer from within the operating system. Locate a rocker-style switch at the back of your PC (if applicable), and switch it from the ON position (I) to the OFF position (O). If there is no switch, unplug the computer from the outlet. 2 Open your case. You will need to be able to access the motherboard of your computer. be very careful when working on the inside of your computer, as electrostatic discharge can easily destroy sensitive components. Make sure that you are properly grounded before working inside the computer. For many laptops, you can access the CMOS battery from a removable panel on the bottom of the laptop. If there is no panel available, you will most likely need to disassemble the laptop to access it. 3 ·         Remove the CMOS battery. The battery is typically located near your PCI slots, but may be in different locations depending on the manufacturer of your motherboard. It may be hidden by expansion cards and cables. The battery is usually a standard 3V, round, flat watch battery (CR2032). 4 Press your power button. Press and hold the power button on your computer for about 10-15 seconds (nothing should happen because the power is turned off). This will discharge any remaining power stored in the capacitors. By discharging the power, the CMOS memory will reset, thereby resetting your BIOS. 5 Reinsert the CMOS battery. Carefully reinsert the CMOS battery back into its housing. Make sure that you have put the battery in the right direction. The slightly smaller side should be facing down. Close your case back up after reinserting the battery. 6 Turn the power supply back on. Move the rocker-style switch at the back of your PC to the ON (I) position. If you unplugged the computer from the wall, plug it back in. 7 Power on your PC. Press the front Power button. You will need to enter your BIOS and reconfigure all of the settings, including the time, date, and boot order.