Presario laptop

Access a Toshiba laptop's BIOS upon startup using a keystroke combination.

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If you need to change the boot order of devices or set the internal clock of your Compaq Presario laptop, the Basic Input/Output System, or BIOS, is where you need to go. This setup program offers many hardware and system settings to fine-tune your business computer, but you should be careful not to inadvertently disable a vital component. BIOS resides outside the operating system, so accessing it occurs prior to booting Windows.

Shut down your Compaq Presario laptop, wait a few seconds and press the "Power" button to turn it back on.

Press the "Esc" key repeatedly as the laptop boots. Your Compaq Presario may or may not present a logo screen, which is typically when you press the key to access BIOS. Therefore, begin pressing "Esc" immediately after turning on the computer to ensure proper timing. On some laptops, you may need to press "F10" instead.

Press "F10" if you see a startup menu, which appears on most newer Compaq Presario laptops. The system then boots into BIOS.

Tip

• Your mouse won't work in BIOS, so navigate using the arrow keys on your keyboard and make selections by pressing "Enter."