Cannot Enter Uefi Bios

I have a Windows 8.1 64 bit PC based on an ASUS Z97 motherboard which uses a EUFI BIOS. Prior to using BitDefender 2015 Total Security I could enter BIOS by pressing either F2 or DEL at boot. Now I cannot enter BIOS at all. Since I can enter BIOS if I remove BitDefender then it is clear that my problem is NOT caused by my keyboard or anything else connected with my PC but instead is clearly caused by Bitdefender.

Can anyone please help me to resolve this problem or must I abandon BitDefender?

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iganceanu

Hy Middleleaze,

Try this method and see if it helps

http://windows.wonderhowto.com/how-to/acce...dows-8-0139059/

Middleleaze

Hy Middleleaze,

Try this method and see if it helps

http://windows.wonderhowto.com/how-to/acce...dows-8-0139059/

Whilst I am very grateful for your response, I am afraid that the URL that you provided is for Windows 8 and it does not work with Windows 8.1 - the menu items no longer include GENERAL and I cannot find the required ADVANCED SETTINGS anywhere else. I have also tried holding down the SHIFT key when pressing RESTART but that simply reboots the PC into Windows 8.1 completely bypassing the BIOS again.

Incidentally, I have seen many other suggestions for booting into UEFI BIOS from within Windows but all of these seem to ignore the fact that If you are trying to installing a new operating system then clearly they are not appropriate because you do NOT have an operating system from which to try the suggestion!. All of these suggestions are trying to find a "workaround" rather than fixing the root cause - BitDefender is doing something at boot which stops users from accessing the UEFI BIOS! It follows that BitDefender needs to fix this problem.

iganceanu

The menu can be found in Settings -> Change PC Settings -> Update and recovery -> Recovery

csalgau

Newer systems configured with EFI booting that follow Microsoft certification requirements for Windows 8 and above do not normally allow accessing firmware setup/BIOS by pressing a keyboard combination during startup.

Simply put, in newer EFI booting scenarios the time spent in a state where pressing a key would be useful is normally under 3 seconds. To reach this low point, system tests are done concurrently, some things are deferred to the operating system - like initialising USB ports, and some things are done fewer times - like redrawing the screen. This last point is why Windows normally keeps showing your computer manufacturer's logo during startup and thus may make it look like BIOS setup may be accessed for longer.

The link posted above by iganceanu shows the recommended way of accessing the firmware setup/BIOS menu.

This behaviour is not dependant on Bitdefender. If you are noticing this happening only with Bitdefender installed, there might be something wrong with your EFI boot order prior to installing. On EFI boot systems, Bitdefender Rescue Mode is added to the boot path, but started as an alternative to Windows only on demand, and I believe, is not currently usable with Secure Boot enabled.

Keep in mind that in some circumstances, like several boot failures, removal of EFI system data from your harddrive or other hardware vendor specific methods like keeping buttons pressed or flash drives detected, the system will default to the classic way and accept pressing F2 or DEL. You should check for these in your motherboard/system owner's manual.

Hope this clears things up.

Update: I was writing this without refreshing the page.

Applications cannot/should not be able to influence access to firmware. Only the operating system has a say in that, to some degree.

Adding to what iganceanu stated, what you are looking for is Advanced start-up under the Recovery menu.

Middleleaze

The menu can be found in Settings -> Change PC Settings -> Update and recovery -> Recovery

That does indeed take you to Advanced Settings but, unfortunately, the UEFI Firmware settings (mentioned in the URL that you kindly provided) do not exist therefore this approach does not resolve my problem.

Middleleaze

Newer systems configured with EFI booting that follow Microsoft certification requirements for Windows 8 and above do not normally allow accessing firmware setup/BIOS by pressing a keyboard combination during startup.

Simply put, in newer EFI booting scenarios the time spent in a state where pressing a key would be useful is normally under 3 seconds. To reach this low point, system tests are done concurrently, some things are deferred to the operating system - like initialising USB ports, and some things are done fewer times - like redrawing the screen. This last point is why Windows normally keeps showing your computer manufacturer's logo during startup and thus may make it look like BIOS setup may be accessed for longer.

The link posted above by iganceanu shows the recommended way of accessing the firmware setup/BIOS menu.

This behaviour is not dependant on Bitdefender. If you are noticing this happening only with Bitdefender installed, there might be something wrong with your EFI boot order prior to installing. On EFI boot systems, Bitdefender Rescue Mode is added to the boot path, but started as an alternative to Windows only on demand, and I believe, is not currently usable with Secure Boot enabled.

Keep in mind that in some circumstances, like several boot failures, removal of EFI system data from your harddrive or other hardware vendor specific methods like keeping buttons pressed or flash drives detected, the system will default to the classic way and accept pressing F2 or DEL. You should check for these in your motherboard/system owner's manual.

Hope this clears things up.

Update: I was writing this without refreshing the page.

Applications cannot/should not be able to influence access to firmware. Only the operating system has a say in that, to some degree.

Adding to what iganceanu stated, what you are looking for is Advanced start-up under the Recovery menu.

You will see from my original post that I have always been able to access the UEFI BIOS by pressing either F2 or DEL at boot. This was how I set up the UEFI BIOS in the first place in order to configure my boot options (DVD first then SSD etc). Prior to installing BitDefender this has always worked. After installing BitDefender it no longer works. If I uninstall BitDefender the process works again. Incidentally, accessing UEFI BIOS via Windows 8.1 does not solve the problem. The URL that I was given mentions that UEFI Firmware Settings can be accessed through the Advanced Startup under the Recovery menu. On my PC there are NO UEFI Firmware Settings under the Advanced Startup menu.

The real killer for me now is that, since boot up now bypasses my DVD and the UEFI BIOS completely and goes straight into Windows 8.1, then I am unable to install a new operating system. For example, if I insert the OS DVD in the DVD whilst running Windows 8.1 then I am told that it can be installed only after a reboot. On reboot the DVD is bypassed and Windows 8.1 starts again. I then put the new OS into the DVD drive and then shut down the PC. When I restart the PC with the new OS in the DVD then the DVD is again bypassed and Windows 8.1 opens up. None of this happens after I have uninstalled BitDefender.

csalgau

It was not stated to me, from your initial exposition, what your scenarios was, and if you have checked for this behaviour between a new clean of Windows and installing Bitdefender or not.

What you are describing(the lack of a firmware settings option) is indicative of a non-EFI boot (or, conceivably, an unsupported EFI boot scenario). In legacy mode, no installed software or operating system may control or pass information to the firmware.

From what you have said so far, this is indicative of a firmware bug, and I have doubts on the reproducibility of this issue. I'm hoping a colleague in support will chip-in with knowledge from other similar situations for other users.

In the meantime, I'd like to ask you to please provide some information regarding your system from msinfo32.exe. You should be able to access it by typing msinfo32.exe in the start screen.

Please copy these items on the main(System Summary) page: "BIOS Mode", "Secure Boot State", "System Manufacturer", "System Model"(and/or "Baseboard Manufacturer" and "Baseboard Model") and "BIOS Version/Date". (I am aware you have stated initially the name of the board. I'd like to know what the system detects)

Middleleaze

It was not stated to me, from your initial exposition, what your scenarios was, and if you have checked for this behaviour between a new clean of Windows and installing Bitdefender or not.

What you are describing(the lack of a firmware settings option) is indicative of a non-EFI boot (or, conceivably, an unsupported EFI boot scenario). In legacy mode, no installed software or operating system may control or pass information to the firmware.

From what you have said so far, this is indicative of a firmware bug, and I have doubts on the reproducibility of this issue. I'm hoping a colleague in support will chip-in with knowledge from other similar situations for other users.

In the meantime, I'd like to ask you to please provide some information regarding your system from msinfo32.exe. You should be able to access it by typing msinfo32.exe in the start screen.

Please copy these items on the main(System Summary) page: "BIOS Mode", "Secure Boot State", "System Manufacturer", "System Model"(and/or "Baseboard Manufacturer" and "Baseboard Model") and "BIOS Version/Date". (I am aware you have stated initially the name of the board. I'd like to know what the system detects)

I am very grateful for your thoughtful response which actually coincides with my own hypothesis that the UEFI may actually be the problem. To test this hypothesis I decided to re-install BitDefender and perform further tests:-

1. I rebooted the PC but once again I could not access the UEFI BIOS by pressing F2 or DEL.

2. I then shut down the PC and pressed the "Clear CMOS" button on my ASUS Z97 Deluxe motherboard and waited a few minutes.

3. Then I rebooted the PC and pressed the DEL button during boot and the UEFI BIOS opened up. I checked the UEFI BIOS settings and found that they were exactly as I had set them originally.

4. For my next test I rebooted the PC with a bootable DVD in the DVD drive and I am delighted to report that the DVD was detected and I was asked if I wanted to install an Operating System.

My conclusion from these tests is that your prognosis that the UEFI BIOS may have a bug is clearly true. Since I reset the BIOS everything is working as it should and my problem is resolved. Thank you for you assistance.