How to Access the BIOS of a Toshiba Satellite

The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is one of the most important tools on any computer, and your Toshiba Satellite is no exception. While you can change many of the settings you need from the control panel or other areas in your operating system, some tasks – changing what your laptop tries to boot from first, for example – can only be completed using BIOS or by accessing the same options elsewhere.

Finding out how to enter BIOS on a Toshiba Satellite can be essential in some situations, but it's easy to access using one of several methods. The one that works best for you depends on your laptop model. Some trial and error may be necessary.

If there is a single BIOS key on a Toshiba Satellite, it is the F2 key in most cases. To access BIOS on your machine, press the F2 key repeatedly as soon as you switch on your laptop. Most of the time, a prompt tells you to press F2 to enter setup, but this prompt may be missing depending on your specific system.

As an alternative, use the F12 key, which is the Toshiba boot menu key, on startup. For most models, F2 is the best option because it takes you directly to BIOS, but if that doesn't work, try F12 instead. This option lets you choose the bootup device, but you can also access other options if you choose Recovery and then UEFI Firmware Settings from the Advanced Options menu. Restarting after this takes you to BIOS.

Another approach you can try if you don't see a prompt to press F2 or F12 is to press and hold the Esc key for three seconds when you switch on your laptop. This action brings up a prompt for you to press the F1 key, which takes you to the BIOS menu.

If this doesn't work, try holding down the Esc key before you switch on your laptop. The laptop beeps to inform you of an error, and then it prompts you to press F1 to get into BIOS.

Yet another method for when the others don't work involves pressing the Esc key on bootup and then pressing F2 to enter the BIOS menu.

It may take some experimentation to find the right method if it isn't indicated on the startup screen or in any of the documentation for your specific laptop model.

On some models, such as the Satellite 5000 laptops, you can only access BIOS using the Toshiba Hardware Utility, which you open up using your operating system. It should be already installed, and you can access it through the Toshiba Console or the HWSetup option on the standard Windows Control Panel. If your system doesn't have the utility installed, download it from Toshiba/Dynabook (see resources) by entering your laptop's model or serial number in the appropriate field.

With this program, you can change the same settings as you can on BIOS, which negates the need to enter BIOS. In some cases, such as on the Satellite S55-C, you can change some of the settings using the System Settings program, which you can find through the Start menu.

For these approaches, choose the appropriate option from the tabs on the left of the window and then change the settings as needed. In some cases, the changes are made immediately, but for other settings, your computer must restart for the changes to take effect.