November 11, 2026

Windows 10 PC Boots Into BIOS Every Time: Getting Past the Setup Screen to Windows

You turn on the PC, and instead of the Windows logo, the BIOS or UEFI setup screen appears. You exit, it restarts, and the setup screen appears again. When a Windows 10 PC boots into BIOS every time, the firmware is either unable to find something to boot or is being told to stop at setup.

A PC opens the BIOS automatically when it cannot find a valid boot device, when a setting has changed and it wants you to confirm, or when a key is held down during start-up. After a BIOS reset, a new drive, or a dead CMOS battery, boot settings can be wrong or lost each time.

Sometimes the problem is mechanical: a stuck Delete or F2 key keeps sending the “enter setup” signal.

Checking the boot list and the hardware usually breaks the loop.

What Usually Triggers It

The PC stops at the BIOS for these reasons:

• The Windows drive is not detected or not in the boot order.
• The boot mode does not match how Windows was installed.
• The CMOS battery is dead, so settings reset at every power-off.
• A key such as Delete, F2, or Esc is stuck.

Many boards open setup after changing hardware, such as slot mahjong RAM or a CPU, until you save the new configuration once.

First Steps to Try

Check the boot list.

1. In the BIOS, open the boot section and look for Windows Boot Manager or your SSD.
2. Move it to the first position.
3. Check that the storage page lists your Windows drive.
4. Select “Save Changes and Exit,” not just Exit.
5. Unplug USB drives and external disks, then restart.

If the drive is missing, shut down and reseat its cable or M.2 connection.

If the Problem Continues

Look at settings that reset and hardware faults.

1. If the date and time reset to a year like 2009 or 2020 after every power-off, replace the coin-shaped CMOS battery on the motherboard.
2. Disconnect the keyboard and start the PC to rule out a stuck key.
3. Set boot mode to UEFI if Windows was installed in UEFI mode, and turn CSM off.
4. Load optimised defaults, save, and then set the boot order again.
5. If Windows Boot Manager is missing entirely, boot from a Windows USB and run Startup Repair.

Protect Your Data First

Do not reinstall Windows just to escape the BIOS loop; your files are usually intact. Photograph your BIOS settings before loading defaults, so you can restore anything special.

The Bottom Line

A PC that always opens the BIOS cannot find or is not allowed to reach Windows. Fix the boot order, save before exiting, replace a failing CMOS battery, and check for stuck keys.