Enter BIOS from Windows 10 (UEFI mode)

I have Windows 10 installed on my Asus N550 notebook and want to enter the bios to install windows from scratch. (I have to change the boot order).

However, I'm unable to get into the BIOS.

Usually the advanced start options in windows have a setting called "UEFI Firmware settings" which should do the trick. However, this button does not appear on my system.

This is the tutorial I was following: https://grok.lsu.edu/Article.aspx?articleId=17376. Disabling hibernate with powercfg -h off didn't change anything.

Solution 1:

First, there are two features of the firmware that are likely to be useful to you. (You have a firmware, not a BIOS, although many people and even manufacturers mis-apply the term "BIOS" to non-BIOS firmware)

• Firmware setup utility -- This is what you seem to be trying to enter. You can use it to permanently set the boot order and adjust many other features. You can usually enter this tool by hitting Delete, Enter, or a function key during a brief window during system startup; by using a feature to enter the setup utility that's present in some boot managers; or by using a special OS feature to reboot into the firmware setup utility. You seem to be aware of the Windows feature to reboot into this utility but can't find it. I can't help you with that. My own ASUS motherboard uses Del or (IIRC) F2 to enter the firmware setup utility, so you might try that -- but even within a manufacturer's line, the "magic key" often changes from one model to another. Also, this boot-time entry to the setup utility is sometimes disabled or active for such a brief period that it's useless. My own rEFInd boot manager offers a feature to reboot into the setup utility; it's a second-row icon that looks like a computer chip. GRUB 2 has such a feature, too, but it's often disabled.
• Firmware boot manager -- Hitting Esc, Enter, or a function key at boot usually activates the boot manager, which enables you to make one-time changes to the boot order. The boot manager is a better tool than the firmware setup utility for your purpose, so you should try to find it. My ASUS motherboard uses F8 to enter this tool -- but as with the key to enter the setup utility, this function can be disabled or broken, and the key to activate the feature varies even within a single manufacturer's line, so you may need to use trial-and-error to find it. If you can't get this to work, you could install rEFInd to your hard disk; it should present an option to boot from your external device. This is an ugly overkill solution for a one-time problem, but you can always uninstall it later. (In fact, re-installing Windows will deactivate, although not completely uninstall, rEFInd.)