This guide details how you can reset your BIOS (or CMOS) to its default settings. This guide applies regardless of the Windows version you currently have installed on your computer, including Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8.
You can follow the instructions from this guide for most major manufacturer of computers: Dell, HP, Asus, Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba, Samsung, and more.
If you need to reset BIOS to default values in order to fix a boot error, also use Easy Recovery Essentials (our recovery and repair disk) Automated Repair feature that can automatically find and fix boot errors on your computer.
Contents
How to Reset BIOS
Method #1: BIOS Menu
By opening the BIOS menu and finding the Default Settings option, you can reset the BIOS directly from its menu.
To do so, follow these steps:
- Restart your computer
- Notice the key that you need to press at the first screen. This key opens the BIOS menu or “setup” utility.
For example, here’s how this looks like on many Dell PCs:
Notice the key guide in the top-right corner.
This key is usually any of the following, depending on your computer manufacturer: Esc, Del, F2, F8, F12.
- Find the option to reset the BIOS settings. This option is usually called any of the following:
- Load Default
- Load Fail-Safe Defaults
- Load BIOS Defaults
- Load Default Settings
- Load Setup Default
- Get Default Values
- Save these changes
- Exit BIOS
Method #2: Clear the jumper
Your computer’s motherboard has a special jumper that can clear the BIOS saved settings and revert them to their original values.
By clearing the jumper, you can also reset the password for the BIOS menu.
To do so, follow these steps:
- Shutdown your computer
- Flip the power switch so that the computer receives no power.
- Make sure you’re grounded. Static discharges can damage your computer.
- On the motherboard, find a jumper that’s named like any of the following. (This jumper is usually placed near the CMOS battery.)
- CLEAR CMOS
- CLEAR
- CLR CMOS
- CLR PWD
- Set the jumper to the Clear/CLR position
- Power on and start your computer
- Once your PC has booted, turn it back off, move the CLR jumper back to its original position. Otherwise, each time you reboot, your settings (and clock) will automatically reset!
Method #3: Replace the CMOS battery
If Method #2 above
doesn’t work (your computer doesn’t have the mentioned jumper), you can also try to remove and replace the CMOS battery. This method works if your computer has a CMOS battery. Not all motherboards have that battery. To reset the BIOS by replacing the CMOS battery, follow these steps instead:
- Shutdown your computer
- Remove the power cord to make sure that your computer receives no power.
- Make sure you’re grounded. Static discharges can damage your computer.
- Find the battery on your motherboard
- Remove it. If the battery doesn’t move easily, stop following this method to reset the BIOS, go to Method #1 or Method #2.
- Wait 5 to 10 minutes
- Put the battery back in
- Power on your computer
More Information
Support Links
- Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.
It’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.
- The NeoSmart Support Forums, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
- Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11.
Applicable Systems
This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:
- Windows XP (all editions)
- Windows Vista (all editions)
- Windows 7 (all editions)
- Windows 8 (all editions)
- Windows 8.1 (all editions)
- Windows 10 (all editions)
- Windows 11 (all editions)