4 Easy Ways to Access the Boot Options Menu in Windows

Download Article

A quick guide to find the Boot menu on Windows to recover or repair

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: August 26, 2024 Fact Checked

Download Article

Using a Keyboard

|

Using Windows 11, 10, and 8

|

Using Windows 7 and Vista

|

Using Windows XP

|

Video

|

Q&A

Are you trying to get to the Windows Boot menu through the menu or with a key? If you need to access the Boot menu, you can press the F8 key before the Windows starts. You can also open the Boot menu from the Start menu if you're already logged into your device. Knowing how to access the Boot menu can help troubleshoot your computer if it's experiencing issues. This wikiHow will show you how to get into the Boot menu on Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7.

Things You Should Know

Turn on your computer and press the function key for your PC model.
To reach the menu from Windows, click "Start" → Power button → hold "Shift" and click "Restart". Click "Troubleshoot" → "Advanced options".
Use the Boot menu to find actions you can use to repair or troubleshoot issues with Windows.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using a Keyboard

Download Article

1
Turn on your Windows computer. To access the Boot menu, you'll need to press a key before the operating system fully loads.^{[1]
X
Trustworthy Source

Microsoft Support
Technical support and product information from Microsoft.

Go to source}
- If your computer is on, shut it down first. You can also restart it.
2
Press and hold the Boot menu key. This will vary depending on your device. Here's a list of common BIOS keys by manufacturer:
- Acer: Del or F2
- Asus: F9
- Dell: F12
- HP: Esc or F10
- Lenovo: F1 or F2
- Samsung: F2
- You must press this key before the Windows logo appears. When done correctly, your computer will start in Safe mode.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Windows 11, 10, and 8

Download Article

1
Click the
button. It’s usually at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
- On Windows 11, this will be in the bottom center of the screen.
2
Click
. This will be underneath the cog icon.
- A pop-up menu will open.
3
Hold ⇧ Shift as you click Restart. You must hold Shift, otherwise your computer will perform a regular restart.
- The computer will power off and back on. Instead of booting to the desktop, you’ll see a blue menu titled “Choose an option.”
This will be underneath Continue.
You can find this at the very bottom.
6
Click Startup Settings. You are now at the Windows boot (Startup Settings) menu.
- You can now use the Advanced Options menu to repair your device, or boot from another drive.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Windows 7 and Vista

Download Article

This will open the Shut Down Windows menu.
The options will expand.
This will be next to Shut down.
The computer will now shut down and restart. As soon as the computer restarts, you will need to act quickly—be ready.
5
Press and hold F8 as soon as the computer restarts. You’ll need to press it before the Windows logo appears. Continue holding this key until you see the Advanced Boot Options menu.
- If Windows boots to the desktop, repeat this process to try again.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Windows XP

Download Article

This will open the Windows Security menu.
You can find this next to Log Off….
This will expand the options.
This will be next to Shut down.
The computer will now restart. As soon as the computer restarts, you will need to act quickly—be ready.
6
Press F8 repeatedly as soon as the computer powers on. Continue tapping this key until you see the Advanced Boot Options menu—this is the Windows XP boot menu.
- If Windows boots to the desktop, repeat this process to try again.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

My Lenovo turbo boost laptop hangs by showing boot menu when switching on, what to do?

Amin Moghoomi

Community Answer

Try finding your hard drive in the list. And you can try a Windows installation disk to check your hard drive.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 4 Helpful 6
Question

I want to boot up using my old Windows XP Pro Disk and use it to format my hard drive, which doesn't have windows XP on it. Can this be done?

Community Answer

Yes, it can. Insert Your disk. Press the bios key. This depends on your computer. Change the boot order. Save the changes. Reboot your computer. When you see "Press Any Key To Boot From CD", press a key. When you get to "Where Would You Like To Install Windows?", select the drive, press Enter, click "Format As Ntfs" Or "Format As Fat".

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 4 Helpful 3
Question

How can I restart my laptop?

Nolan JP

Community Answer

Open the start menu, then push the power button (it looks like an "O" but with an "I" stuck in the top). Then push the button that says "Restart." The computer will turn off, then back on.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1