13
2
Today I installed Windows 8 Consumer Preview on one of my notebook machines and I noticed that I can't access BIOS settings if I use the "Shut down" Windows option on Settings/Power menu. If I use the "Restart" option, my BIOS allow me to enter on it's settings over "F2" again.
Is this happening to someone else? I looked over Windows 8 oficial forum and couldn't find such event. Is this something foreseeable to the new Windows 8?
Diogo
Posted 2012-03-01T18:00:23.960
Reputation: 28 202
17
This is an artifact of your BIOS is treating Hibernation (S4) Boot and Normal Boot (S5) differently in regards with access to the BIOS menus. The default in Windows 8 for shutdown is a Hybrid Boot (which appears to the firmware as a Hibernation), described at length here: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/08/delivering-fast-boot-times-in-windows-8.aspx. They also describe methods to turn off this behavior, such as disabling hibernation altogether.
Ari Pernick
Posted 2012-03-01T18:00:23.960
Reputation: 1 458
2THAT would explain it! – Shinrai – 2012-03-01T19:18:29.050
So, Windows 8 will restrict us to access BIOS options just when "Restart" power option? I mean, it will always happend from now on? – Diogo – 2012-03-01T19:48:20.423
Other firmware implementation don't have that problem. :) – Ari Pernick – 2012-03-01T20:20:18.550
@DiogoRocha - On this particular motherboard, if you don't disable this behavior, the answer appears to be yes. (Most motherboards SHOULD disable this because changing settings before resuming a hiberfile could actually cause severe problems. A lot of them DON'T disable this, though). – Shinrai – 2012-03-01T20:20:26.113
IIRC, firmware can signal Windows that the hiberfile is no longer valid. In the case of Hybrid Boot, tossing the hiberfile should have no data loss, since the user isn't logged in, and doesn't cause any visbile warnings or errors. – Ari Pernick – 2012-03-01T20:27:40.820
2
Shortcut for anyone wishing to do a full shutdown in windows 8 (which will allow you to access the BIOS when powering on afterward). In a command prompt, run:
shutdown /s /t 0
...or just choose the restart option instead (which will do a full shutdown first).
bmaupin
Posted 2012-03-01T18:00:23.960
Reputation: 228
0
There's different types of restart. A warm restart can skip the bios option and a cold restart (the power button) will always go thru the bios. Apparently whatever software restart option you are using is only doing a warm restart. Try powering off and restarting cold. (I believe this can happens with other OS's too.)
jdh
Posted 2012-03-01T18:00:23.960
Reputation: 6 645
3I think you've got this backwards. I'm reading the question as a warm restart DOES allow BIOS access and a cold restart DOESN'T. – Shinrai – 2012-03-01T18:43:56.763
This page from microsoft mentions that a cold boot does a post, a warm skips it: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102228
– jdh – 2012-03-01T18:54:48.963Is a Post test related to the allowing or disalloing of entering on BIOS options(F2) or boot selection(F12)?? – Diogo – 2012-03-01T18:57:34.763
@DiogoRocha - Sometimes, yes. This really depends on the motherboard. If anything, though, I'd agree with this answer and expect your situation to be BACKWARDS. Win8 has some different restart methods but you should ALWAYS be able to access the BIOS from a cold startup, and you're saying you can't (right?). If you can't get into it from a cold start that should have nothing to do with Windows, you should be able to yank the hard drive out and have the same problem, so it's a bit puzzling to me. – Shinrai – 2012-03-01T19:10:32.780
1@Shinrai - Yes, I see what you mean in the question, its the reverse of what you would expect. Maybe the software option to power off is doing some type of hibernate, not really powering off? – jdh – 2012-03-01T19:14:07.330
@jdh: This is something that I'm suspscious with... That Windows 8 is making my BIOS to go to the C3 state(hibernation) when I set it to Shut down.... – Diogo – 2012-03-01T19:31:46.450
0
I had the same problem except that I couldn't boot in windows 8, because after I wanted to refresh windows 8 instead of re-installing it.the refreshing stuck at "Setting up a few more things 98%". imagine this horrifying situation that you can't boot to the windows nor able to install another OS. so when Ari Pernik said "BIOS is treating Hibernation" I decided to wipe hibernate. I did this.
so after this method I could go to the Bios setting again
Saber.T
Posted 2012-03-01T18:00:23.960
Reputation: 41
Do you actually see the BIOS screens in both cases? Are you using a wireless or backlit keyboard in lieu of the internal one? – Shinrai – 2012-03-01T18:43:17.777
Yes, I can see the bios screen on both cases, but just on "restart" situation the F2 Bios option is displayed and allowed to enter on bios settings... It is a notebook integrated keyboard. – Diogo – 2012-03-01T18:50:06.847
@DiogoRocha What hardware are you experiencing this on, Make and Model if you don't mind. – Moab – 2012-03-02T00:05:50.437