ASRock BIOS Key: How to Enter BIOS or UEFI

The ASRock BIOS key is F2 or Delete. Start pressing either key repeatedly as soon as you power on or restart the PC, before Windows begins loading.

If your goal is to choose a USB drive or another boot device just once, use F11 instead. F11 opens the ASRock boot menu without changing the permanent boot order.

That difference is useful because you do not need to enter the full BIOS every time you want to boot from a USB installer.

ASRock BIOS and Boot Menu Keys

ASRock’s own support documentation identifies F2 as the BIOS setup key and F11 as the boot-menu key. Current ASRock UEFI manuals also document F2 or Delete for entering setup during startup.

How to Enter ASRock BIOS

The timing matters more than how long you hold the key.

1. Save any open work.
2. Restart the PC.
3. As soon as the screen goes black and the system begins starting again, repeatedly tap F2 or Delete.
4. Stop when the ASRock UEFI or BIOS screen appears.

You do not need to press both keys at the same time. Try Delete first on a desktop motherboard, or F2 if that is more convenient.

If Windows reaches the sign-in screen, you missed the startup window. Restart and try again, beginning to tap the key a little earlier.

The ASRock firmware interface may be labelled UEFI Setup Utility rather than BIOS. That is normal. Modern ASRock motherboards use UEFI firmware, even though people still commonly call the setup screen “BIOS.”

Use F11 When You Only Need the Boot Menu

Press F11 during startup when you want to boot temporarily from another device.

This is useful for:

• installing Windows from a USB drive;
• booting a Linux USB;
• starting a recovery tool;
• selecting a different SSD;
• testing another bootable device.

The F11 menu changes the boot device for that startup only. It does not normally rewrite the permanent boot priority stored in BIOS.

For example, if you are installing Windows from a USB flash drive:

1. Connect the bootable USB.
2. Restart the computer.
3. Tap F11 repeatedly during startup.
4. Select the USB device from the boot menu.

When both a UEFI and non-UEFI entry appear for the same USB drive, use the entry appropriate for the installation you are performing. A normal modern Windows 11 installation should use UEFI.

If F2 or Delete Does Not Open ASRock BIOS

A failed BIOS key does not automatically mean the motherboard is faulty.

Start with the simple possibilities.

Begin pressing the key earlier

Do not wait for the Windows logo.

On a fast PC, the time between power-on and Windows startup can be very short. Begin tapping F2 or Delete immediately after pressing the power button.

A full restart can also work better than shutting Windows down and turning the PC back on, especially when Windows Fast Startup is involved.

Try a wired keyboard

A Bluetooth keyboard may not be available early enough in the startup process for the firmware to detect the key press.

If possible, connect a basic wired USB keyboard directly to the motherboard.

For a desktop PC, use one of the rear motherboard USB ports rather than:

• a USB hub;
• a monitor’s USB port;
• a docking station;
• a front-panel port that may initialize later.

Older boards can also behave differently with certain USB ports during pre-boot, so trying another rear port is worthwhile.

Try the other BIOS key

If Delete does nothing, try F2.

If F2 does nothing, try Delete.

ASRock documents both keys on its UEFI platforms, although exact behaviour can vary by product generation.

Enter ASRock UEFI From Windows 11

When the PC boots too quickly for the keyboard method, Windows 11 can restart directly into the firmware interface.

Open:

Settings > System > Recovery

Next to Advanced startup, select Restart now.

After Windows enters the recovery environment, choose:

Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart

The computer should restart into its firmware setup.

Microsoft documents this Advanced Startup route for accessing UEFI settings on Windows 11.

This method is particularly useful when:

• you keep missing the F2/Delete timing;
• Fast Boot is enabled;
• the ASRock logo disappears almost immediately;
• you are using a keyboard that takes longer to initialize.

If UEFI Firmware Settings does not appear under Advanced options, Windows may be installed in Legacy BIOS mode or the current firmware configuration may not expose the option.

ASRock Ultra Fast Boot Can Make the BIOS Key Hard to Use

ASRock motherboards can include Fast Boot settings such as:

• Disabled
• Fast
• Ultra Fast

With Ultra Fast boot enabled on supported configurations, the normal startup window can become so short that entering BIOS with the keyboard is difficult or unavailable.

ASRock’s documentation specifically warns on relevant boards that Ultra Fast mode can prevent normal entry into BIOS Setup during startup.

When that happens, use the Windows 11 Advanced startup > UEFI Firmware Settings method if it is available.

If Windows itself will not start and the keyboard method is also unavailable, consult the manual for your exact motherboard before clearing CMOS. A CMOS reset restores firmware settings, so it should not be treated as the first method for simply entering BIOS.

How to Find Your Exact ASRock Motherboard Model

Knowing the motherboard model becomes important when you need model-specific BIOS instructions or a firmware update.

Press Windows + R, enter:

msinfo32

and press Enter.

Look for:

• BaseBoard Manufacturer
• BaseBoard Product
• BIOS Version/Date

You can also use my guide to checking the BIOS version in Windows 11 if you need to confirm the installed firmware before visiting ASRock’s support page.

Do not download a BIOS file merely because it has a similar board name. ASRock has many motherboard revisions and closely related models, so the firmware must match the exact product.

What to Do Once You Are Inside ASRock BIOS

If you only wanted to confirm that you could enter the firmware, you do not need to change anything.

ASRock UEFI interfaces commonly include sections such as:

• Main
• OC Tweaker
• Advanced
• Tool
• H/W Monitor
• Boot
• Security
• Exit

The exact tabs vary by motherboard and BIOS version.

Only change the setting you entered BIOS to adjust. Firmware options can affect booting, storage, CPU behaviour, memory, security, and hardware initialization.

If you make a change intentionally, F10 commonly saves the configuration and exits. Read the confirmation dialog before accepting it.

If you opened BIOS accidentally or do not want to keep a change, use the firmware’s Discard Changes and Exit option instead of saving.

F2, Delete, or F11: Which One Should You Use?

Use F2 or Delete when you actually need the ASRock BIOS/UEFI setup, such as changing Secure Boot, virtualization, memory settings, fan controls, or permanent boot priority.

Use F11 when you simply need to choose a boot device once.

That is the easiest way to remember the ASRock startup keys:

F2 / Delete = BIOS or UEFI Setup
F11 = Boot Menu

If the key press keeps being skipped, use Windows 11’s UEFI Firmware Settings route rather than repeatedly changing unrelated startup options. On a normal ASRock system, one of those two approaches should get you into the firmware without resetting anything.