How to restore factory BIOS settings on a PC. How to reset BIOS settings to factory defaults

Reset BIOS settings possible in three ways:

Note: BIOS models vary and therefore your BIOS may look different.

In the window that appears warning that the settings will be reset, select YES.

All BIOS settings are reset.

Reset BIOS settings. Method 2

Every computer has a battery () that constantly supplies voltage in order for the computer to BIOS settings were not reset.

What should be done:

1. Turn off your computer.

2. Disconnect the computer's power cord.

3. Remove the cover of the system unit.

4. Remove the BIOS battery.

5. Close the “+” and “-” contacts of the battery socket.

6. Wait 10 minutes.

7. Reinsert the battery.

8. Assemble the computer system unit.

9. Connect all wires.

10. Turn on the computer.

Bios settings have been reset.

How to reset bios. Method 3

Some motherboards have a special jumper that can be used to reset the BIOS settings. Called a jumper CLEAR_CMOS (reset BIOS). It is located next to the BIOS battery:

In order to reset the BIOS settings, you need to move the jumper to the position 1-2 :

Then wait 10 seconds and return the jumper back to position 2-3 .

Sometimes, in case of any computer malfunctions or erroneous changes in settings, it is necessary to reset the BIOS settings. This way you can quickly revive your PC or laptop. There are several ways to return the original BIOS settings; now we will look at each of them in more detail.

Ways to return the original BIOS settings:

As you can see there are 5 options. But this may be for a system unit; for a laptop, usually only the first 3 points are suitable. The fifth point is quite rare; the button is located on the computer’s motherboard, as are the jumpers.

When is it necessary to reset BIOS settings?

Let's first figure out in what cases it is necessary to reset the BIOS settings:

  • In case you have forgotten the password to enter the BIOS or operating system.
  • When the computer does not load the OS, for example, the boot priority in the settings has been changed.
  • If incorrect changes have been made to the BIOS settings.

These are the main reasons why it is usually necessary to reset the basic I/O system. There are, of course, many other reasons: in the case of overclocking the processor or when you have gone too far, and old computers do not know how to automatically return the original settings for the normal temperature of the component.

There may be a reason why it is necessary to reset the BIOS - it is an incorrect update, bad firmware and all that. If the computer does not turn on, but only makes sounds (), then resetting the settings in some cases can also solve this problem.

How can I reset the BIOS?

As mentioned above, there are several ways to reset the BIOS or return to factory settings. What happens in this case? After the reset, the BIOS returns the original settings as they were from the very beginning, that is, the factory settings will be set.

It is also important to know: in the case of points 3 to 5 (see Table of Contents above), it is necessary to open the system unit or open the laptop case, this way you can lose the device’s warranty. But, if you don’t want to lose the warranty, and the laptop does not allow you to boot into the BIOS, then resetting with the first two options is not possible.


And so, now we will consider each of the reset points in as much detail as possible.

Resetting settings from the BIOS menu

If there is such an opportunity to get into the BIOS menu, then you don’t have to bother too much and go into the system unit or hide the laptop, because you can reset the settings directly in the BIOS Setup itself. Let's take a closer look at how we can reset our basic I/O system in this way.



The computer will reboot and check if resetting the BIOS helped you.

Reset using Debug utility

Debug is a standard utility included in the 32-bit Windows OS. If you can boot the operating system and have the opportunity to use it, but you still need to reset the BIOS to factory settings, then this item is just for you, because again, you don’t need to go into hardware or even incomprehensible BIOS menu settings.

  1. Launch the "Run" menu (Start-Run, or the Win+R key combination)
  2. Enter debug and click on OK.

A utility window resembling a command line will open. Next you need to find out what BIOS you have. You can find out the BIOS version and manufacturer as follows: you need to open the "Run" menu, enter MSINFO32 and click OK. Afterwards, a window will open where on the right in the “Element” column you need to find the “BIOS Version” item, opposite the manufacturer and version will be written.

If AMI BIOS or AWARD, then you need to enter the following command in Debug (after each line you must press Enter):

  • O 70 17
  • O 73 17

If Phoenix BIOS, then here is the command:

  • O 70 FF
  • O 71 FF


We just enter the first line - press Enter, also the second and third. After executing these commands, the BIOS settings will be reset to factory settings. To check if everything worked, just restart the computer.

Reset using CMOS battery

If there is no way to reset it programmatically, as in the first two options, then you will have to resort to a more stringent method, but nevertheless quite effective. If you are not afraid of losing the warranty of your laptop, then this is the best way for you to return the BIOS to factory settings.



All! The BIOS settings have been reset, as you can see there is nothing complicated about it, just remove the CMOS battery, wait a little and insert it back.

Resetting BIOS using a jumper on the motherboard

This is also an effective method of resetting the BIOS, however, it is only suitable for system units; such a jumper is almost never seen on laptops.


It can also be found when instead of three jumpers there are two. They are also signed - CLR CMOS. In this case, to reset the BIOS, you just need to close both jumpers with something conductive, a screwdriver or wire, for example.

But in addition to the options above, it also occurs when there can be more contacts, like in this example, below - 6 jumpers. But closing them is also not difficult; everything is done in the same way. Where the jumper is installed by default - to reset, you need to install it opposite, the next contact is nearby, in a row, of course.



That's it, the original BIOS settings have been restored, now you can reassemble the system unit and turn on the computer.

Reset using a button on the motherboard

As already mentioned, such a button is quite rare on a motherboard. But nevertheless, we will not miss this method of resetting BIOS settings and will also consider it in a little more detail.

The location of this button (more precisely: CLR CMOS) can be either inside the system unit or outside, somewhere on the back side of the system unit. Here are some sample pictures showing where this button might be located:

The examples above show what the CLR CMOS buttons inside the system unit might look like. The pictures below show what the BIOS reset buttons may look like from the outside:

And as you probably already understood, resetting BIOS settings using this button is quite simple - just click on it and the original BIOS settings will be returned.

In these ways (and there are 5 of them in our article!) you can reset the BIOS settings to factory settings. There are several other methods, but we did not consider them in this guide. If you know how else you can reset the basic I/O system, be sure to share with us in the comments.

In this article we will show several ways to restore the BIOS settings to default, or, as experts say, “reset the BIOS to defaults.” Reset can be useful to you in a variety of situations. For example, if you changed something in the BIOS settings and the computer began to not work as it should. Or the PC completely stopped turning on, showing a black screen, after trying to overclock the processor, memory or bus.

How to reset/restore BIOS settings

If your computer boots and allows you to enter the BIOS, then restoring the default settings is easy: to do this, you need to enter the BIOS, select LOAD SETUP DEFAULTS or LOAD FAIL-SAFE DEFAULTS:

and then select SAVE AND EXIT SETUP and, if prompted for confirmation, select Y (yes):

After this, the system will reboot and ALL BIOS settings will be restored to their original (factory) settings.

If your computer does not start and it is not possible to enter the BIOS, you need to reset the BIOS by hardware.

This situation can arise after setting incorrect values ​​for critical system parameters: processor frequency, system bus, RAM timings and some others. Most often, the system does not start after an inexperienced user tried to overclock the system incorrectly :)

So, hard reset BIOS:

  1. Turn off the computer
  2. Removing the cover of the system unit
  3. We are looking for CLR_CMOS contacts on the motherboard. They look like three needles, two of which are connected by a jumper, and are usually located near the BIOS battery.
  4. We remove the jumper and install it on other contacts so that the middle contact now closes with the other contact.
  5. Turn on the computer

If after this procedure the computer still does not start, try taking additional steps:

  1. Turn off your computer.
  2. Disconnect the 220 V power cord from the back of the system unit.
  3. With the 220 V power cable disconnected, press the power button on the system unit. This is necessary to completely discharge the capacitors.
  4. Take out the BIOS battery (battery type is CR2032) and insert it with the other side, i.e. "wrong".
  5. Wait about 10 seconds, then remove the battery again and insert it the correct way around. Turn on your computer.

If after this the computer still does not start, try replacing the CR2032 battery
That's all.

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Changing BIOS settings can negatively affect the operation of your computer or laptop. Changing BIOS settings should be done with caution, especially for those who like to delve into the BIOS settings. If you are sure that the manipulations you performed to configure the BIOS have led to the computer slowing down, or even you see a black screen in front of you, do not worry, the BIOS settings can be returned to factory values. There are several ways to reset the BIOS to factory settings.

Method 1. The easiest way to reset the BIOS to factory settings is to reset using the menu command Load Defaults BIOSin the most BIOS settings (read). This menu line may be called Load BIOS Setup Defaults, Load Safe-Fail Defaults depending on the motherboard model. Look for meaning Defaults so as not to make a mistake.

Method 2. If your computer refuses to boot when you turn on BIOS and you see a black screen in front of you, then you need to de-energize the system unit by disconnecting the power cord from the power supply. After removing the cover of the system unit, you need to find the battery that is responsible for the CMOS memory and remove it from the socket. Wait 5-10 minutes for the CMOS memory to reset. Sometimes the charge contained in the capacitors does not give the desired result, then you need to reset BIOS third way.

Method 3. The most effective way to reset CMOS memory– using a jumper, which is located on the motherboard, usually next to the battery. You should be guided by the inscription; as a rule, these contacts indicate ( ClrCMOS, CCMOS, ClRTC, CRTC). The jumper is set to position 1-2 by default. To reset BIOS Setup, you need to move the jumper to position 2-3 for about 15 seconds, see the figure. On motherboards there are also two contacts to reset the BIOS. In this case, you need to close these contacts. It also happens, which is very rare, that there is a special button to reset the BIOS settings on motherboards ClrCMOS.

What is BIOS? Why do you need a BIOS?
The motherboard does not work, how to check the functionality of the motherboard
Operating system installation

In some cases, the BIOS and the entire computer may be suspended due to incorrect settings. To restore the functionality of the entire system, you will need to reset all settings to factory settings. Fortunately, every car comes with this feature by default, but the reset method may vary.

In most cases, experienced PC users can return BIOS settings to an acceptable state without completely resetting them. However, sometimes you still have to do a full reset, for example, in these cases:

  • You have forgotten your operating system and/or BIOS password. If in the first case everything can be corrected by reinstalling the system or using special utilities for recovering/resetting the password, then in the second case you will only have to do a complete reset of all settings;
  • If neither the BIOS nor the OS loads or loads incorrectly. It is likely that the problem will lie deeper than incorrect settings, but it’s worth trying to reset;
  • Provided that you have made incorrect settings in the BIOS and cannot return to the old ones.

Method 1: special utility

If you have a 32-bit version of Windows installed, then you can use a special built-in utility that is designed to reset BIOS settings. However, this is provided that the operating system starts and works without problems.

Use these step-by-step instructions:


This method is only suitable for 32-bit versions of Windows; moreover, it is not stable, so it is recommended to use it only in exceptional cases.

Method 2: CMOS battery

This battery is found on almost all modern motherboards. With its help, all changes in the BIOS are stored. Thanks to it, the settings are not reset every time you turn off the computer. However, if you take it out for a while, the settings will be reset to factory settings.

Some users may not be able to get the battery due to the nature of the motherboard, in which case they will have to look for other methods.

Step-by-step instructions for removing a CMOS battery:


Method 3: special jumper

This jumper is also quite common on various motherboards. To reset the BIOS settings using a jumper, use these step-by-step instructions:


You also need to take into account the fact that the number of contacts on some motherboards may vary. For example, there are samples where instead of 3 contacts there are only two or as many as 6, but this is an exception to the rule. In this case, you will also have to bridge the contacts using a special jumper, so that one or more contacts remain open. To make it easier to find the ones you need, look next to them for the following signatures: "CLRTC" or "CCMOST".

Method 4: Button on Motherboard

Some modern motherboards have a special button to reset the BIOS settings to factory settings. Depending on the motherboard itself and the features of the system unit, the required button can be located both outside the system unit and inside it.

This button may be labeled "clr CMOS". It can also be simply indicated in red. On the system unit, you will have to look for this button from the back, to which various elements are connected (monitor, keyboard, etc.). After clicking on it, the settings will be reset.

Method 5: use the BIOS itself

If you can enter the BIOS, then you can reset the settings using it. This is convenient, since you do not need to open the system unit/laptop case and perform manipulations inside it. However, even in this case, it is advisable to be extremely careful, as there is a risk of further aggravating the situation.

The reset procedure may differ slightly from that described in the instructions, depending on the BIOS version and computer configuration. The step-by-step instructions are as follows:


Resetting BIOS settings to factory settings is not difficult even for inexperienced PC users. However, if you decide to do it, it is recommended to exercise some caution, since there is still a risk of harming your computer.