How to Disable Secure Boot in BIOS and Windows
How to Disable Secure Boot in BIOS and Windows
A detailed guide on disabling Secure Boot on ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, Dell, HP, and Lenovo devices.
⚠️ Important: changing BIOS/UEFI settings may affect Windows startup. If you are not confident in your actions, create a restore point and back up important data before making any changes.
What Is Secure Boot
Secure Boot is a built-in UEFI security feature that verifies the digital signatures of the Windows bootloader, drivers, and system components during startup.
If the system detects an unsigned driver or an untrusted module, the boot process may be blocked.
Why Disable Secure Boot
Many programs that work at the Windows kernel level use their own drivers. In some cases, these drivers:
- do not have a Microsoft signature;
- are blocked by the UEFI security system;
- cannot load while Secure Boot is enabled.
Because of this, an application may fail to start or work incorrectly. That is why users often search for:
- how to disable secure boot;
- how to disable secure boot in bios;
- how to turn off secure boot;
- how to turn off secure boot in bios.
How to Check if Secure Boot Is Enabled
Before changing settings, it is recommended to check the current Secure Boot status.
Check Using msinfo32
- Press Win + R
- Type:
msinfo32
- Press Enter
- Find the line:
Secure Boot State
Values
- On — Secure Boot is enabled
- Off — Secure Boot is already disabled
Check Using PowerShell
Run PowerShell as Administrator and execute:
Confirm-SecureBootUEFI
Result
- True — Secure Boot is enabled
- False — Secure Boot is disabled
How to Enter BIOS / UEFI
Entering BIOS Through Windows Settings
The easiest way to open BIOS/UEFI:
- Open:
Settings → System → Recovery
- Click:
Restart now
- After reboot, select:
Troubleshoot→ Advanced options→ UEFI Firmware Settings→ Restart
After that, the BIOS menu will open.
How to Disable Secure Boot in BIOS
ASUS
- During startup, press Del or F2
- Go to:
Advanced Mode (F7)
- Open:
Boot → Secure Boot
- Change:
Secure Boot Control → Disabled
or:
OS Type → Other OS
- Press:
F10 → Save & Exit
If the setting is locked
Go to:
Key Management → Clear Secure Boot Keys
MSI
- Press Del during boot
- Open:
Settings → Security → Secure Boot
- Set:
Disabled
If the option is grayed out
First change:
Secure Boot Mode → Custom
Then clear the keys through:
Key Management
Save changes using F10.
Gigabyte / AORUS
- Press F2 or Del
- Open the section:
BIOS
or:
Security
- Find:
Secure Boot
- Set:
Disabled
- Save changes.
If Secure Boot cannot be disabled
Try enabling:
CSM Support → Enabled
Dell
- Press F2
- Go to:
Secure Boot → Secure Boot Enable
- Set:
Disabled
- Confirm the changes and click:
Apply Changes → Exit
HP
- During startup press:
- F10
or:
- Esc → F10
- Go to:
System Configuration → Boot Options
- Find:
Secure Boot
- Set:
Disabled
- Save settings with F10.
Lenovo
- During startup press:
- F1
- F2
- or the Novo button
- Go to:
Security → Secure Boot
- Set:
Disabled
- Press:
F10 → Save and Exit
If the option is unavailable
Set a BIOS administrator password:
Security → Set Supervisor Password
Additional BIOS Settings
Enabling CSM
If Windows stops booting after disabling Secure Boot:
- Find:
CSM
or:
Legacy Support
- Set:
Enabled
- Save changes.
⚠️ CSM may conflict with GPT disk partitioning.
Disabling Fast Boot
Sometimes Fast Boot prevents access to BIOS.
- Open:
Boot
- Find:
Fast Boot
- Set:
Disabled
How to Confirm Secure Boot Is Disabled
After rebooting, check the status again using:
msinfo32
or the PowerShell command:
Confirm-SecureBootUEFI
If Secure Boot is disabled, you will see:
False
Common Problems After Disabling Secure Boot
ProblemSolutionCannot enter BIOSDisable Fast BootSecure Boot option is graySet a Supervisor PasswordBlack screen after changesReset BIOS via CMOSWindows does not bootCheck Boot PriorityDriver is still blockedDisable driver signature enforcement
FAQ
Can I Enable Secure Boot Again
Yes. Simply enter BIOS again and set:
Secure Boot → Enabled
Is It Dangerous to Disable Secure Boot
Secure Boot helps protect the system against bootkits and rootkits. Disabling it lowers security, so it is recommended to use antivirus software and install programs only from trusted sources.
Why Can’t I Disable Secure Boot
The most common reasons are:
- no BIOS administrator password is set;
- Standard mode is enabled;
- Secure Boot Keys were not cleared;
- BitLocker is active.