Solved Unable to boot Dell laptop into boot menu


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Mark Phelps

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Running Win11 24H2 Bld 26100.6584 on Dell laptop - but unable to boot into Boot menu. Laptop has multifunction keys, so have to press the Fn key + function key.

I restart, holding down the Fn key, pressing F12 repeatedly but nothing happens.

I'm trying to remove a MountUUP directory from a failed UUPDUMP run, so I need to boot into a USB stick -- but I can't get the Dell menu to show up.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11Ryzen 5600X16GBEVGA GT 710
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Ryzen 5600X
Motherboard
ASRock Steel Legend
Memory
16GB
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GT 710
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
23",24", 19" - flat panels
Screen Resolution
1920x1200
Hard Drives
None - only M.2 SATA and NVMe drives
PSU
750W
Case
Antec
Cooling
stock Wraith cooler
Keyboard
Corsair gaming
Mouse
Logitech M720
Internet Speed
1Gb
Try just the F12 key without the Fn key.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2Intel Core Ultra 7 26532GBNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
    OS
    Windows 11 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Tower Plus EBT2250
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 265
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Dell U2419H
    Hard Drives
    NVMe Phison 521GB SSD
    Seagate 2TB HDD
    (Dell installed them RAID enabled using Intel VMD)

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2Intel Core i5-1334U8 GBIntel Raptor Lake-U - Integrated Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-1334U
    Motherboard
    HP 8DD7 - Intel Alder Lake-P PCH
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Raptor Lake-U - Integrated Graphics
    Hard Drives
    512 GB
You could also try the Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup route to get to boot from a USB drive.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2Intel Core Ultra 7 26532GBNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
    OS
    Windows 11 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Tower Plus EBT2250
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 265
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Dell U2419H
    Hard Drives
    NVMe Phison 521GB SSD
    Seagate 2TB HDD
    (Dell installed them RAID enabled using Intel VMD)

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 25H2Intel Core i5-1334U8 GBIntel Raptor Lake-U - Integrated Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-1334U
    Motherboard
    HP 8DD7 - Intel Alder Lake-P PCH
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Raptor Lake-U - Integrated Graphics
    Hard Drives
    512 GB
mta3006 said:
Try just the F12 key without the Fn key.
Click to expand...
If I just press the F12 key, that is the End function. I have to press the Fn key to get the F12 function.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11Ryzen 5600X16GBEVGA GT 710
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Ryzen 5600X
Motherboard
ASRock Steel Legend
Memory
16GB
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GT 710
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
23",24", 19" - flat panels
Screen Resolution
1920x1200
Hard Drives
None - only M.2 SATA and NVMe drives
PSU
750W
Case
Antec
Cooling
stock Wraith cooler
Keyboard
Corsair gaming
Mouse
Logitech M720
Internet Speed
1Gb
Mark Phelps said:
If I just press the F12 key, that is the End function. I have to press the Fn key to get the F12 function.
Click to expand...
On all our of Dell Laptops and the all the ones we sell the F12 key works without using the Fn key.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 25H212th Gen i9 -12900K64GBIntel UHD Graphics
OS
Windows 11 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Dell
CPU
12th Gen i9 -12900K
Memory
64GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel UHD Graphics
Monitor(s) Displays
Dual Dell U2717D
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
2TB Lexar SSD, 2TB Crucial SSD, 2TB Kingston SSD
Mark Phelps said:
If I just press the F12 key, that is the End function. I have to press the Fn key to get the F12 function.
Click to expand...

Windows might regard F12 as End but, at the boot, you are not in Windows - the Bios is still in control.


All the best,
Denis
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200....
OS
Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200.8037
www.elevenforum.com

Add Boot to UEFI Firmware Settings context menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add "Boot to UEFI Firmware Settings" to the desktop context menu making it easy to boot directly to UEFI in Windows 10 and Windows 11. UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is a standard firmware interface for PCs, designed to replace BIOS (basic...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

Have you tried the above?
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows11 Pro 26200.8894Intel Core i9 14900F (24 -Core, 68 MB Total C...32GB DDR5RTX 4080 Super w/610.74
    OS
    Windows11 Pro 26200.8894
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Alienware Aurora R16
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 14900F (24 -Core, 68 MB Total Cache)
    Motherboard
    Dell Alienware
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 4080 Super w/610.74
    Sound Card
    Realtec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Corsair XENEON 32QHD165
    Screen Resolution
    2560 X 1440
    Hard Drives
    1-2TB Samsung 990 Pro PCIe NVMe M2 SSD
    1-4TB Samsung 990 Pro PCIe NVMe M2 SSD
    PSU
    1000 Watt Platinum Dell
    Case
    Alienware
    Cooling
    Liquid Closed Loop
    Keyboard
    Corsair Strafe RGB
    Mouse
    Logitech MK270 Wireless
    Internet Speed
    100Gb's Down-20 Up
    Browser
    Firefox 152.0.6
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Very Quiet And Fast
    CyberPower UPS CP1500PFCLCD

  • At a glance

    PClinuxOS Mate (2025.7)13th Gen Inter(R) Core(TM) i3-1315U64 GB DDR4 @3200 MHz.Internal
    Operating System
    PClinuxOS Mate (2025.7)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Intel
    CPU
    13th Gen Inter(R) Core(TM) i3-1315U
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    64 GB DDR4 @3200 MHz.
    Graphics card(s)
    Internal
    Sound Card
    None
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 2419HGCF
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG 980 PRO SSD 2TB, PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280
    PSU
    Chicony 30 Watt
    Case
    Small
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Mouse
    Razor
    Internet Speed
    1GB
    Browser
    Slimjet
Mark Phelps said:
If I just press the F12 key, that is the End function. I have to press the Fn key to get the F12 function.
Click to expand...
When in the BIOS before Windows loads the Fn key is not needed. Just press F12 on its own.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
On my Dell Laptop, F2 gets you into BIOS setup and F10 loads the boot menu. No FN key necessary.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 22H2 Pro (X-lite Micro 11 version)i7 13850HX (20 cores, 28 threads)32GB DDR5Intel UHD/ RTX 1000 ADA
OS
Windows 11 22H2 Pro (X-lite Micro 11 version)
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Dell/ Precision 7680
CPU
i7 13850HX (20 cores, 28 threads)
Motherboard
Dell
Memory
32GB DDR5
Graphics Card(s)
Intel UHD/ RTX 1000 ADA
Sound Card
Realtek
Monitor(s) Displays
4K UHD Touchscreen
Screen Resolution
3840 x 2400
Hard Drives
Samsung 512GB system drive
WD Blue 1TB game drive
PSU
240W AC adapter, 1800W when docked
Internet Speed
1 gigabit symmetrical
Browser
Firefox, Librewolf
Antivirus
None. Manully configured so nobody except me can change any critical system files. (Don't ask how, it's probably against some rule somewhere)
Thanks to everyone for the help.

Pressing F12 on boot DOES work -- surprised me.

Also, the Add UEFI Menu works.

So now, I have two ways to get into the UEFI menu.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11Ryzen 5600X16GBEVGA GT 710
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom built
CPU
Ryzen 5600X
Motherboard
ASRock Steel Legend
Memory
16GB
Graphics Card(s)
EVGA GT 710
Sound Card
None
Monitor(s) Displays
23",24", 19" - flat panels
Screen Resolution
1920x1200
Hard Drives
None - only M.2 SATA and NVMe drives
PSU
750W
Case
Antec
Cooling
stock Wraith cooler
Keyboard
Corsair gaming
Mouse
Logitech M720
Internet Speed
1Gb

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 7,8.1,10,11, Mint, Kde Plasma, DebianIntel(R) Core(TM) i7-6500U CPU @ 2.50GHz16 GBIntel(R) HD Graphics 520/Nvidia GeForce 930M
OS
Win 7,8.1,10,11, Mint, Kde Plasma, Debian
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Dell
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6500U CPU @ 2.50GHz
Memory
16 GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) HD Graphics 520/Nvidia GeForce 930M
Sound Card
Intel(R) Display Audio/RealtekAudio
Monitor(s) Displays
Generic Pnp Monitor
Screen Resolution
1366 X 768
Hard Drives
ST2000LM024-1EJ164
Keyboard
Eng (US)
Mouse
Sanwa Supply
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Avast One
Other Info
Too many laptops with different system specifications.

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200....
OS
Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200.8037
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