When you power on your PC, a series of instructions are executed to initialize devices,
identify a boot device, and locate a program called the bootloader. The bootloader then
searches for the operating system installed on your PC and transfers control to it. Once the
operating system has started, your PC is ready for use.
These instructions are stored on a flash memory chip located on the PC's system board. The
flash memory chip and the instructions it contains are collectively referred to as the PC's
firmware.
Firmware setup utility
Lenovo PCs typically include a setup utility in the firmware that allows you to:
- View information about your PC and its devices
- Change device settings
- Change the order of boot devices
- Set passwords for the firmware and the mass storage device
You should rarely need to use the setup utility for
your daily PC usage. To view device information, you can use the utilities provided by the
operating system or applications provided by Lenovo (Lenovo Vantage or Lenovo PC Manager).
You can use the Novo button menu to temporarily change the order of boot devices.
There are several ways to open the setup utility:
- Utilize the Advanced startup feature of the Windows operating system
- Use the Novo button menu
- Start or restart your PC and press an interrupt key (F1 or F2)
Change settings in the firmware setup utility
This section introduces the operations you can perform in the firmware setup utility.
Select boot devices
Normally, the computer starts to a boot manager loaded from the secondary storage device of
the computer. Occasionally, you may need to start the computer to a program or boot manager
loaded from another device or a network location. After the system firmware initializes all
devices, you can press an interruption key to display the boot menu and select a desired
boot device.
Step 1
Turn on or restart the computer.
Step 2
Press F12.
Step 3
From the boot device menu, select a boot device to start the computer.
You can make a permanent change on boot devices in the firmware setup utility. Select the
Boot menu; in the EFI section, select the desired boot
device and move it to the top of the device list. Save changes and exit the setup utility
for the change to take effect.
Change hotkey mode
Step 1
Open the firmware setup utility.
Step 2
Select Configuration ➙ Hotkey Mode and press Enter.
Step 3
Change the setting to Disabled or
Enabled.
Step 4
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.
Enable or disable always-on
For some Lenovo computers with always-on connectors, the always-on function can be enabled or
disabled in the firmware setup utility.
Step 1
Open the firmware setup utility.
Step 2
Select Configuration ➙ Always On USB and press Enter.
Step 3
Change the setting to Disabled or
Enabled.
Step 4
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.
Enable or disable Flip to Start
When Flip to Start is enabled, you can turn on the computer by flipping open the screen.
Step 1
Open the firmware setup utility.
Step 2
Select Configuration.
Step 3
Change the setting for
Flip to Start.
You may also set Flip to Start in Lenovo
Vantage or Lenovo PC Manager.
Set passwords in the firmware setup utility
This section introduces the types of passwords that you can set in the UEFI (Unified
Extensible Firmware Interface) or BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) setup utility.
Password types
You can set various types of passwords in the firmware setup utility.
| Password type |
Pre-requisite |
Usage |
| Administrator password |
No |
You must enter it to start the setup utility. |
| User password |
The administrator password must be set. |
You can use the user password to start the setup utility. |
| Master hard disk password |
No |
You must enter it to start the operating system. |
| User hard disk password |
The master hard disk password must be set. |
You can use the user hard disk password to start the operating system. |
- All passwords set in the setup utility consist of alphanumeric characters only.
- If you start the setup utility using the user password, you can only change a few
settings.
Set administrator password
You set the administrator password to prevent unauthorized access to the firmware setup
utility.
Attention: If you forget the administrator password, a Lenovo authorized
service personnel cannot reset your password. You must take your computer to a Lenovo
authorized service personnel to have the system board replaced. Proof of purchase is
required and a fee will be charged for parts and service.
Step 1
Open the firmware setup utility.
Step 2
Select Security ➙ Set Administrator Password and press
Enter.
Step 3
Enter a password string that contains only letters and numbers and then
press Enter.
Step 4
Enter the password again and press Enter.
Step 5
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.
Next time you start the computer, you must enter the administrator password to open the setup
utility. If Power on Password is enabled, you must enter the administrator
password or the user password to start the computer.
Change or remove administrator password
Only the administrator can change or remove the administrator password.
Step 1
Open the firmware setup utility using the administrator password.
Step 2
Select Security ➙ Set Administrator Password and press
Enter.
Step 3
Enter the current password.
Step 4
In the Enter New Password text box, enter the new
password.
Step 5
In the
Confirm New Password text box, enter the new
password again.
If you want to remove the password, press
Enter in both text boxes without entering any character.
Step 6
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.
If you remove the administrator password, the user password is also removed.
Set user password
You must set the administrator password before you can set the user password.
The administrator of the setup utility might need to set a user password for use by others.
Step 1
Open the firmware setup utility using the administrator password.
Step 2
Select Security ➙ Set User Password and press Enter.
Step 3
Enter a password string that contains only letters and numbers and then
press Enter.
The user password must be different from the administrator password.
Step 4
Enter the password again and press Enter.
Step 5
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.
Enable power-on password
If the administrator password has been set, you can enable power-on password to enforce
greater security.
Step 1
Open the firmware setup utility.
Step 2
Select
Security ➙ Power on Password and press Enter.
The administrator password must be set in
advance.
Step 3
Change the setting to Enabled.
Step 4
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.
If power-on password is enabled, a prompt appears on the screen every time you turn on the
computer. You must enter the administrator or user password to start the computer.
Set hard disk password
You can set a hard disk password in the setup utility to prevent unauthorized access to your
data.
Attention: Be extremely careful when setting a hard disk password. If you
forget the hard disk password, a Lenovo authorized service personnel cannot reset your
password or recover data from the hard disk. You must take your computer to a Lenovo
authorized service personnel to have the hard disk drive replaced. Proof of purchase is
required and a fee will be charged for parts and service.
Step 1
Open the firmware setup utility.
Step 2
Select
Security ➙ Set Hard Disk Password and press Enter.
If you start the setup utility using the user
password, you cannot set hard disk password.
Step 3
Follow on-screen instructions to set both master and user passwords.
The master and user hard disk passwords must
be set at the same time.
Step 4
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.
If the hard disk password is set, you must provide the correct password to start the
operating system.
Change or remove hard disk password
Step 1
Open the firmware setup utility.
Step 2
Select Security.
Step 3
Change or remove the hard disk password.
To change or remove master
password, select
Change Master Password and press Enter.
If you remove the master hard disk password,
the user hard disk password is also removed.
To change user password, select
Change User Password and press Enter.
The user hard disk password cannot be removed
separately.
Step 4
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.
to open the
Novo button menu.
) on the far right of the taskbar or by using the keyboard shortcut
+
A.
).
or fn + 
.
key at the same time! This key combination toggles your keyboard
backlight through different modes to suit your typing needs.
will open a
quick launch panel.
)
supports the always-on function. The PC can supply power
to a
USB device connected to this type of connector even when the PC is powered off, in sleep mode,
or in
hibernation mode.