What Is Acer Boot Menu? How To Access/Change/Enable It

We show you what the Acer boot menu is and how to access, change, and enable it. You will have a full understanding of the Acer boot menu and know how to recover data from a dead computer.

By @Lori Last Updated September 13, 2024

Ever been puzzled, thinking, "What is Acer Boot Menu, and how do I access or change it?" You're not alone. Many users face situations where modifying their computer's boot settings becomes necessary, whether for troubleshooting, performance enhancement, or system recovery.

This detailed guide will show useful information about the Acer boot menu including how to access, change and operate s the Acer Boot Menu. Also, we introduces the process of recovering data when PC won’t boot with MyRecover.

What Is the Acer Boot Menu

The Acer Boot Menu is essentially your computer's launchpad, determining which device it boots from – be it the hard drive, a USB drive, or a DVD. Modifying these settings is crucial for tasks like system recovery, installing new operating systems, or diagnosing hardware problems.

How to Access the Acer Boot Menu

How to acess Acer boot menu? Follow these steps:

  1. Start or Restart Your Acer Computer: Power on your computer or restart it if it's already running.
  2. Press the F12 Key: As soon as the Acer logo appears, press the "F12" key. Timing is crucial here – if you're too early or late, you might miss the opportunity.
  3. Enter the Boot Menu: If successful, you'll be greeted with the boot menu, where you can choose your preferred boot device.

Also, other common Acer boot menu keys in Windows 10 is Esc and F9.

Navigating BIOS for Boot Settings

If the F12 boot menu not working Acer, you can change the boot order through the BIOS:

  1. Restart and Enter BIOS: Restart your computer and press the "F2" key when the Acer logo appears.
  2. Locate the Boot Tab: Use the arrow keys to navigate to the 'Boot' tab in the BIOS settings.
  3. Change Boot Order: Select the boot device you prefer to prioritize and follow the on-screen instructions to adjust the order.

How to Change Boot Order in Acer Laptop

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a crucial part of the boot process, allowing you to configure hardware settings and choose the boot order. This can be particularly useful if your computer is not functioning properly or you need to boot from a different device. Here’s how to change secure boot mode in Acer laptop:

  1. Restart Your Computer: Restart your Acer laptop.

  2. Enter the BIOS Setup: As soon as the computer starts to boot, repeatedly press the F2 key to enter the BIOS setup window. If F2 doesn’t work, try pressing the Delete (Del) key instead, as this key is also used for some Acer models.

  3. Adjust the Boot Order: Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the BIOS menu. To change the order of the boot devices, follow the on-screen instructions, usually found at the bottom of the BIOS setup window.

  4. Save and Exit: After making the necessary changes, press F10 to save your settings and exit the BIOS. Confirm your changes by pressing the Enter key.

  5. Automatic Restart: Your computer will automatically restart with the new BIOS settings in place.

Following these steps will help you change the BIOS settings on your Acer laptop, allowing you to manage your boot preferences and troubleshoot issues more effectively.

How to Enable F12 Boot Menu on Acer

To enable the F12 boot menu on an Acer laptop or desktop, follow these steps:

  1. Power On the Device: Turn on your Acer device.

  2. Enter the BIOS Setup: Immediately press the F2 key repeatedly as the device starts. This should take you to the BIOS setup screen. If F2 doesn’t work, try the Delete (Del) key.

  3. Navigate to the Main Tab: Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Main tab within the BIOS menu.

  4. Enable F12 Boot Menu: Find the option labeled F12 Boot Menu. If it is set to Disabled, select it and press Enter. Then, choose Enabled from the list and press Enter again.

  5. Save and Exit: Press F10 to save the changes and exit the BIOS setup. Confirm that you want to save changes by selecting Yes and pressing Enter.

  6. Access the Boot Menu: After the computer restarts, you can now press the F12 key during the startup process to access the boot menu.

How to Recover Files from Computer that Won’t Boot

When an operating system crashes, you may be unable to boot your computer, making the data on it inaccessible.  In such a scenario, turning to specialized data recovery tools like MyRecover to retrieve your data by booting your computer from a USB drive.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Recover Data from a Dead Acer Computer

Recovering data from a dead computer involves two main steps: creating a bootable USB drive and using this bootable drive to recover data.

Part 1: Create a Bootable USB Drive

1. Open MyRecover and select the "Crashed PC Recovery" option on the left.

2. Go to the USB Boot Device section and select your USB device.

3. A confirmation window will appear informing you that the USB drive will be formatted. Click Yes to continue.

4. Once the process is complete, you will see a success message confirming that the bootable media has been created. 

Now, boot your PC from this bootable disk.

Access the BIOS/UEFI setup: To boot from a Windows PE USB flash drive or CD/DVD, enter your BIOS/UEFI settings and change the boot order. If Secure Boot is enabled, you may need to disable it.

Find the BIOS key: The key to access the BIOS varies by computer brand. Refer to the device manual to find the specific key for BIOS entry. Recovering data from an unbootable PC with MyRecover Start MyRecover:

Part 2: Recover data from PC won’t boot

1. Start MyRecover, hover over the drive from which you want to recover data and click Scan.

2. MyRecover will perform a Quick Scanand Deep Scan to thoroughly search your hard disk. Use the Search or Filter functions to quickly find your files.

3. Select the files you want to recover and click Recover x Files. Select a new location to save the recovered files to avoid overwriting any data.

Conclusion

Mastering the Acer Boot Menu and understanding "what is Acer Boot Menu how to access change" is essential for any Acer user. This article tells you what the Acer boot menu is.  You should understand the Acer boot menu and BIOS, especially when you want to change the boot order (boot from another device) or encounter a boot failure.

In addition, if your computer is stuck in a situation where it cannot boot and you want to recover data, you can also easily solve it by using MyRecover. It can save data from a PC that won’t boot.

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FAQs

1. How to boot Acer laptop from USB on windows 10/11??

  • Insert USB Drive: Plug the bootable USB drive into your Acer laptop.
  • Enter BIOS Setup: Restart your laptop and press F2 repeatedly as it boots to enter the BIOS setup.
  • Change Boot Order: Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Boot tab. Set the USB drive as the first boot device.
  • Save and Exit: Press F10 to save changes and exit the BIOS.
  • Boot from USB: Your laptop will restart and boot from the USB drive.

2. How do I ensure I'm pressing the boot menu key at the right time?

Watch for the Acer logo and press the F12 key right as it appears. If you miss the timing, simply restart and try again.

3. Can I change boot settings for a one-time boot from an external device?

Yes, using the F12 key, you can select a one-time boot device without changing the permanent boot order in BIOS.

4. How do I switch between UEFI and Legacy Boot modes?

Enter BIOS settings using the F2 key, navigate to the boot options, and select the desired boot mode. Save changes before exiting.

5. How to optimize Acer boot order?

Adjusting your Acer's boot sequence can enhance your computing experience:

  • Identify Your Boot Priority: Determine which device you need to boot from first.
  • Access BIOS/UEFI Settings: Use the F2 key to enter BIOS/UEFI settings.
  • Adjust Boot Order: Rearrange the boot order to prioritize your chosen device.