Accessing the BIOS - Post Windows 7 Install

After I installed Windows 7 I lost the ability to access the BIOS through pressing the Lenovo Care button. How do I retain this ability? This is on a Lenovo SL500 Thinkpad.
Message Edited by Emanuel on 06-16-2009 10:09 AM

Hi Emanuel:
Have you installed the "System Interface Driver" from the Lenovo Windows 7 beta downloads page? I think that this is the driver that enables the blue Lenovo button.
If that doesn't work, you can still access the BIOS setup by tapping on the F1 key while the computer is starting up.
Michael
W520 (4270 CTO), which replaced a W500 (4062-27U), which replaced a T42P, which replaced an A21P...

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I am unable to access the BIOS settings at POST by pressing the F1 key. Neither does it respond to the Enter key when it displays the message "To interrupt normal startup, Press Enter". I am also unable to boot into the installed OS Windows 8 Single Language 64 bit.
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I am positive that the current state of the BIOS is such that it does not accept any input keys like F1 and F12 at POST so that the BIOS can only be accessed through Change PC Settings in Windows 8 as I had done prior to the occurence of the issue. Since I cannot boot up Windows 8 I cannot use this method to access the BIOS. And since it is not possible at this stage to access the BIOS settings through the F1 key, I believe Lenovo must have surely provided another alternative to enter the BIOS. Can you kindly tell me what other way is there to do this. In earlier days, one could reset the BIOS by shorting the BIOS through pins on the motherboard. Is that possible now? Or is there some Lenovo BIOS utilily that enables me to change the BIOS setting to boot with Legacy and UEFI? Or do I have to install Windows 8.1 64 bit in Legacy mode?

I'll see if another member of the team can jump in here and offer more help...
What I might imagine is that you can only access BIOS from a cold boot. Windows 8/8.1 have hybrid shutdown and don't completely shut down the machine normally, so even when it powers off, it isn't fully off and the next boot is not really a cold boot.
Please see this KB. I realize this assumes you can get into windows.
As you suggest, it also seems as though you have set legacy vs UEFI and that may be why your drive is not currently booting. Can you remove the battery on your system? If not, is there a reset hole on the bottom? Removing battery and AC and pressing and holding the power button several times, then re-attach AC and Battery and try to restart and press F1 to get into BIOS. (Not familiar with models that use enter for BIOS).
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ThinkPads: S30, T43, X60t, X1, W700ds, IdeaPad Y710, IdeaCentre: A300, IdeaPad K1
Mark Hopkins
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Hi AndyG, and welcome to the Lenovo User Community!
Windows 7/Vista/XP:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail.page?LegacyDocID=MIGR-75237
DOS:
http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/downloads/detail.page?DocID=DS013515
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I don't work for Lenovo. I'm a crazy volunteer!

Accessing the BIOS - Post Windows 7 Install

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