# BIOS not showing up



## joelstitch

For some reason my new computer is not showing the BIOS options on boot. The monitor does not detect anything until Windows 8 starts so it goes from a blank screen to the main Windows 8 screen. I have 2 video cards and I read that it could be something with the computer using just a specific port for the Boot screen. Is there any way to enable my monitor to show the BIOS screen at startup?


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## greenbrucelee

you mean the POST screen. The bios usually has options such as show logo at boot and post screen at boot. So you need to change it in the BIOS.

Not sure where you have read that having two graphics cards has anything to do with POST showing up as it's never something I have ever heard of or encountered.

The POST screen is there to show what you have connected and if anything is wrong.


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## joelstitch

greenbrucelee said:


> you mean the POST screen. The bios usually has options such as show logo at boot and post screen at boot. So you need to change it in the BIOS.
> 
> Not sure where you have read that having two graphics cards has anything to do with POST showing up as it's never something I have ever heard of or encountered.
> 
> The POST screen is there to show what you have connected and if anything is wrong.


I think is because the BIOS does not starts on every port on the video card or something like that. I would go to the BIOS to fix it but as topic explains I cannot access it. When I start the computer and click F2 nothing shows up but I can tell from the sounds of the CPU that the computer is going to BIOS but for some reason it does not shows up on my screen since the screen gets no signal. I tried using VGA on both video cards and I tried DVI on one video card and nothing.


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## greenbrucelee

make sure your monitor is plugged into the dvi ports on the first graphics card.


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## joelstitch

greenbrucelee said:


> make sure your monitor is plugged into the dvi ports on the first graphics card.



there's only a VGA on the first card but it does not work when iI plug the monitor to it.


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## joelstitch

I realized that the computer has 2 separate video cards but it also has a VGA on the motherboard. I tried using that VGA and it doesn't work, it also does not shows it on Displays in Device Manager. So somehow the VGA on the motherboard is disabled.

I also tried removing the extra video cards and just using the VGA on the motherboard.


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## joelstitch

Here are my Specs

*PC SPEC (specInfo)*
*CPU: *Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU [email protected] 3.00GHz
*MB: *Dell (0M858N)
*RAM: *6013mb
*HDD: *465gb (WDC WD5002ABYS-01B1B0)
*GPU: *NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 
*Sound: *NVIDIA High Definition Audio
*OS: *Windows 8 Pro (9200)
*Scr: *HP 2311gt 3D LCD Monitor


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## joelstitch

So I figured it out. My computer has a VGA that comes out of the motherboard and it has 2 extra video cards. The only way to get the BIOS to show up was by removing the extra video cards and plugging the monitor to the VGA that's connected to the motherboard. Now my question is what do I change in the BIOS settings so it shows the BIOS on the extra video cards?


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## turbofish

It also has to do with Windows 8 - it never really shuts completely off but goes into deep sleep when you power off
With Windows 8, “off” isn’t really off


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## joelstitch

turbofish said:


> It also has to do with Windows 8 - it never really shuts completely off but goes into deep sleep when you power off
> With Windows 8, “off” isn’t really off


I switched to Windows 7, but I still have the issue with the BIOS.


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## greenbrucelee

First the POST screen (the bios is the bit you go into make changes) should show up regardless of how many graphics cards you have.

Your monitor should be connected to the graphics card in the first PCIe slot and should be connected to the dvi connection on the card.


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## joelstitch

Is connected to the DVI on one of the extra cards. I figured out that I had to remove both extra cards for the VGA on the motherboard to be enabled and give me access to the BIOS. But once I connect the video cards back the VGA on the motherboard stops working and the POST screen or BIOS dont show up.


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## greenbrucelee

are you connecting the monitor to the first graphics card?


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## joelstitch

greenbrucelee said:


> are you connecting the monitor to the first graphics card?


I'm not right now since the only way to enable it is by removing the other video cards but iI need them for games but as soon *** I plug them in the main vga disables.


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## greenbrucelee

I am a little confused you say you are using more than one card then say you need to move a card for others to work.

You either run one cards two cards or 3 cards.

What power supply do you have?

And have you been running more than one card at once?

On board video will be disabled when using a proper video card, if the POST screen doesn't show with a proper video card then most likely you dont have a decent psu to run the cards or your graphics card is knackered.

Please answer the questions I posed.


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## joelstitch

greenbrucelee said:


> I am a little confused you say you are using more than one card then say you need to move a card for others to work.
> 
> You either run one cards two cards or 3 cards.
> 
> What power supply do you have?
> 
> And have you been running more than one card at once?
> 
> On board video will be disabled when using a proper video card, if the POST screen doesn't show with a proper video card then most likely you dont have a decent psu to run the cards or your graphics card is knackered.
> 
> Please answer the questions I posed.


I have the onboard video card and 2 extra NVIDIA cards. I use the cards when I play games since I can't play many games with the onboard card. The 2 extra cards are connected but I am only using one at the moment but soon will be using 2 when I get a new monitor. I don't know what power supply I have.


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## greenbrucelee

You need to know what psu you have. Look at it and tell us the information of the label.

Do you realise that if your psu isn't powerful enough then having two cards connected will use more power and could be the reason to your problems.


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