How to Disable Secure Boot on Your Computer

Secure Boot is simply a information characteristic supported connected Windows and immoderate Linux distros. Below you tin study really to disable Secure Boot from nan UEFI setup menu, really to find nan Secure Boot toggle, and what Secure Boot is and why it’s important.

What Is Secure Boot Anyway?

Secure Boot is simply a information feature disposable connected astir modern computers –and connected astir modern motherboards, successful nan lawsuit of desktop PCs– that prevents malware and different malicious package from tampering pinch nan operating strategy installed connected nan said machine by executing itself during nan footwear procedure, earlier nan OS loads. If all’s correct and nan footwear process goes arsenic planned, UEFI gives power to nan OS aft nan strategy boots.

In a nutshell, Secure Boot is simply a verification system that scans immoderate portion of codification that tries to tally itself connected your PC during nan early stages of nan footwear process for integer signatures confirming nan package successful mobility is legit and secure. If a portion of codification doesn’t see circumstantial integer signatures, Secure Boot prevents it from executing and perchance tampering pinch your system.

How to Disable Secure Boot successful Windows 10 and Windows 11

The process of disabling Secure Boot is simply to participate your BIOS/UEFI menu, uncovering nan Secure Boot toggle, past redeeming your settings. Note that nan BIOS/UEFI paper tin look and beryllium organized very otherwise depending connected your computer. If you person problem pursuing pinch your device, cheque retired our hints astatine nan extremity of nan instructions.

Step 1: Enter BIOS/UEFI Setup

To disable Secure Boot, you request to entree your PC’s UEFI/BIOS setup menu. The astir straightforward measurement to do that is to restart your PC and past deed nan due cardinal during nan footwear sequence. For example, nan BIOS setup cardinal is Del connected MSI motherboards (the motherboard marque recovered successful my PC).

However, different motherboard and laptop manufacturers person different BIOS setup keys. Depending connected nan manufacturer, they’re usually group to F1, F2, F9, F10, F12, aliases Del. Some manufacturers usage unsocial keys aliases cardinal combinations; connected Microsoft Surface laptops you person to clasp nan measurement up button, and connected Lenovo ThinkPad devices you request to first property Enter and past deed nan F1 key.

If you don’t want to research and restart your PC aggregate times earlier discovering nan BIOS/UEFI setup key, simply clasp Shift and restart your PC —Start Menu > Power fastener > Restart. Hold Shift until you’re presented pinch nan “Advanced Startup” menu, for illustration successful nan screenshot below. Once there, click nan “Troubleshoot” button.

Next, click nan “Advanced Options” button.

Then click nan “UEFI Firmware Settings” button.

Finally, deed nan “Restart” button, and you’ll beryllium greeted pinch nan BIOS setup paper erstwhile your PC restarts.

Another measurement to entree nan BIOS setup is to unfastened Windows search, type “Advanced Startup,” and past unfastened nan “Advanced Startup” menu.

Once there, click nan “Restart Now” button. After your PC restarts, you’ll beryllium greeted pinch nan aforesaid options arsenic erstwhile you restart your PC while holding nan Shift button, truthful travel nan steps we listed above.

Note that you tin besides entree nan BIOS/UEFI setup connected astir PCs by holding nan F2 cardinal and pressing nan powerfulness fastener while nan instrumentality is powered off. Just support holding nan F2 cardinal aft your instrumentality turns connected until you participate nan BIOS setup.

Step 2: Disable Secure Boot successful BIOS/UEFI

Once you participate nan BIOS/UEFI setup menu, you request to find nan Secure Boot option. On MSI motherboards and laptops, click nan “Settings” fastener and past click nan “Advanced” tab.

Once there, click nan “Windows OS Configuration” tab.

Next, click nan “Secure Boot” tab.

Once you’re wrong nan “Secure Boot” action menu, you’ll spot whether Secure Boot is enabled aliases abnormal connected your machine. If it’s enabled, and you want to disable it, click nan fastener and prime nan “Disable” option.

Once you’re done, exit nan BIOS setup and make judge to prevention nan changes you’ve made —in nan lawsuit of MSI motherboards and laptops, conscionable deed nan “X” fastener successful nan precocious correct area and prevention nan changes erstwhile prompted.

If you cannot alteration Secure Boot connected an MSI motherboard, you’ll astir apt beryllium greeted pinch nan pursuing notification erstwhile trying to alteration nan setting: “System successful Setup Mode! Secure Boot tin beryllium enabled erstwhile System successful User Mode. Repeat cognition aft enrolling Platform Key(PK).”

If that happens, alteration nan Secure Boot mode action from “Standard” to “Custom.”

Then, move backmost to “Standard,” and click “Yes” erstwhile prompted to “Install Factory Defaults.”

Next, prime “No” erstwhile asked whether to exit without saving.

Now you should beryllium capable to alteration aliases disable Secure Boot without issues.

What to Do if You Can't Find Secure Boot

Remember that these settings disagree connected different laptops and motherboards. For example, connected ASUS and Gigabyte motherboards and laptops, Lenovo PCs, and astir different motherboards and laptops, you tin find nan Secure Boot toggle successful nan “Security” tab of nan BIOS setup menu.

On Acer laptops, nan toggle is either located successful nan “Security” aliases “Boot” menus. On astir Dell devices, nan action is recovered successful nan “Boot” aliases “Boot Sequence” tabs. On HP devices, you tin find nan Secure Boot toggle successful nan “Boot Options” paper successful nan “System Configuration” tab aliases nan “Boot Options” tab.

Note that, arsenic is nan lawsuit pinch MSI motherboards and laptops, there’s a chance you’ll person to tweak immoderate different settings successful bid to beryllium capable to toggle Secure Boot aliases make nan action look successful nan first place. On immoderate systems, you request to alteration nan BIOS precocious mode by pressing nan F7 key; connected others, you’re required to create a BIOS administrator password, reconstruct default BIOS settings, load default level keys, etc. If you brushwood issues, conscionable Google “how to enable/disable Secure Boot” connected your motherboard, PC, aliases laptop brand. For example, if you ain a Razer laptop, Google “How to disable Secure Boot connected Razer laptops.”

How to Check If Secure Boot Is Enabled

On Windows 10 and 11, unfastened Windows Search, type “System Information,” unfastened nan System Information app, and look for a statement titled “Secure Boot State.” If it’s on, you person Secure Boot enabled; if nan “Secure Boot State” sounds off, you person it disabled. For a much in-depth guideline arsenic good arsenic different ways to cheque if Secure Boot is enabled connected your PC, publication our guideline connected how to cheque if Secure Boot is enabled connected your PC.

Should You Disable Secure Boot?

If you’re a regular user, disabling Secure Boot doesn't connection overmuch of a benefit. The characteristic doesn’t affect your PC's performance, but it does summation wide information and prevents malware from messing up your system. In different words, there’s nary harm successful keeping Secure Boot enabled successful astir cases.

If you scheme connected dual booting a modern Windows OS —think Windows 10 aliases Windows 11-– on pinch either immoderate Linux distro aliases an older Windows OS, you mightiness person to disable Secure Boot since Secure Boot tin artifact nan 2nd OS from booting. Some older pieces of hardware besides don’t activity good pinch Secure Boot, truthful if you brushwood immoderate issues, you mightiness person to disable Secure Boot.

Note that you tin instal Windows 11 only connected machines pinch support for Secure Boot. This intends that you don’t person to person Secure Boot enabled to instal and tally Windows 11, but your strategy has to support nan option.

It’s besides worthy noting that immoderate multiplayer games that travel pinch kernel-level anti-cheat software, specified arsenic Valorant, won’t tally unless you’ve Secure Boot enabled. So if you want to play those games, you person to alteration Secure Boot.