Simply speaking, Aptio Setup Utility is a common name among Asus cards and laptops. Some of you are curious about it and here we will introduce some information to you including a certain problem.
Aptio Setup Utility Asus Windows 10/8/7/11
On each computer, there is always a configuration utility installed to access the BIOS menu. BIOS, short for Basic Input Output System, is used to store configurations that are essential for communication between devices in the system.
If there is no configuration utility, the computer cannot call and use BIOS. Depending on the hardware type that a computer uses, each computer has its own BIOS and configuration utility. UEFI, a similar term, is an improved version of BIOS Legacy mode and it also needs a configuration utility to access it, like BIOS.
Aptio Setup Utility is a kind of BIOS setup utility that is developed by American Megatrends. And it comes bundled with almost all ASUS computers including laptops and desktops. This utility can be called on the startup of your computer and it is a great way to customize communication between your devices.
Problem – Aptio Setup Utility Keeps Popping up
Many Asus users have reported that they always encounter a problem with Aptio Setup Utility – the computer continuously boots into Aptio Setup Utility instead of loading the operating system. The computer is stuck in this setup utility with every new restart, resulting in the never-ending loop.
This is the issue that Asus laptops and desktops always experience. Basically, this problem is triggered if the PC doesn’t detect an operating system on the drive that it can boot or it doesn’t have an SSD/HDD connected entirely. Additionally, the Asus computer is configured to not recognize the hard drive or the hard drive malfunction happens.
Thankfully, this issue can be fixed in Windows 11/10/8/7 and here we list some effective methods below. Let’s go to see how to get out of Aptio Setup Utility.
Fixes for Aptio Setup Utility Stuck or Loop
Method 1: Restart Your Asus Computer
Sometimes, the simplest method is the best one. According to several users, the problem with Aptio Setup Utility can be fixed by simply restarting your computer. This sounds like an obvious method and you can also try it out.
Just restart your computer and see if Aptio Setup Utility stuck is disappeared. If your PC still boots up to the setup utility instead of booting in the operating system, try other solutions to check.
Method 2: Make Sure Your Hard Drive Is Connected Correctly
In some cases, if your computer gets stuck in Aptio Setup Utility and cannot load the Windows operating system, one of the reasons is if the connection between your computer and your hard drive is loose, resulting in that the computer fails to detect its hard disk. Now, go to check this.
- Open the computer casing if it is a desktop. If the PC is a laptop, unscrew and remove its bottom.
- Locate and disconnect the disk’s connection from the motherboard.
- Plug the drive back into the socket on the motherboard. Make sure it is seated correctly and firmly.
- Close the computer up and restart it to see if the issue of the Asus Aptio Setup Utility loop is fixed.
Method 3: Allow the Asus PC to Detect an HDD or SSD
If your hard disk is connected properly but the computer still goes to Aptio Setup Utility, perhaps the computer is configured to not recognize the SSD or HDD. And the hard drive you are trying to use is not the one that the PC came with or the PC simply believes that to be the case.
To get rid of the setup utility, you need to follow these instructions below:
Step 1: Boot your Asus computer and wait for it to the Aptio Setup Utility window.
Step 2: Go to Security, expand the Secure Boot Control menu and ensure the secure boot option is disabled.
Step 3: Save and exit the tab, then restart your PC and wait for it to load Aptio Utility settings once again.
Step 4: Navigate to the Boot tab, disable these two options – Secure Boot and Fast Boot.
Step 5: Besides, enable CSM (Compatible Support Module).
Step 6: Save the change and restart the Asus computer. It should boot to the Windows operating system instead of Aptio Setup Utility.
Method 4: Reset BIOS to Default Settings
If these above methods are not working for you to fix Aptio Setup Utility stuck, you can try to reset the PC’s BIOS. This is very useful to fix the issue you are encountering and other issues caused by incorrect BIOS configuration.
If you don’t know how to reset BIOS, here is a detailed instruction below:
Step 1: Reboot the Asus PC and the Aptio Setup Utility window will appear.
Step 2: Go to Settings and look for the option like Reset Configuration Data or Factory reset.
Step 3: Reset BIOS to factory settings and save the change.
Step 4: Exit the setup utility and restart your computer.
If you fail to access these settings, here is another way to do the thing – remove CMOS battery from your computer’s motherboard to restore BIOS to factory values and resolve your issue. Moreover, it is an easy process and just follow these steps:
Step 1: Power off your computer.
Step 2: Turn off the power switch on the back and disconnect the power cord. Also, ensure to remove the battery if you are using an Asus laptop.
Step 3: Press and hold the power button for a minute to completely discharge the computer.
Step 4: Touch metal surface to discharge the body static electricity before continuing with hardware meddling.
Step 5: Remove the CMOS battery that should be a standard wristwatch flat battery.
Step 6: Wait for a while and put the battery back.
Step 7: Reboot the PC and see if it can boot to the Windows operating system.
Other Troubleshooting Tips
If your computer is stuck in Aptio Setup Utility, you can press and hold the power button to turn off the PC completely. Then, turn on the power button and press F9 continuously for approximately 10 seconds.
Then, go to Advanced Startup and wait for the recovery menu to appear. Next, click Advanced options > System Restore and choose a specific date.
Check If There Is a Floppy Drive
If there is no floppy drive on your computer but it is in BIOS, you may enter the Aptio Setup Utility main menu. When booting up the PC, you need to press F1 to continue. And the solution is to restart the computer, go to BIOS and set the floppy drive to None.
Replace Battery
If there is no power on the motherboard, data is lost, leading to the Asus Aptio Setup Utility loop. To fix this issue, replace the battery.
Final Method: Reinstall Windows 11/10/8/7
Finally, if all of these solutions don’t work for you, you can choose to reinstall the Windows operating system. But you should note that your hard drive is healthy and can work as it should.
Back up Files
Before Windows reinstallation, you should know this operation can erase your data if you haven’t backed up the documents on the desktop or you delete the entire disk for reinstallation. Thus, ensure your important files are protected.
How can you create a backup for your critical data in Windows 11/10/8/7? Using a professional file backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker. It is designed to back up files & folders, partitions, disks, the operating system and sync files to other locations for backup.
When the computer boots to Aptio Setup Utility rather than the operating system, you can use the bootable edition of this software to back up the PC data. Just get its Trial Edition, create a bootable USB drive with Media Builder and boot the PC to MiniTool Recovery Environment. Then, start the backup.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Related article: How to Boot from Burned MiniTool Bootable CD/DVD Discs or USB Flash Drive?
Step 1: After running MiniTool ShadowMaker Bootable Edition, go to Source > Folders & Files and choose files to back up.
Step 2: Go to Destination and choose a storage path that can be a USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.
Step 3: Click the Back Up Now button to start the file backup.
After finishing backup, now it is time to start reinstalling your Windows.
Reinstall Windows OS
How can you reinstall the Windows operating system? It is easy to operate and we will show you some detailed instructions below.
Step 1: Do to download a .iso file of Windows 11/10/8/7 from the Internet and then burn it to your USB flash drive.
Step 2: Boot the PC that always encounters Aptio Setup Utility stuck from the bootable drive.
Step 3: Choose a language, keyboard and time & currency format.
Step 4: Click Install now to continue.
Step 5: Choose I don’t have a product key since the copy of Windows 10/11 will be activated later if you once activated it.
Step 6: Choose a version of the Windows operating system.
Step 7: Accept license terms and choose to install Windows instead of an upgrade.
Step 8: Delete your original system drives and then install Windows to that unallocated space.
Step 9: Then, the setup program will start the installing process. After finishing that, custom your Windows and you can use it normally.
Bottom Line
After reading this post, you know what Aptio Setup Utility is and how to fix the issue if your computer gets stuck in Aptio Setup Utility in Windows 11/10/8/7. We hope that it is useful for you.
On the other hand, you can share them with us if you have any other ideas on how to get out of Aptio Setup Utility or have a problem when using MiniTool software. Sending an email to [email protected] or leaving a comment below is available.
Aptio Setup Utility FAQ
- Restart the computer
- Make sure your disk is connected
- Allow PC to detect an SSD or HDD
- Reset BIOS to factory values
- System Restore
- Check if there is a floppy drive
- Replace the motherboard’s battery
- Reinstall Windows
- Go to the Save & Exit menu
- Use the up and down arrows to choose the exit option
- Press the Enter key
- Confirm the exit operation
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 7 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.