How to enter BIOS on XPS 15?

I'll receive my new XPS 15 soon. I plan to do a full disk images of the system at various points during my setup and installation (of software, etc.) by booting from an Acronis True Image recovery CD, to image the XPS's drive to create a backup image on an external HD.

Many laptops I've worked on were not configured to allow booting from CD. I had to edit BIOS to enable that, by setting it to boot from CD before booting from HD.

What is the method to enter the BIOS on the XPS 15? Is it F8, or something else?

Or, if someone knows, does the XPS 15 come with default BIOS setting to boot from CD before booting from HD?

 

You press F2 when the Dell logo appears. I believe every laptop with an optical drive has the option to boot from the optical drive as opposed to the hdd, but to change boot order you press F8 at the Dell logo.

 

F2 is to enter the BIOS. To interrupt normal boot sequence, hit F12. You can also change the default boot order in BIOS.

 

At that point are options presented to allow me to select where it should boot from? Do I hold down F12 right from the moment I power on the laptop, or do I keep pressing and releasing F12?

IIRC, some laptops are awkward to get into BIOS or boot menu, pressing and releasing the required key, and sometimes have to boot more than once to get the key timing right.

 

yep, but it's not always enabled. Often the BIOS is set such that internal HDD boots before CD, which doesn't allow the CD to boot until that BIOS setting is changed.

F8? Or F12 as the other poster indicated?

 

I was pretty certain its F8, if not you could just restart and try F12 or vice versa

 

I don't want to have to restart. I want to take an image before the laptop has every booted from the HDD. That's the whole point. That's the reason I want to know how to boot from CD or enter BIOS to enable that, before the system has even been turned on and booted for the first time. So, thanks, but "I was pretty certain" isn't good enough.

Anyway, Tsunade says it's F2 to enter BIOS. I just wasn't sure what he meant by "To interrupt normal boot sequence, hit F12", if that allows the selection of booting from CD if it hasn't been previously enabled in BIOS.

 

*I think* F8 or F12 is a one time boot order change, overridding the BIOS setting. If you want to be sure, change the order in the BIOS, then verify that it's correct before letting it boot.

Remove the battery and run on AC.

Power up and immediately start pressing F2 a couple times per second. Eventually you'll get into the BIOS. Make your changes to the boot order, moving the DVD drive to the top of the list, then save them.

If it's crucial you never start the factory installation until you've created your image and you really want to be sure you made the change and it "took", pull the power cord before exiting the BIOS screens to shut down the computer. Plug the power back in, power up, and start pressing F2 again so you can verify your boot order change is really there.

Now it should boot to the DVD drive.

I understand you wanting to do this, I believe in "backup early and often" myself, and you haven't said what you want this image for, but you may not find it that helpful. What I see folks doing is starting the factory install and letting it activate, creating the restore DVDs using the Dell utility (which they'll likely never use) then removing Dell shovelware and installing the latest drivers and Windows updates. That would be a good point to take a picture.

Others just blow away the Dell installation, install Windows from scratch, update, then take the picture.

I actually pulled the original disk and put it away and installed an SSD in its place, thinking that at some point the original install would be needed. I've never touched that, nor the recovery disks that I made.

 

Great idea about cutting the AC! I hadn't thought of that. Thanks.

Yes, this first image will certainly not be the only one. I will image at many points during my config and installation of applications. Sure, I may never need the first image, but it costs nothing to do it so why not.