How to exit BIOS Utility EZ Mode (Asus)

Three or four key combinations get you out of Asus's EZ Mode, depending on what you need to do. Save, discard, force-boot to USB, or reboot to Windows — here is each one.

Method 1 — Save changes and exit (F10)

This is what most people want. Press F10. A confirmation dialog appears: "Save configuration and exit?" Click OK (or press Enter). The machine reboots and applies any settings you changed.

If your machine just reboots back into EZ Mode after F10, F10 is not the problem — see the EZ Mode loop guide.

Method 2 — Discard changes and exit (Esc)

Press Esc. From the menu that appears, choose Discard Changes and Exit. Useful if you have been clicking around in the BIOS and want to back out without applying anything.

Method 3 — Boot directly to a specific drive (F8)

From EZ Mode, press F8. A boot menu pops up showing every detected boot device — your SSD, any USB sticks, and the network. Pick one and press Enter. The machine boots from that device for this session only; the saved boot order is unchanged.

This is the fastest way to boot from a Windows installation USB without committing to changing the boot order permanently.

Method 4 — Switch to Advanced Mode first (F7)

F7 toggles between EZ Mode and Advanced Mode. EZ Mode is the friendly graphical view; Advanced Mode is the traditional dense menu structure. Some settings (SATA mode, certain CPU options) only appear in Advanced Mode. After changing them there, F10 still saves and exits as normal.

The Fn key trap on Asus laptops

Asus laptops since around 2019 default to "media keys first" on the function row — F10 plays media instead of acting as F10. In Windows you toggle this with Fn+Esc (the Fn lock).

In the BIOS itself, this remap usually does not apply — F10 should work standalone. But if you press F10 and nothing happens, try Fn+F10. If that works, your BIOS is honouring the Fn lock state from before reboot.

Quick reference

Key	Action
`F10`	Save and exit (reboot)
`Esc`	Open exit menu (Save, Discard, Cancel)
`F8`	Boot menu — pick a one-time boot device
`F7`	Toggle between EZ Mode and Advanced Mode
`F5`	Load Optimized Defaults (factory reset for BIOS settings)
`F2`	Re-enter setup at next boot (also the key to open the BIOS in the first place)

Frequently asked

I press F10 and the BIOS just reboots back into EZ Mode. Why? +

F10 means "save settings and exit" — it does not fix any underlying problem. The reboot lands back in EZ Mode because the BIOS still cannot find a bootable Windows installation. You need to fix the actual cause first; see our Asus stuck in EZ Mode guide for the eight fixes.

Where is the F10 key on a laptop with a Fn lock? +

On most modern Asus laptops, F10 requires pressing Fn+F10 by default — the function row defaults to media keys (volume, brightness) unless you toggle the Fn lock. In the BIOS specifically, this remap usually does not apply, so try F10 alone first; if nothing happens, try Fn+F10.

Can I exit without saving? +

Yes — press Esc, then choose "Discard Changes and Exit". This reboots without applying anything you changed in the BIOS this session. Useful if you fiddled with settings and want to back out.