How to Take a Screenshot in BIOS 

Starting with Windows 10 version 1809, Microsoft has made it easier than ever for users to take a custom shot of any part of their screen and edit it immediately. That said, there is one area of the machine where the conveniences of an operating system won’t help: the BIOS.

All hope is not lost, though, and in this article, we’ll be showing you how to get a screenshot just before your OS boots.

A Flash on the Screen

If you’ve ever had a problem with your operating system or BIOS, you’ve likely come across walkthroughs online that show the display on the computer screen that has been captured by a camera, usually a smartphone. Why? Because the BIOS doesn’t make taking a screenshot easy. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, though.

How to Take a Screenshot in BIOS

There are a few ways to grab a screenshot in the BIOS. You may find that one method doesn’t work for your particular model of machine. Give them all a try until you find one that works for you.

Save to USB

Before the introduction of the Snipping tool, a surefire way to capture any screenshot was (and still is) the Print Screen Key (PrtScr). The image will be copied to the clipboard as a BMP. The only problem is that no Windows tools or programs can help in the BIOS. But if you’ve got a formatted USB, you’ll be able to save your snaps. Note that older motherboards may not support saving screenshots to USB straight from the BIOS.

Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Insert a blank USB drive. You’ll need to format it to run in BIOS. Open up “This PC” and right-click the drive.

Step 2. Click the “Format” option from the context menu.

Step 3. In the window that pops up, ensure that “File System” is set to “FAT32 (Default)” and press “Start.”

Step 4. Click “OK” on the warning window and allow your drive to be reformatted.

Step 5. Restart your machine and then press the BIOS key (dependent on your PC model and shown on the screen at startup).

Step 6. When in your desired BIOS screen, press the Print Screen button (or F12, F10 or F8 on some machines).

Step 7. A message should pop up asking where you want to save your screenshot. Your USB should appear as an option if your BIOS supports this action.

Step 8. The image will save as a “.bmp” file. Let Windows boot normally, and you can access it.

KVM Over IP

Keyboard, Video, and Mouse (KVM) over IP is a remote management tool that allows users to access another PC from a different location, with access to all forms of input. More advanced versions can even turn a PC on remotely. If the connected PC can’t take a screenshot or video, then the machine on the other side definitely can.

The best KVM tools are all third-party and a combination of hardware and software. Sometimes the hardware comes separately, and is sometimes bundled with the tool. Either way, you’ll be paying something for them. There are quite a few to choose from, but some examples include: PiKVM, TinyPilot, Geekworm, and Raritan KVM.

External Video Capture Device

If you’re looking to record the BIOS outside of Windows, another method is to use an external video recording device, attached by USB 3.0 or HDMI port. Like KVM tools, you’ll have to buy these separately, but if you’re doing a lot of recording work in BIOS, they can be quite useful.

For laptops, you’ll need to ensure that closing the lid does not shut off the device and that your recorder is always set to use HDMI as a source. Once that’s done, your external device will record your entire time in the BIOS as a video, and you’ll be able to view it on entering Windows again.