Bios

[eddie11013]

Hello, “two” questions about Bios. HP Pavilion Desktop PC TP01-2000a. So I tried the following steps to access Bios: W+I / System / Recovery / Advanced Startup / Restart Now / Troubleshoot / Advanced Options / UEFI / Restart /, I’m able to get to the ‘screen’ that shows the various options, including “Troubleshoot”. But ‘then’, the mouse pointer disappears. I can’t click on anything. I tried various options like: using the “Tab” key + arrow / Win+Ctrl+Esc – Nope – Win+X – Nope – Win+Ctrl+Shift+B – Nope / F10 nope -- Was using a wireless mouse, tried a corded mouse, no go. Had to hold power button “off” to shutdown PC – Upon startup pointer worked just fine.

I then tried the following steps: Command Prompt / run as Admin / paste = Shutdown /r /fw /t 1 -- After boot up, press “Esc” key then press F10 key -- This process worked. So since this worked, this is what I will do going forward. But everywhere I looked told me to go the ‘Recovery’ route. So am I doing something wrong?

Second question, “Boot” order. My PC shows the following order: 1) USB Boot 2) Network Boot Protocol 3) Secure Boot 4) Platform Key. I know that this ‘order’ works, but I don’t know what #2 - #4 “are”. I had written down before the following: (1) USB Boot DVD or Internal Device (2) SATA - Windows Boot (3) USB (4) On Board NIC Device.

Looking for a little clarification,

Thanks in advance

[NonSequitur777 · Accepted solution]

@eddie11013,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Well, in my opinion: you did everything right!  Let's go over both of your BIOS questions step-by-step:

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1. Accessing the BIOS — Why the Mouse Vanishes:

What you experienced in the "Advanced Startup → UEFI Firmware Settings" route is a known behavior on some HP Pavilion models. When entering the UEFI environment this way, Windows hands off control before USB drivers (for mouse/keyboard) are fully initialized, which can cause the pointer to disappear -especially with wireless peripherals.

That's why the shutdown /r /fw /t 1 method worked perfectly -it forces Windows to reboot directly into firmware mode, letting the BIOS handle input devices correctly.

Bottom line: You're not doing anything wrong -your method is actually the more reliable one. Many HP technicians and advanced users prefer the /fw command or the Esc → F10 key method over the Windows Recovery route.

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2. Understanding Your Boot Order Entries:

Here's what each of those items means:

1. USB Boot -Allows booting from USB drives (install media, recovery tools, etc.).
2. Network Boot Protocol (Onboard NIC Boot / PXE Boot) -Lets the PC boot from a network server instead of local storage (mainly used in enterprise or IT-managed environments) -personally, I'd disable it.
3. Secure Boot -Not a boot device, but a security feature that verifies the integrity of boot components. It should remain enabled for normal Windows 10/11 operation.
4. Platform Key (PK) – Part of Secure Boot’s cryptographic system; it verifies signed firmware and OS loaders. This isn't a boot device either -it's a security certificate stored in UEFI.

So, your earlier list:

(1) USB Boot / DVD or Internal Device
(2) SATA - Windows Boot
(3) USB
(4) On Board NIC Device

— was a more traditional "device list". Your current UEFI view is a modernized version where security settings (Secure Boot / PK) are shown in the same section. The system will still prioritize your actual Windows drive correctly under "SATA" or "Windows Boot Manager" internally, even if it's not explicitly labeled in the summary.

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Recommendation:

• Keep using the shutdown /r /fw /t 1 or Esc → F10 method to access BIOS -it's safe and reliable.

• Don't worry about the pointer disappearing under "Advanced Startup"; it's just a firmware-hand-off quirk.

• No need to change your boot order unless you plan to boot from a USB installer or recovery drive.

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In short: You're not doing anything wrong -you actually discovered the better way to reach the BIOS on your Pavilion TP01-2000a!

I do have these minor suggestions:

Set the Boot Order as:

1. Windows Boot Manager

2. USB Boot
3. (Disable) Network Boot (It otherwise waits briefly for a network response before continuing.)

Also check these BIOS settings:

• Secure Boot: Enabled (keeps Windows verified and doesn't affect speed)

• Fast Boot: Enabled (skips redundant hardware checks during POST)

• Legacy Boot: Disabled (stick with pure UEFI for faster and cleaner boot)

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[eddie11013]

First, thanks for replying so quickly.

Good to know the ‘Shutdown’ method was the best option. Got it!

Regarding the Boot Order, I don’t know how it changed, but now I see the following:

1) USB Flash Drive / USB Hard Disc

2) OS Boot Manager

3) USB CD/DVD Rom Driveway

4) Internal CD/DVD Rom Drive

Regarding “check these BIOS settings” -- I didn’t see any of that.

So since its working I don’t want to touch that dial!

Thanks again for your help.

[NonSequitur777]

@eddie11013,

You're welcome -glad I could assist you!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777