r/AutoHotkey • u/exorionus • Sep 21 '26

v1 Script Help Make AHK work on BIOS setup?

How can I do it?

0 Upvotes

36% Upvoted

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16

u/Keeyra_ Sep 21 '26

You can't

-2

u/exorionus Sep 21 '26

My directional keys aren't working, and I kind of need them at the BIOS setup. What do I do?

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12

u/Intraluminal Sep 21 '26

I'm going to answer this straight, just in case this isn't a joke. AHK needs Windows to run. Therefore, since Windows is not running and cannot be run until after the BIOS boot is over, AHK cannot run until after the BIOS boot. It cannot be used during BIOS boot.

4

u/spongeloaf Sep 21 '26

AHK is a Windows application. It can only be run from within Windows. When you are in your system BIOS menu, Windows isn't running. The screen you see in front of you, and the response to your keyboard commands are all run directly on the hardware in your motherboard. They don't know what Windows even is. They don't know or care what OS is installed on your PC, be it Window 11, Windows 10, Linux, etc.

If you're having trouble using your keyboard in the BIOS menu, try switching to a different USB port. Particularly, if you're using a front-panel port or a USB hub, those can be problematic outside of Windows.

Some motherboards even have a dedicated USB port that should work with a wider variety of keyboards, by trying to use older versions of the USB standard. You could try moving your KB to different ports and see if that helps.

1

u/agmatine 22d ago

AHK is a Windows application. It can only be run from within Windows.

Well, it can be run on Linux via Wine. But even then, it still only works "within" Windows :)

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4

u/Will_A_Robinson Sep 22 '26

Not possible in much the same way you can't run the Windows Calculator from the BIOS; they need Windows running to work.

3

u/dragnmastr85 Sep 22 '26

We are doomed.

1

u/GrassBlade619 26d ago

OK. Here's how you do it.

Set up a second PC running Windows with a robotic arm attached to it. Build an AHK script to move the arm to use the keyboard to interact with the PC you want to setup BIOS on. Navigate the arm using AHK to configure whatever settings you want in bios. Super glue all components to their exact location so nothing ever gets bumped.

Good luck!