I'm currently using a Lenovo ThinkPad and ran into an issue while trying to play Valorant, which required me to enable Secure Boot. After enabling it in the BIOS and rebooting, I couldn't access Windows anymore; it just took me to a screen showing the Windows Boot Manager. When I try to select anything, it sends me right back to that same screen. I've attempted to disable Secure Boot, but it keeps re-enabling itself. I'm really worried that I've broken my laptop. I've also tried restoring factory keys, but that hasn't worked either. I'm hesitant to press the option to clear all Secure Boot keys since I'm unsure what that would do. I just want to get my laptop back to its previous state, regardless of whether I can play Valorant or not. Any advice would be appreciated!
2 Answers
What model of ThinkPad do you have? Knowing the exact model could help us provide better advice. If you're using a P51, it sounds like you've managed to get your laptop running again by changing some BIOS settings. That's great! If it's currently working, you might not need to change anything else immediately. If you want to enable Secure Boot safely, you first need to make sure your Windows installation is set up correctly for UEFI. It's a bit tricky, but we can guide you through it.
You need to keep in mind that Secure Boot requires UEFI mode to be enabled. If your Windows was installed in CSM (legacy) mode, your partitions are likely using MBR instead of GPT. You can convert MBR to GPT using a Microsoft tool, and then change your BIOS settings to UEFI and enable Secure Boot.
I appreciate the info! I'm not super tech-savvy, though. I understand the UEFI concept, but converting seems complicated. Do you think I should just take my laptop to a service shop to avoid breaking anything?
It's a P51! Yes, I got it to boot by disabling Secure Boot and adjusting the startup settings, but I'm anxious about trying it again. Thanks for the tips!