My Lenovo LOQ laptop starts with a "Start PXE over IPv6/IPv4" message instead of loading Windows whenever Secure Boot is enabled. Windows Boot Manager already appears first in the BIOS boot order, and changing the boot-device option only makes the screen flash. Disabling Secure Boot lets Windows start normally. Secure Boot worked for me last October, but this has happened several times since I returned to playing Battlefield 6 after uninstalling and reinstalling it. Windows came preinstalled, so I'm not sure whether the system is using UEFI or legacy/CSM mode. What should I check, and can this be repaired without losing my files or installed applications?
3 Answers
Because the laptop boots when Secure Boot is disabled, the Windows installation itself may still be intact, but the Secure Boot keys, boot files, or firmware settings could be out of sync. In BIOS, make sure the boot mode is UEFI, restore the default Secure Boot keys if that option exists, and confirm that Windows Boot Manager remains selected. Check Lenovo’s support page for a BIOS or firmware update as well.
First check whether the installation is using UEFI mode. In Windows, press Win+R, enter “msinfo32,” and look for “BIOS Mode.” It should say UEFI. You can also open Disk Management, view the properties of the system disk, and check that it uses GPT. Secure Boot requires a compatible UEFI setup; if Windows was installed in legacy mode, enabling Secure Boot can make the firmware skip the Windows boot entry and fall back to network booting.
Windows was factory-installed, so I wasn’t sure where to check the boot mode. I’ll look at the System Information and disk settings before changing anything.
If the configuration is UEFI/GPT but Secure Boot still prevents Windows from starting, create a Windows installation USB and use “Repair your computer” rather than immediately choosing a clean installation. Startup Repair or rebuilding the EFI boot files may restore the Secure Boot-compatible boot entry. A repair process can often preserve files and applications, but back up important data first and avoid formatting the drive unless you intend to reinstall Windows.
It’s worth taking a backup while Secure Boot is disabled before changing BIOS settings. A failed boot repair usually can be fixed, but BIOS and disk changes always carry some risk.