Why does everybody "spam del / F2" to enter BIOS when they could just hold the key?
Why does everybody "spam del / F2" to enter BIOS when they could just hold the key?
Typically there are two methods for detecting keyboard inputs. One is to capture the keyboard's output and process everything it sends. Another is to monitor changes, capturing events like a key being pressed or released. Listening only for key releases would miss presses, so you'd need to trigger listening before any input occurs.
holding settings aren't compatible with every motherboard/keyboard setup. some boards only check if a key is pressed, others require a full key-down event, and certain keyboards fail to detect a held key before the board starts up. additionally, I avoid excessive spam—using F2, F4, F9, and deleting—so I can still access BIOS regardless of the manufacturer's implementation. there are even cases where you need to press Enter or activate the built-in microphone to enter BIOS.
For certain boards, spamming doesn’t function until the keyboard lights up, which is another reason to opt for a backlit display. Pressing keys during initialization prevents proper setup until the OS loads. I wait for the backlight to activate, then spam to ensure I don’t miss the input area. I also use F12; I’m not sure why, but it seems necessary for entering BIOS or boot menus.
I overlooked this point earlier. If you're really confused, you might end up cycling through dozens of keys trying to fix something that has already been heavily used in the 6 or 7-digit range. Plus, these keys are rarely pressed. If you manage to skip over the cycles on your delete key faster than your spacebar, E, A, and the shift keys, you're likely making a lot of mistakes—or you might need to stop typing your bios completely. It's just as unimportant as the extra fuel use in a car with daytime running lights.
Someone seems to be testing the system by repeatedly pressing keys, while an easier method exists using administrative privileges.
Absolutely, it's also true—button mashing adds extra excitement.
I've observed that often just keeping the key pressed doesn't have much impact, allowing the request to proceed normally. I think checking the keyboard state isn't handled the same way in the OS as during POST, which is why "Delete" works so effectively. This explains why many people choose to repeatedly press "Delete" instead of just holding the key. Of course, you can test it yourself to see if it functions on your system.