You upgraded to Windows 8.1 and now get the – SecureBoot is not configured correctly – error

Some Windows 8 users who have upgraded to Windows 8.1 are seeing an annoying message on their desktop that says “SecureBoot isn’t configured correctly”.

Microsoft explains it this way: “SecureBoot helps increase the security of Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 PCs by stopping unauthorized software from running. If you see a “SecureBoot isn’t configured correctly” message in the lower-right corner of the desktop, it means that Secure Boot has either been turned off or hasn’t been set up correctly on your PC…”

Not all computers are capable of running secure boot, and it appears that the Windows 8.1 upgrade still has some bugs…so what else is new? How many times have we seen Microsoft (and other companies) release a new version only to find it isn’t quite ready for prime time.

In all fairness, Windows 8.1 was tested by millions of users who downloaded and installed the Windows 8.1 preview (bets). Microsoft asked those users for feedback. However, there were no new versions of Windows 8.1 Preview — all the updates for it came via Windows Update. So upgrading a Windows 8 to 8.1 was not tested by those same millions of users, hence the bugs are showing up now.

If your computer supports Secure Boot, you’ll need to access your BIOS (usually by shutting your computer down, turning it back on and pressing the F7 or F2 key — and this varies widely by BIOS manufacturer and computer manufacturer — before Windows loads) and turn on Secure Boot from your BIOS. If you don’t see it listed in your BIOS then your computer does not support it. The Secure Boot features is available on UEFI-based computers.

NOTE: If you have Fast Boot in Windows 8 (or 8.1) enabled, when you restart your computer you will not have time to press any keys before Windows starts loading. Here’s a trick you can try. Shut down your computer, how hold down the Shift key while restarting your computer. That should give you time to press whatever key you need to press (varies by computer brand and/or BIOS manufacturer).

UEFI is an acronym for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface and you can think of it as a replacement for the antiquated BIOS (although the old antiquated BIOS is still necessary as a basic IO system to jump start the motherboard.

UEFI is more a sub-operating system. It is much more capable than BIOS. UEFI provides access to all the hardware on the PC, including USB ports, hard drives, graphics adapter, Ethernet adapter, sound. UEFI is a more robust than the old BIOS.

UEFI allows for security and authentical before the operating system boot, it can connect to networks, and start hardware devices more quickly to provide an almost instant-on experience.

UEFI is not all that new; many hardware companies have included UEFI for quite a while, but it has not been widely accepted or implemented until now. Windows 8 users UEFI

Now that you have a little background on what’s going on, those of you who get the message that “SecureBoot isn’t configured correctly” on your desktop, can now at least understand a little bit about this error and how this error is related to the Windows 8.1 upgrade.

Microsoft says this: “…To turn on or set up SecureBoot, you’ll need to use the BIOS menu for your PC. Different PCs have different BIOS menus, so contact your PC’s manufacturer for instructions. If you turned off Secure Boot and added your own drivers, you might need to reset your PC to its original state before you can turn on Secure Boot. For more info, see How to restore, refresh, or reset your PC .

Warning

Be careful when changing BIOS settings. The BIOS interface is designed for advanced users, and it’s possible to change a setting that could prevent your PC from starting correctly. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly…”

Now, comes the catch: The change-your-BIOS fix has one big problem — some computers do not have a Secure Boot option in their BIOS menus, so Microsoft’s instructions will not work nor make any sense. Luckily, there’s a way you can check to see if your BIOS has a SecureBoot option.

Follow the steps below to check your BIOS for the Secure Boot option:
(For Windows 8 and 8.1 users only)

1. Press the Windows key and the X key

2. Click on the Command prompt (Admin) option in the menu which appears

3. If you see a User Account Control prompt, and click Yes (if it asks for a password, type in your user account password.)

4. The Windows PowerShell window will open up with a prompt at PS C:\Windows\System32, type in the following commands at that prompt one by one and hit Enter after typing in each command. Each line is a separate command:

cd\

Confirm-SecureBootUEFI

Depending on your BIOS/UEFI settings, you may get three outputs – True, False or Cmdlet not supported on this platform.

Note: Modifications of the BIOS settings are at your own risk.

If you don’t have a Secure Boot option in your BIOS you might be able to fix that by flashing the BIOS with the latest firmware from your BIOS manufacturer or computer manufacturer. WARNING: Flashing the BIOS incorrectly can brick your system! You do it at your own risk.

No one knows if Microsoft will release a patch for this; it would certainly be nice for those who have no idea what BIOS or UEFI is — and don’t care or those who don’t want to take a chance on bricking their systems by fooling around in BIOS. All they want is their computer to work the way it should.

If you have the message “Secure Boot isn’t configured correctly” on your desktop keep reading.

If you have Dell computer see http://goo.gl/wv7zKK

If you have an ASUS computer see http://goo.gl/JD4qcK and http://goo.gl/hJtj5

If you have another brand of computer, check the manufacturer’s Web site.

Intel also offers a possible solution – see https://communities.intel.com/thread/45728

In fairness to Microsoft, any new product is going to have glitches; if you have the “Secure Boot is not configured correctly” error, you’re not alone. We hope some of the information on this page will help you fix the problem — and we are hopeful that Microsoft will roll out a patch for this bug soon.

Those of you who have not yet upgraded to Windows 8.1 may want to hold off just a little while longer. We have successfully upgraded our Windows 8 computers to Windows 8.1 without a hitch. But many people are having problems. If you’re one of them you may qualify for free Microsoft support. If so, take advantage of it.