Unsolved
1 Rookie
•
2 Posts
0
31
March 16th, 2026 00:24
Precise behaviour of Dell Precision 5750 after turning on
Hi, I own a Dell Precision 5750 Laptop which runs Windows 10. I need precise information, how to make a hard reboot with RAM clear and how to get into the F2 and F12 menues without risking of starting any windows boot sequence. The reason is that my Dell suffered from a malware incident, I'll reinstall Windows from a bootable USB stick and update every BIOS and firmware (Dell Laptop, internal SDD, external HDDs, Dell Dock WD19).
The precise behaviour of my Laptop is very confusing.
First, I never know whether or not I have to press F12 or Fn+F12.
Second, I never know WHEN do I have to press F12 (or Fn+F12) if I also want a complete RAM clear (to delete any possible malware in RAM).
The main confusion stems from a completely silly behaviour of the power button on my Dell: As far as I understand, I have to take precise time with a clock, how long I have to press the power button to enforce a RAM clear. I'm unable to reconstruct that. It's just random. It is said, that if I keep pressing the power button, then I does not ENFORCE the RAM clear or F12 menu, but ABANDONS it - which is completely silly a design.
On my dell, I observe: When I shutdown (e.g. shutdown /s /full /t 00), and it is turned off, and then I press the power button and KEEP it PRESSED, then first the Dell logo appears, then it suddenly gets a little bit darker (but the logo DOES NOT DISAPPER and the Laptop IS NOT TURNED OFF), and then immediately the Dell logo gets white and a boot sequence starts.
That's what I observe in reality.
Documentation says, that I should have an option between Soft Reset, Hard Shutdown with RAM clear, RTC reset, various BIOS options (e.g. F2 or F12) and usual boot. But how? The information given in the Dell manuals does not coincide with how the laptop behaves. I'm not able to reproduce any of the procedures. Do I need a watch for precice 15 secs, 20 sec or 30sec? When do I have to release the power button? When do I have to press F2 or F12?
Is there any reliable information available?
Thank you!
DELL-Daniel V
Community Manager
•
223 Posts
0
March 16th, 2026 20:04
So RAM in this model is going to be volatile memory. Meaning that data is lost when power is removed. Refer to the Statement of Volatility as needed. Simply put, your RAM is cleared when the system is turned off. Data does not stay in memory. If you need to enter the system BIOS, then you would want to power the system on normally and repeatedly tap just the F2 key when the dell logo appears. If you need to enter the one time boot menu, then repeatedly tap just the F12 key on the keyboard. Do not use the Fn key. There is a short window between POST and booting so the easiest thing to do is it to just keep tapping the key you need to enter the respective menu as soon as the dell logo appears. If you see the spinning dots when the dell logo appears, then you are already booting to the OS and need to start over.
DilloV
1 Rookie
•
2 Posts
0
March 17th, 2026 15:53
@DELL-Daniel V Thank you. As the battery is not (easily) removable, does your sentence "when power is removed" mean that a usual powering-off or "shutdown /full /t 0" also clears the RAM?
Or will RAM be only then cleared, when I open the Laptop, remove battery contacts, press On/Off-Button for 10-15 secs, and then replug battery contacts and close the Laptop again?
(Once Dell support adviced me so, but the issue back then wasn't clearing RAM, but the WB19 dock didn't start and locked every Dell boot. I understand the risks of opening the laptop, and better would like to avoid that.)
The main goal for me is to ENSURE that RAM is cleared and no malware will survive there.
(edited)
DELL-Daniel V
Community Manager
•
223 Posts
0
March 17th, 2026 16:02
@DilloV Correct, just shutting down normally clears the RAM. The battery does not need to be removed. Data is not retained once you turn the system off.