Cannot access BIOS

Try pulling out the HDD and see if you can get into the BIOS without it installed.

:) , Post the results!

@YoYO155
pulling out the hard drive did not help; I put the HDD back in and next, pressed and HELD the F2 key like 2 minutes or longer until the dim "F2 Setup" became brighter and BIOS finally came up. I was not able to find why the boot up takes longer than it did when I first got my laptop: it takes about 1.5 minutes from the Dell black screen to Starting Windows screen. I even restored defaults.
My 2nd reason for wanting to get to BIOS was to change hard drive setting to to ACHI to switch to SDD -I had previously put in a SDD and taken it out. I hope I wrote that ACHI correctly- but my BIOS for drive was already set as ACHI not IDE as I had read in forums; and the other option was not IDE, I don't remember what it was.
Maybe I need to change it from ACHI to the other option, but I'm scared:)
I may pay the Dell web site a visit to see if there are any updates; although I do noy know hoe to "falsh" BIOS.

A long delay usually means something is wrong with the HDD, how is the PC performing while in the Windows environment?

Is the PC overheating often?
You can download Speccy and post a Screenshot of the summary screen.

Did you try the same method (of holding the button down) for accessing the BIOS when
the HDD was uninstalled (not inside the laptop)?

If you're unsure on how to flash the BIOS it is best you leave it to someone do it for you.

It's actually spelled AHCI :) , and the other option (which is not IDE) is RAID and I would strongly advise against
doing so as it mostly just causes issue.

Thanks a bunch YoYo155. I did NOT hold the F2 key down while I had the HDD removed. In the past you just had to hit the key real fast when the boot screen came on, and not HOLD it. This holding is new to me, so, something IS wrong, and I am puzzled.
The computer performs perfectly while in Windows.
Something wrong with HDD? What could that be? They either work, or they don't. Correct?
In addition my computer does this same thing with 3 different drives; it's safe to say the HDD is not the problem.
Also, for some strange reason, my computer looks for an external drive during boot up. Once the lights on that external start flashing, the black screen changes to "starting Windows" screen. It's worth noting that the computer will boot with or without that external; it just likes to make sure it's there. I think they have become fond of each other.
Would you recommend doing a factory restore, followed by painfully reinstalling applications and adding documents from backup? I may be talking nonsense, b/c BIOS and Windows are not related. Are they?
As for heating up, I did had a major overheating problem that my computer would just shut down. Finally I got brave, and disassembled the laptop to get to the fan. Cleaned it up, (the vent was 70% blocked) and put everything back together, and to my amazement everything worked! :) Overheating issue solved.
Thanks for AHCI correction; I will leave my settings on it, specially since it is recommended by all for SDD. And I will eventually put that SDD back in once I figure out this 1.5 min delay in boot up. And I will do Speccy as you indicated.

Mohades said:

Thanks a bunch YoYo155. I did NOT hold the F2 key down while I had the HDD removed. In the past you just had to hit the key real fast when the boot screen came on, and not HOLD it. This holding is new to me, so, something IS wrong, and I am puzzled.
The computer performs perfectly while in Windows.
Something wrong with HDD? What could that be? They either work, or they don't. Correct?
In addition my computer does this same thing with 3 different drives; it's safe to say the HDD is not the problem.

Process of elimination, fair enough.

Mohades said:

Also, for some strange reason, my computer looks for an external drive during boot up. Once the lights on that external start flashing, the black screen changes to "starting Windows" screen. It's worth noting that the computer will boot with or without that external; it just likes to make sure it's there. I think they have become fond of each other.

Haha, thay might have you never know .
On a serious note. That is a setting in the BIOS which can be safely changed by reordering
the boot device order list. Nothing to be worried about.

Mohades said:

Would you recommend doing a factory restore, followed by painfully reinstalling applications and adding documents from backup? I may be talking nonsense, b/c BIOS and Windows are not related. Are they?

That will no effect, so no I don't.
Technically you could say they are related but for the most part not really.

Mohades said:

As for heating up, I did had a major overheating problem that my computer would just shut down. Finally I got brave, and disassembled the laptop to get to the fan. Cleaned it up, (the vent was 70% blocked) and put everything back together, and to my amazement everything worked! :) Overheating issue solved.

Great job :) .

Thanks for AHCI correction; I will leave my settings on it, specially since it is recommended by all for SDD. And I will eventually put that SDD back in once I figure out this 1.5 min delay in boot up. And I will do Speccy as you indicated.[/QUOTE]
It's called an SSD .

Give me a rundown of what have you tried so far?