Most often, we remember about BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) only when we need to reinstall operating system and you need to somehow set it to boot from a disk or flash drive. I often wrote about this in articles such as:, and others. Now I want to put it together and refer only to this article when necessary. This article will be useful for all BIOS versions and for different companies. A kind of single reference book
The first thing you need to know is that BIOS is divided by manufacturer and version.
To change boot method in BIOS- You must first enter it.
You can, of course, find out what version and manufacturer of your BIOS is from the manual that came with your computer.
You can also find out by looking at the line at the top of the black screen when loading (the manufacturer will be indicated there).
Well, then enter the BIOS, knowing what it is for you.
Some BIOS versions do not have such a screen showing lines. There’s just a logo there and at the bottom it says something like “Press F2 to enter SETUP,” which means press F2. If there is just a logo and there are no inscriptions, press ESC, and then del or f2
Here is a small list of manufacturers and keyboard shortcuts for entering BIOS:
Also at the bottom of the black screen there are keys for entering the BIOS and for displaying a list that contains available devices for booting and so that you can boot from it. But more about him at the end of the article.
As you can see, most often you need to press the key F2 or Del.
Now you need to load a flash drive or disk.
Let's look at a few examples that differ from the BIOS manufacturer.
Setting up Award Bios to boot from a flash drive or disk:
The main window looks like this, in which we need the second item:
Further depends on the firmware version. In one case, you will need to go to an item similar to “Boot Seq & Floppy Setup”
in another case, you don’t need to go anywhere - everything will be right before your eyes
Clicks on First Boot Device(First boot device), click Enter and a window like this will appear
in which you need to select the disk or flash drive that will launch first. You can specify a Second boot device, for example, but usually the BIOS itself fills in this data.
On a note:
If you select a flash drive, then, among other things, you also need to go to the “Hard Disk Boot Priority” item and move our flash drive to the very top using the “+” and “-” or “PageUp” and “PageDown” buttons:
It is also worth remembering that In order for the BIOS to see the flash drive, it must be connected before turning it on or before rebooting
Then press “F10” (see the exact key in the hint at the bottom of the screen called “Save”, “Exit”) or go to the main BIOS menu and select “Save and Exit Setup”. In the red window, select “Yes” using the “Y” button on the keyboard and press “Enter”
The computer will reboot and when booting from the Windows installation disk, the following request may appear for a few seconds: “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD...”
Which translates to “Press any button to boot from a CD or DVD.”
This means that if you do not press any button on the keyboard at this moment, the computer will continue to boot from the next device on the list.
Another version of this BIOS:
I've only seen this on old computers from ten years ago, before 2003. The main menu looks like this:
To configure the boot order, you need to go to the menu BIOS FEATURES SETUP:
At this point, use the PageUp and PageDown buttons (or Enter and arrows) to select what to put first - CDROM or flash drive. DO NOT forget about the second and third device
And further:
How to choose what to boot from in AMI BIOS
If, after entering the Bios, you see such a screen, it means you have AMI BIOS:
Use the right arrow button on the keyboard to move to the Boot tab:
Go to "Hard Disk Drives" and in the line "1st Drive" (may be called "First Drive") select a disk or flash drive:
Next, go to "Boot Device Priority", go to "1st Boot Device" and select from the list what you selected in previous tab(i.e. if you selected a flash drive in Hard Disk Drives, then you need to specify it here too. This is important!)
To boot from a CD/DVD disk, you need to select “ATAPI CD-ROM” (or simply “CDROM”) in this menu; there is no need to go to the previous “Hard Disk Drives” menu.
Now we save the results with the “F10” button or go to the BIOS “Exit” section and select “Exit Saving Changes”.
Another AMI BIOS, but everything is clear here:
Setting up Phoenix-Award Bios to boot from a flash drive
If, after entering the Bios, you see a screen like this, then you have a Phoenix-Award BIOS:
Go to the “Advanced” tab and opposite “First Boot Device” set what you need (flash drive or disk):
Save with F10 key
Setting up EFI (UEFI) Bios with a graphical interface for booting from a flash drive
Now this won’t surprise anyone. Almost all new computers are equipped with a similar shell. You can read more about it in the article.
When loading, at the bottom of the screen there is a “Boot Priority” section, where you can use the mouse (by dragging) the pictures to set the desired boot order.
You can also click the “Exit/Advanced mode” button in the upper right corner and select Advanced mode in the window that appears.
Next, go to the “Boot” tab and in the section Boot Option Priorities in the “Boot Option #1” field, set the default boot device to be a flash drive, DVD-ROM, HDD or other available device.
How to boot from a flash drive or disk without entering BIOS
This is what I wrote about almost at the very beginning of the article.
This is when you need to press a key once and a window will appear with a boot selection. This method does not change the BIOS settings.
Usually Award BIOS prompts you to press "F9" to bring up the boot menu, and AMI asks you to press "F8". On laptops this may be the “F12” key.
In general, look at the bottom line and look for items like “Press F8 for BBS POPUP” or “Press F9 to Select Booting Device after POST”.
Why can't I boot from a flash drive into BIOS?
Possible reasons: 
On older computers there is no way to boot from USB flash drives at all. If a newer BIOS does not exist, then the project may help.
1) Download from the link above latest version"Plop Boot Manager" and unpack it.
2) The archive contains the following files: plpbt.img – an image for a floppy disk, and plpbt.iso – an image for a CD.
3) Write the image to disk and boot from it (or from a floppy disk).
4) A menu will appear in which we select our flash drive and boot from it.
A small explanation of disk designations when selecting:
Do not forget, after you have done what you wanted (namely, why you changed the boot in the BIOS) - return the boot settings back so that the computer boots from the hard drive.
You've probably noticed that now in many articles on fixing various errors in Windows or restoring it, they almost always recommend using a bootable USB flash drive with installation files operating system or from a LiveCD. And only then do they remember to use the installation CD.
In principle, this is not surprising, since today DVD drives have already faded into the background, and they were naturally followed by CD/DVD discs. For example, when assembling a new computer, few people additionally buy and install a DVD drive; by the way, many PCs that are sold already assembled do not have a drive installed either. Well, I’m generally silent about modern laptops or netbooks; in most models the drive has been missing for a long time.
Just in this instruction we will look at several examples of how to set boot from a flash drive in different BIOS versions. In this article you can find examples both for the earliest versions of BIOS and for some modern UEFI versions from various manufacturers.
Procedure for installing boot from a flash drive in BIOS
Setting up booting from a flash drive in different BIOS versions may differ slightly, but in principle the algorithm itself is the same for everyone.
- We write or with ;
- We connect the prepared USB drive to the computer. If you are planning to install Windows, I recommend connecting the drive to USB 2.0, that is, to ports that are painted black (blue is USB3.0). So, sometimes the system may refuse to start installation due to the lack of drivers for USB3.0 to which the device was connected;
- Turn on or restart the computer and enter the BIOS using the " Del" or " F2" If none of these keys work, you can find options that can help you here;
- In the BIOS, open the “Boot” section, where in the list of boot devices we move the flash drive to the first place;
- By pressing the “F10” key and saving the changed parameters, we try to boot from the device we connected;
IN general outline it looks something like this. Well, now let's specifically go through each BIOS version.
Booting from a USB flash drive into Pheonix AwardBIOS
AwardBIOS is quite old version BIOS, and today they come across very rarely, but still sometimes it happens.
So, having entered the BIOS, we need to go to the “” tab.
Initially, the hard drive will be in the first positions, or if you have several of them, then all hard drives will be displayed first and only then the connected USB device. Here you need to use the " + » Move the flash drive to the very first line.
Then we return to the previous menu using the “ Esc" and in the parameter " First Boot Device" select the value " USB-HDD" (By the way, some versions of this BIOS may not have such a line, so you can try selecting either USB-FDD or USB-CDROM).
Well, in the parameter “ SecondBootDevice » set « HardDisk».
By pressing F10, save the settings and restart the computer.
Booting from a flash drive in another version of Pheonix AwardBIOS
Also, there are several more versions of Pheonix AwardBIOS, in which the principle of installing boot from a flash drive is similar, but the menu itself is slightly different.
We'll start by checking whether the USB controller is directly enabled:
Installing boot from USB flash drive:
By the way, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this BIOS version may have several more options for installing boot from a flash drive, for example:
- In some cases, it is enough to simply select “USB-HDD” in the “Boot” section as the first device from which the computer will boot.
- Sometimes the flash drive can not be found in the settings hard drives, and in the subsection “Removable Drives”;
How to set boot from a USB drive in AMI BIOS
AMIBIOS is another version of BIOS, which is often found on not the latest motherboards. boards. In general, if once in the BIOS its appearance is the same as in the screenshot below, then to install the flash drive as a boot device you need to follow these steps:
In this BIOS version, also, the flash drive can be found not only in “ Removable Drives", but also in "", so be careful.
We set boot from a flash drive in UEFI BIOS Gigabyte
Now, let's move on to more modern species BIOS, which can be found on later models of motherboards from various manufacturers.
Well, right now we will start with the UEFI BIOS on motherboard Gigabyte.
So, having entered the BIOS using the same “Delete”, “F2” or “Esc” keys, go to the “ tab BIOS Features" Here you can see that initially booting from a flash drive will only be available in UEFI mode.
Well, since this option won’t suit most people, because the regular Legacy mode has a higher priority, we need to change it. To do this, go to the line “ Hard Drive BBS Priorities".
IN " Boot Option #1"We set a bootable USB flash drive instead of a hard drive, respectively, in " Boot Option #2", HDD must be installed.
After this, in the previous menu you will be able to select a flash drive as a boot device, but without the UEFI prefix.
There is another boot option, which, it seems to me, is much easier to use, but its trick is that it serves for a one-time boot from a USB drive, that is, the next time you reboot you will have to choose to boot from it in the same way again.
In order to use it, you need to move to the “ Save & Exit" and in " Boot Override» choose required device to boot your computer.
The beauty of this option is that it does not require any additional changes in the BIOS settings, and later you simply do not have to bother with returning the boot settings to initial position. By the way, this option very similar to the same Boot menu, although in this case we will have to go directly to the BIOS.
Booting from a flash drive on ASUS motherboards
The BIOS on ASUS motherboards also has several options for starting a computer from a bootable USB flash drive with Windows.
On more modern motherboards the principle is the same. Below I will show an example using the same ASUS.
After entering the BIOS, on the initial screen we again need to use the mouse to move the priority device to the very top. Up because this menu has moved to the right side and become vertical.
You can also use the boot menu, as I showed in the previous example.
By going to " AdvancedMode ( F7)" and going to the tab " Boot", you can change the download priority manually in the " Boot Option Priorityties ».
Or simply select the desired device and start downloading from it in the “ Boot Override", which is located in the same "Boot" tab.
Booting from a flash drive in BIOS on an MSI motherboard
Regarding the motherboard in MSI, here we can set the boot from a flash drive in two ways.
In general, I hope that you will find an option that suits you, and that you will be able to set boot from a flash drive in your BIOS without any problems.
How to set boot from a flash drive in old and modern BIOS versions
Microsoft Corporation has been developing and improving operating systems for a long time, but so far not a single distribution has officially appeared that could fully work with external device on any computer. No matter how hard you try to protect your computer from breakdowns or virus infection, sometimes critical situations occur when the installed operating system can no longer function normally and stably, and you need your files and information that remained in the working folders along with the OS. This is why emergency boot disks, or Windows PE, were created.
Good to know!
In order to load such an operating system from an external storage medium, you must first complete the following steps:
- Make the device bootable by assigning boot sectors to it;
- Pre-download and correctly port Windows PE to a removable device;
- If necessary, add drivers to the image (this especially applies to SATA drivers).
It should be remembered that the speed of the operating system, which is loaded from an external device, is much slower. This is due to the fact that the performance depends on the operating speed of the device itself, as well as the operating frequency of the bus through which the signal travels from/to the device. If you run the OS from USB devices, the speed drops by about ten times (The average speed of loading information from a flash drive is 10 MB/s, the average speed of HDD SATA is 100-120 MB/s).
How does the process of loading and starting OS PE occur?
After pressing the computer's power button, the devices are polled, after which their readiness is checked, and an attempt to boot begins according to the priority list, which is stored in the BIOS settings. The first step is to read the boot sectors, which store the addresses where the bootloader is located for Windows startup P.E. After that in RAM The computer begins to load a pre-installed system image. It is worth noting that all files and settings that occur while working with the OS will be lost the next time you start it.
How to configure the boot process for Windows PE from a flash drive?
There are currently two types of BIOS. The old one is typical and simple, which is similar to MSDOS and contains only menu items that can only be navigated using the keyboard. The new one is UEFI, it differs significantly both in appearance and functionality. In UEFI, you can control and select all settings using the mouse and keyboard.
Organization of booting in UEFI
If possible, you can simply drag the desired device to the first place with the mouse pointer, thus changing the boot order. The classic download method also works:
- Put Boot from USB or the name of your flash drive first.
- Start your computer.
Boot organization in a typical BIOS
- Connect USB device before starting the computer.
- Go to the BIOS menu in the “Boot Device Priority” section (Del, F2, F12 buttons).
- Put Boot from USB in first place (sometimes defined as USB HDD, or in the priority hard drive settings you need to put a USB flash drive) or the name of your flash drive.
- Save your changes before exiting.
- Start your computer.
Alternative download method
This method is used if you can go to the bootloader menu separately, explicitly specifying the boot devices to it.
May also be useful: How to set boot from DVD and CD in BIOS.
Via Boot Menu to boot from a flash drive
In most cases, booting from a flash drive into the BIOS is required for some one-time task: installing Windows, scanning the computer for viruses using LiveCD, resetting the Windows password.
In all these cases, it is not necessary to change the BIOS or UEFI settings; it is enough to call the Boot Menu when you turn on the computer and select the USB flash drive as a boot device once.
For example, when installing Windows, you press the desired key, select the connected USB drive with the system distribution, start the installation - setting up, copying files, etc., and after the first reboot occurs, the computer will boot from the hard drive and continue the installation process as usual mode.
I wrote in great detail about entering this menu on laptops and computers of various brands in the article How to enter Boot Menu.
How to get into the BIOS to select boot options
In different cases, in order to get into the BIOS setup utility, you need to perform essentially the same actions: immediately after turning on the computer, when the first black screen appears with information about the installed memory or the logo of the computer or motherboard manufacturer, click the desired button on the keyboard - the most common options are Delete and F2. Typically, this information is available at the bottom of the initial screen: “Press Del to enter Setup”, “Press F2 for Settings” and similar. On click the desired button at the right time (the sooner the better - this must be done before loading the operating system) You will be taken to the settings menu - BIOS Setup Utility. The appearance of this menu may vary; let’s look at a few of the most common options.
I would like to give you a summary table of all the buttons for entering the BIOS from different manufacturers.
Changing the boot order in UEFI BIOS
On modern motherboards, the BIOS interface, or more precisely, the UEFI software, is usually graphical and, perhaps, more understandable when it comes to changing the order of boot devices.
In most options, for example on Gigabyte (not all) or Asus motherboards, you can change the boot order simply by dragging the disk images accordingly with the mouse.
If this is not possible, look in the BIOS Features section, in the Boot Options item (the last item may be located in a different place, but the boot order is set there).
Setting up booting from a flash drive in AMI BIOS
Please note that in order to perform all the described steps, the flash drive must be connected to the computer in advance, before entering the BIOS. To set boot from a flash drive in AMI BIOS:
- In the menu at the top, press the “right” key and select “Boot”.
- After that, select the Hard Disk Drives item and in the menu that appears, press Enter on 1st Drive.
- In the list, select the name of the flash drive - in the second picture, for example, it is Kingmax USB 2.0 Flash Disk. Press Enter, then Esc.
Menu for BIOS boot settings
Next step:
- Select “Boot device priority”
- Select “First boot device”, press Enter,
- Again, specify the flash drive.
If you need to boot from a CD, then specify the DVD ROM drive. Press Esc, in the menu at the top from the Boot item, move to the Exit item and select Save changes and exit or “Exit saving changes” - when asked if you are sure that If you want to save the changes you have made, you will need to select Yes or type “Y” from the keyboard, then press Enter. After this, the computer will reboot and begin using the flash drive, disk, or other device you selected to boot.
Booting from a flash drive into BIOS AWARD or Phoenix
In order to select a device to boot into Award BIOS, in the main settings menu, select Advanced BIOS Features, then with First Boot Device selected, press Enter.
A list of devices from which you can boot will appear - HDD-0, HDD-1, etc., CD-ROM, USB-HDD and others. To boot from a flash drive, you must install a USB-HDD or USB-Flash. To boot from a DVD or CD - CD-ROM. After that, go up one level by pressing Esc, and select the menu item “Save & Exit Setup”.
Setting up boot from external media in H2O BIOS
To boot from a flash drive into the InsydeH20 BIOS, which is found on many laptops, in the main menu, using the “right” key, you need to go to the “Boot” item. Set External Device Boot to Enabled. Below, in the Boot Priority section, use the F5 and F6 keys to set External Device to the first position. If you need to boot from DVD or CD, select Internal Optic Disc Drive.
After that, go to Exit in the menu at the top and select “Save and Exit Setup”. The computer will reboot from the desired media.
Boot from USB without entering BIOS (Windows 8, 8.1 and Windows 10 with UEFI only)
If your computer has one of the latest versions of Windows installed, and the motherboard has UEFI software, then you can boot from a flash drive without even entering the BIOS settings.
To do this: go to settings - change computer settings (via the panel on the right in Windows 8 and 8.1), then open “Update and Recovery” - “Recovery” and click the “Restart” button in the “Special boot options” item.
On the “Select Action” screen that appears, select “Use device.” USB device, network connection, or DVD."
On the next screen you will see a list of devices from which you can boot, which should include your flash drive. If suddenly it is not there, click “View other devices”. After selection, the computer will reboot from the USB drive you specified.
Just like that, just select boot from a flash drive in the BIOS.
In this article we will talk about how to boot from usb drive, and about some of the problems associated with it.
Attention! To configure the computer's BIOS to boot from a flash drive, the flash drive must be connected to the computer. Connect the flash drive to the USB port, restart the computer, and only then enter the BIOS or call the Boot menu.
When you need it
In most cases, booting from a USB drive is required to:
- operating system installation;
- diagnosing problems;
- hardware testing;
- removing viruses from your computer.
In order to boot from a flash drive, it is not necessary to go into BIOS settings, change parameters and save them. Often, it is enough to bring up the Boot menu while the POST screen is displayed and select boot from USB.
One-time boot from flash drive
Depending on the manufacturer of the laptop or desktop computer motherboard, different keys may be responsible for calling the boot menu. Most often this F8, F10, F11, F12 or Esc. Look for a prompt on the screen when you boot your computer. Usually it sounds like Boot Menu or Press .. to select boot device:
IN Boot Menu, select USB-HDD:
If you cannot boot from a flash drive, enter the BIOS settings and set the following parameter values:
USB-HDD: Enabled
USB floppy: Enabled
Legacy support: Enabled
External device Boot: Enabled
Secure Boot:Disabled
Different bios from different manufacturers have different parameters. Don't assume that you will necessarily encounter all of these options on one computer. We have simply listed the names of all possible parameters that may affect booting from USB flash.
Setting up boot from a flash drive in BIOS settings
This method will be useful if:
- you often boot from USB or constantly work in an OS loaded from USB:
- you don't want to bring up the Boot menu every time you need to boot from USB.
1. When the computer boots, press the key to enter the BIOS settings. Most often this Del, F2 or F10. If you are unable to enter the BIOS using these keys, read the manual for your computer or your motherboard and find out which key allows you to enter the settings.
2. If you have an AMI BIOS, go to the section Boot => Boot Device Priority and select the USB flash drive as the first boot device.
If you have an AWARD BIOS, go to the section Advanced BIOS Features and in setting First Boot Device select USB-HDD.
Save your settings.
how to set boot in bios, just now I'll tell you how to boot windows from flash drives .It happens that for some reason the CD-ROM does not work or you have a netbook and there is no seedrom. Therefore, you don’t have to do anything like boot Windows from a flash drive. And cleaning the computer no longer helps, either. And the biggest snag comes in installing how to boot a flash drive into the BIOS from USB. Now let's look at the methods.
Now I will give examples of how you can boot into the BIOS from a flash drive. But also, if something is not clear, you can look at the article, maybe there I explained in more detail about the process itself.
How to set boot from flash in BIOS
A window like this appears or see below if different:
We go to the selected item.
In point First Boot Device choose Hard Disk(or maybe USB-HDD or USB-FDD) and press Enter.
We put it there boot from flash drive to the first place, sometimes by simply pressing the Enter key, and sometimes by pressing + or -, or maybe F5 or F6, usually it is written on the bottom right.
Select and save F10 and Enter.
There is such a BIOS, it’s even easier with it, but you may need to find the menu again Hard Disk Boot.
Modern Bios
In modern BIOS everything is simpler. There are several options to choose from. The first one is when the BIOS is loaded, you can simply drag the flash drive to the first place with the mouse and save the changes by pressing F10. But if you don’t have such a function, then go to advanced settings (Advanced Mode) or if there is a boot tab.
In the advanced settings, go to the boot tab and go down until you see the device boot lines. We go to point number 1 enter.
Download options will appear. Select the flash drive and save with F10.
You may also have USB disabled and then you will not be able to boot. To do this, enable it, usually these are the following items:
I gave an example of common cases booting windows from flash drive. If something doesn’t work out, write, I will always answer, good luck =)
P/S: Read the next article for detailed installation of Windows XP and version 7. Let's look at the installation in detail in pictures, both for beginners and experienced users. And that’s all for this article on how to install a flash drive in the BIOS =)
Everyone thinks about how to enable booting from a flash drive in the BIOS. large quantity users. After all, flash drives are increasingly used to install an operating system on a computer; media such as DVDs are a thing of the past. Why pay money to a master if you can do everything yourself?
The USB standard appeared in 1994, and was developed by a number of companies - US Robotics, Microsoft and other companies. In the 90s, the standard began to be supported in the BIOSes of corporate PCs (in the mass segment only in the early 2000s). This made it possible to reinstall the OS from flash drives, while USB support in Windows began with version 95 OSR2.
The first USB drives appeared in 2000 (developed by the Israeli company M-Systems). The ability to launch the installation of the operating system from a USB drive allows you to both reduce the duration of the procedure itself and ensure its reliability.
There are two types of BIOS in the PC world. The first, simpler and older, appeared back in the days of MS-DOS (80s). It has keyboard control only, an interface similar to Norton Commander (MS-DOS shell). The UEFI system differs from its predecessor in its window interface, the way it interacts with the OS (mouse and keyboard), and the boot procedure.
The UEFI standard was developed by Intel for Itanium processors. Thanks to optimized code, high stability and security, the technology began to be implemented on ARM architectures, as well as x64 and x86.
The main advantage of UEFI for the common user
The new type of BIOS initially supports GPT hard drive partitioning. Thanks to this, drives larger than 2 TB can be connected to the PC motherboard. Windows operating systems began to support GPT only with the release of version 8. Previously, the MBR markup type was used. Its main feature is that it supports only 4 partitions (GPT has an unlimited number). Remember that the standards are incompatible, which means that problems may arise when installing an older OS in place of a new one (for example, when downgrading from Windows 10, 8.1 to 7 or Vista). It is also worth remembering that booting from a flash drive into the BIOS will require some settings. You will need to log in service menu through calling certain keyboard commands (each manufacturer has its own).
Installation from USB requires a number of operations:
- connecting a USB storage device, turning on the device;
- entering the BIOS menu through the boot partition, it is called Boot Device Priority (usually the F2, F11, F12 keys are used for this);
- then set “Boot from USB” or simply select the name of the flash drive in the list of devices;
- save the changes and exit the BIOS menu.
USB is often defined as USB HDD (in older BIOS versions).
Setting up BIOS to boot from a flash drive
Remember that setting up the BIOS to boot from a flash drive will require some knowledge of a foreign language. To permanently configure the BIOS for priority boot from a USB port, you need to get into the service menu, and to do this, press one or a combination of keys on the keyboard. Usually you need to press F2, Esc, Delete to do this. Since each manufacturer uses its own login algorithms, keyboard commands may vary. For example, you can enter the Phoenix BIOS by pressing the combinations Ctrl+Alt+Ins, Ctrl+Alt+Esc or Ctrl+Alt+S (depending on the year of manufacture and specific model device motherboard).
Using the combinations Ctrl+Alt+Esc or simply pressing Del, you can enter the Award BIOS, boot from a flash drive, then proceed in the standard way. Going into the BIOS Setup Utility, look for Boot Device Priority and select USB Flash if there is only one. If there are several devices, look for the name of the flash drive with the operating system. Remember that the selection of devices and migration through the menu is carried out using the arrows on the keyboard, entering the section or confirming with the Enter key. The F8 or F10 keys (depending on the manufacturer) or the Save and Exit Setup menu section will help you save settings in the BIOS.
Operating system installation
To completely install a Windows operating system from scratch, it is important to understand how to boot from a flash drive using PC settings (this step is described in detail above). However, what should you do if the BIOS does not allow booting from a flash drive (you searched the entire menu and did not find such a section)? Remember, if the flash drive is faulty and the PC “does not see it,” then it may simply not appear in the boot menu. If everything is fine with the flash drive, but it is not visible in the boot section, then most likely you are dealing with a very old PC that does not have the ability to boot the system via USB. This usually applies to desktop PCs and laptops manufactured before 2005. Sometimes you can see in the menu not the name of your flash drive, but the inscription USB HDD, select it to boot (the system installation will work). Remember that if several storage devices powered by USB are connected to the PC, then you need to select the boot priority in the advanced settings, indicating your “bootable USB flash drive” first.
Remember that you can boot older operating systems from USB, up to Windows XP, but their installation differs from installation from a disk. At the same time, installing newer operating systems, starting with Vista, from a flash drive is a pleasure.
Preparing the distribution for installation from a flash drive
Here is a PC with working US ports, and you can set the operating system to boot from a flash drive. You will initially have to prepare both the PC and the drive for the OS installation procedure. Since booting from a flash drive has already been configured in bios (the procedure is described in detail above), all that remains is to prepare the drive for installation. For these purposes, you can use a free service program from Microsoft - Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (suitable for both Vista and 7, as well as Windows 8, 8.1, 10). Next, you can use the universal paid program UltraISO, which will help you make a bootable USB flash drive with any operating system, both Linux and Windows (Vista and newer). If you are interested in how to make a bootable drive for older Windows systems, such as XP, then the Win Setup From USB program will help you. Each of these programs has good instructions for creating bootable OS images. This will allow you to quickly install the operating system on your device.
In addition to installing the OS on a PC, it can be run in Live mode (Linux distributions) or in troubleshooting and recovery mode (Windows OS starting from Vista).
System setup without reinstallation
Correctly loading a distribution kit with Windows OS will allow you to solve emergency situations, such as losing a boot record on the system partition of your hard drive after a virus attack, or rolling back the system to an earlier state through restore points (Windows 7, Vista). Since you can boot a computer from a flash drive to work in Live mode, setting the BIOS to boot from USB is very popular. Correct booting from a flash drive allows you to comfortably work on Linux systems without installing the latter on the device’s hard drive. At the same time, you can watch streaming video online, edit documents, listen to music, and communicate on social networks.
This method of using a PC is also advantageous in that you can work on the machine with a password. After all, if you boot from a flash drive in the BIOS (provided that the latter is not locked with a password), then you can use almost any computer for your own purposes. In addition, Linux OS will help you see files on such a computer that you did not have access to with Windows (you had an administrator password). So, you can use a flash drive through the BIOS to obtain the information you are interested in.
Why you need to work carefully in the BIOS
Remember that installation from a flash drive through BIOS settings must be carried out very carefully, in strict accordance with the instructions. It is advisable to never set a password for access to the BIOS, since if you forget it or enter it incorrectly, the system will be locked and the installed settings will remain there forever (only flashing the ROM of the BIOS chip helps). You will have to pay a lot of money to repair your PC.
Before installing a new operating system from a flash drive, it is advisable to save all your personal data, not only from drive C (“My Documents”, “Downloads”, “Desktop”, “Pictures”, “Music”), but also D. If there is no password on the BIOS, then installing Windows from a flash drive will not be difficult. All new Windows operating systems, after adjusting the BIOS boot settings during installation, are no different from those using media in the form of a CD or DVD. All menus and commands are the same, only the operation is much faster (data exchange speed from USB is higher than from a disk drive). Before installation, simply select the OS for which there is a license and support from the device.
Does a bootable flash drive deteriorate over time?
Having learned how to configure the BIOS for booting, and having completed all the instructions and installing the system, the user may wonder whether to leave the data or erase the flash drive. If you installed Windows 7, Ubuntu 16.04 and later, then you needed a drive of 4 GB or higher. On the one hand, this one is now cheap, on the other hand, it can be useful for everyday use. However, experienced computer technicians try to install Windows from a flash drive, so they leave the system on the drive and do not use it in everyday life, connecting it only to boot the OS. Since a flash drive does not deteriorate while it is idle, it can store files for centuries, which is not the case with optical disks.
Having learned how to enable booting from a flash drive in the BIOS, the user only needs to prepare the drive, select the type of downloadable content, save all important personal data and perform the installation.
Depending on the power of the PC and the data transfer standard it supports, installing the operating system through a USB 1.1, 2.0 or 3.0 port can take several minutes or even hours. All devices (laptops, netbooks, desktop machines) that are less than 10 years old boot perfectly from flash drives.
Incorrect setup and consequences
The user must understand that if he configures the BIOS incorrectly, he can always reset the settings to “default” values. Moreover, to do this, you need to use the Save and Exit Setup menu item that was previously selected to save the parameters.
If you are interested in how to enable this mode, then it is very simple - you need to select the Load Defaults BIOS item (sometimes you will see the words Load Safe-Fail Defaults or Load BIOS Setup Defaults). You can also remove the BIOS battery on the motherboard of a desktop PC or laptop (although you will have to thoroughly disassemble the latter). For stationary devices on system board you can find a jumper or switch that will “reset” the BIOS settings to factory settings.
All these methods will help eliminate problems with the BIOS, but they will not remove the password from it, so it is recommended to use them only as a last resort.
Sometimes there are quite unpleasant situations when the operating system crashes. And to restore you need the original disk. If you don’t have one available, you can write the image to a regular flash drive. But here's the problem - what to do when the BIOS does not allow booting from a flash drive? Many users simply do not know what to do and are lost in this matter. Let's try to dot all the i's.
How to enable booting from a flash drive in BIOS using the simplest method?
To set these parameters, you must first decide how exactly you will enter the BIOS. The most common way is to use the Del, F2, F12, etc. keys.
However, on the same laptops Sony Vaio access is carried out using a special ASSIST button located on the keyboard panel. On some laptops, the BIOS can only be accessed by calling the primary boot menu using the Esc key.
How to set Yes in BIOS is very simple. After calling the I/O system, you need to go to the boot section. Here you need to find the boot priority line, which may have different names, depending on the developer and manufacturer of the BIOS (Boot Device Priority, Boot Sequence, etc.). In any case, something like this will be present. But that's not the point.
What to do if the BIOS does not allow booting from a flash drive?
It also happens that the bootable flash drive is not recognized by the primary I/O system. With what it can be connected? There are usually several reasons for this:
- incorrectly recorded image or installation distribution;
- damage to the USB drive itself.
To make sure that all the steps for booting from a flash drive are completed correctly, there are several steps you need to take. For now, let’s leave the question of how to enable booting from a flash drive in the BIOS in the background, and move on to pressing problems.
Checking in Device Manager
Let's start with the last point. When checking the device itself for its functionality, there can be two options: either it is faulty itself, or the accompanying driver responsible for recognizing the flash drive by the operating system is missing or installed incorrectly.
In case of malfunctions everything is clear. The device will simply have to be replaced. But what to do when it is in working condition (at least detected on another computer or laptop)? We need to check its functionality. And to do this, in the simplest version, you just need to insert it into the appropriate USB 2.0/3.0 port, and then call the standard “Device Manager” through the “Control Panel” or use the devmgmt command in the “Run” menu bar (Win + R).
Let's assume that after inserting it into the port, it may either not be displayed in the manager or be displayed with a yellow icon on which it is present. In the second case, everything is simple: you need to install or re-install the driver. It may very well be that the system itself does not find suitable driver, although it should do it automatically. But this mostly applies to non-standard devices. Flash drives like Transcend are usually recognized immediately.
If the device is not displayed in the corresponding manager, there may also be two reasons: either the corresponding universal USB controller driver is not installed, or the port itself is faulty. Again, you should install the driver (the controller is indicated in yellow or is not in the manager at all), or try to plug the flash drive into a different port. It is worth considering that if the device is designed exclusively for data transfer only with USB 3.0 support, when connected to standard port 2.0 it will not be determined.
Formatting USB device partitions
Let’s leave aside the question of how to boot from a flash drive in the BIOS for now, and let’s move on to the procedures, without which even recording an image to install the system on the device may be in vain.
First of all, if the device has problems in operation or no action can be taken with it, you should first format it. In this case, it is not advisable to quickly clear the table of contents, but rather complete formatting. Only in this case will the file system contained on it ensure correct data transfer and reading.
This operation is performed in standard Explorer. On the device you just need to right-click and select the appropriate line from the menu. In the new window, be sure to uncheck the quick formatting line, and then activate the start of the process. Depending on the total volume, this may take a long time.
Creating a bootable distribution
If we consider the question of how to set boot from a flash drive in the BIOS even more broadly, we cannot ignore the issue of creating a boot image and transferring it to the drive. This can be done using the UltraISO utility or similar.
However, the source must be the original Windows installation disc. Actually, it’s not that difficult, so there’s no point in dwelling on this in detail. And if the BIOS does not allow booting from a flash drive, in the future it all comes down to correctly transferring the image or unpacked distribution files to the drive. Here you will have to tinker a little.
Media preparation
If you use the system's own tools, even after formatting the USB device, you need to perform a number of additional actions (it is assumed that the image has already been created from the original disk using the same UltraISO program or even 7-Zip, and the flash drive is in working condition and connected to a computer or laptop).
First, call the command line (cmd in the “Run” menu), always on behalf of the system administrator. In the console that appears, enter and press the enter button.
After this, use the list disk command, again, followed by pressing the Enter key, after which we look through the available disks and remember the USB device number. To accurately check the USB drive number, you can use the diskmgmt.msc command entered in the Run menu.
Now in the console you need to enter the select disk command and, separated by a space, indicate the number of the disk you are looking for. Next, the device should be cleared of its contents using the clean command.
The next step is to create a primary boot partition. This is done using the create partition primary command followed by entering. After confirmation of a successful operation appears on the screen, use the select partition 1 command, then - active (to activate the selected partition) and finally - format fs=ntfs quick for formatting with selection If you need to create a file FAT systems 32, a similar command is used: format fs=fat32 quick.
The next step is to assign a name to the device using the assign command (the name will be assigned automatically). Finally, enter exit and finish the job. The bootable USB device is ready to use. All that remains is to correctly transfer the distribution files to it.
Transferring data to a flash drive
At this stage, no configuration will be required. We don’t yet need a BIOS to boot from a flash drive, but we will need the 7-Zip program. In the very simple version with its help you can correctly copy installation files to the media (roughly speaking, extract them from the image).
We launch the Zip File Manager utility from the standard “Explorer”, then select the installation distribution image previously created or downloaded from the Internet, specify the flash drive as the final device and confirm the actions by pressing the OK button. At the end of the process, the media will be completely ready for use.
Start download
Now let’s move on to the question of how to set the BIOS to boot from a flash drive directly. We reboot the system and at the initial stage press a key or key combination to enter the BIOS settings. Usually these are Del, F2, F12 (for ASUS laptops, BIOS loading from a flash drive is done this way), but other keys or combinations described above can also be used. Depending on the manufacturer of the equipment, you may first need to call up the main menu. This situation is typical for laptops like HP - booting from a flash drive (BIOS) is installed somewhat differently, although the operations themselves are very similar.
In the boot section, look for the Boot Device Priority item and look at the line 1-st Boot Device. By pressing the PgDn key, we select the desired device, after which we exit and save the parameters (as a rule, this is done using the F10 key). This is followed by a reboot, and the installation starts automatically.
However, it is not enough to know how to select boot from a flash drive in the BIOS. It is important to remember that you should call up the settings of the primary I/O system only when a USB device is connected before starting to boot your computer or laptop. Otherwise, the flash drive simply will not be detected.
How to fix problems?
Now let's look at a situation where the device seems to be working, since all the steps described above were supposedly performed correctly, but in fact there is still no boot from a flash drive in the BIOS. What to do in this case?
We still use the same command line. Let's assume that the USB device in the system is designated by the letter F, and optical drive- E. Now you need to enter the command E:\Boot\bootsect.exe /nt60 F: (F is a flash drive in our case, and E is a disk drive).
Alternative method
If this does not work, enter the following one by one:
F:\Boot\bootsect.exe /nt60 F:
After this, everything will definitely work as expected.
Compatibility issues
If none of the above methods help, first you should pay attention to the state of the drivers. The best option is to use programs like Driver Booster, which can update drivers automatically.
If everything is fine with them, the reason may be that the user is trying to install a 32-bit system over a 64-bit one. In addition, the file system on the USB drive and the installation distribution may also differ in terms of bit depth. In fact, the flash drive itself may not support the USB 3.0 ports into which it is plugged in. Here you need to be very careful.
Instead of a total
That, in fact, is all that concerns how to set boot from a flash drive in the BIOS. Of course, many users may have questions about the advisability of using their own system tools for preliminary actions, because automated programs make this much faster and easier. But here I would like to note that such knowledge is extremely important, and programs in case of failures in Internet access are also not always available.
But a prerequisite, as is already clear, is a disk image, which is created based on the original or downloaded from the Internet. You can't go anywhere without him. It remains to add that attention should also be focused on the bit depth of the system being installed, since the 32-bit version will not install over the 64-bit version without formatting the system partition. This is only due to the fact that OS versions require 32 bits and 64-bit modifications require at least NTFS. And the flash drive itself must contain the appropriate FAT or NTFS file systems, and not UDP, as sometimes happens. As for the volume, 4 GB will be quite enough for any system, including even the tenth modification that is gaining popularity.
In the previous article I showed how to log in from BIOS to different computers and laptops. But why do they go there? In 90% of cases, in order to change boot disk default and boot into a portable operating system or start a new one Windows installation. In fact, the principle is the same everywhere, all you need is a little care and logic. And to better understand this, I will show you several videos shot on different computers.
Two ways to boot your computer
There are two options. The first is to set the default boot device in the BIOS (aka SETUP). This will mean that every time you turn on the computer will boot from the specified device. If it turns out to be inaccessible or not bootable, then it will try to boot from the second device in the list, which you can also specify. If it doesn’t work, then the computer will move further down the list.
Almost everyone supports the second method modern computers and laptops. When you start your computer, you need to call up the boot device selection menu. This way you can choose what to boot from one time, it’s very convenient.
To select a boot device in the BIOS, the first way is to go into it and look at its interface. If these are blue windows, then most likely it’s an Award, if they’re gray, then it’s AMI, if it’s a graphical interface, then it’s UEFI. There are other options. In general, just look at the screenshots or videos and compare it with what you see.
How to boot from a device without entering BIOS
To do this, just press a button when you start your computer or laptop. For example, this BIOS Award suggests pressing "F9" to bring up the boot menu:
It will say something similar to “Press F9 to Select Booting Device after POST”, i.e. press "F9" to select boot device. Click and see the following:
This is a list of discovered devices. Select a flash drive, CD/DVD disk or something else and press “Enter”. IN AMI BIOS it might be different:
It says "Press F8 for BBS POPUP". This means that you need to press “F8” so that the selection menu appears. On laptops this may be the “F12” key, and the menu will be like this:
We just choose what we want and wait for it to load. Here's a video of that moment:
And this is a clear example of an EFI BIOS (UEFI) with a graphical interface and even a working mouse! If you have a computer with UEFI, then when you get into the BIOS you will see the following picture:
At the bottom of the screen there is a section Boot Priority, where you can use the mouse (by dragging) to set the desired boot order. You can also:
- Click the “Exit/Advanced mode” button in the upper right corner
- select Advanced mode in the window that appears
- go to the “Boot” tab
- in the Boot Option Priorities section in the “Boot Option #1” field, set the default boot device to a flash drive, DVD-ROM, hard drive or other available device.
Owners of Hewlett-Packard computers will probably find the following picture in the BIOS:
In the “Storage –> Boot order” menu, select the desired device, press “Enter”, then move it to the very top and press “Enter” again. Save the settings in the menu “File -> Save and Exit”.
Consider the option with Award BIOS
How to choose what to boot from in AMI BIOS
AMI BIOSes look different than Award ones. After entering SETUP, go to the “Boot” section using the “right” button. There you will find two important points:
Hard Disk Drives - needed to boot from a flash drive or hard drive. We go there and select our USB device (flash drive) in the line “1st Drive” (may be called “First Drive”) and go to the previous menu with the “ESC” button
Please note that if we had selected a hard drive in the previous step, then in this list instead of a flash drive there would only be a hard drive!
To boot from a CD/DVD disk, you need to select “ATAPI CD-ROM” (or simply “CDROM”) in this menu; there is no need to go to the “Hard Disk Drives” menu. Now we save the results with the “F10” button or go to the “Exit” section of the BIOS and select “Exit Saving Changes”
We answer the question “OK.” And here is an example of an AMI BIOS that looks like Award. Here everything is the same by analogy, you need to go to the “Hard Disk Drives” submenu
and select your flash drive in the “1st Drive” item, and then select it in the “1st Boot Device” line in the previous screenshot instead of the hard drive
On computers and laptops everything is approximately the same. For example on regular laptop Lenovo in the “Boot” section lists all devices at once, which is very convenient. There is no confusion with priority and no additional menu items. You just need to set the boot order of the devices using the “F5/F6” buttons. That is, to boot from USB you just need to move the flash drive to the very top:
Just in case, I'll give you the transcript:
- USB HDD: flash drive or external hard drive
- ATAPI CD: this is a CD or DVD-ROM
- ATA HDD or simply HDD: hard drive
- USB FDD: external floppy drive
- USB CD: external disk drive
Watch the video on how to enter the AMI BIOS and set the boot device https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WojKPDi6a74
On some laptop models, such as the Lenovo G500, you need to press the OneKey Recovery key when the laptop is turned off.
Problems booting from USB devices
Where would we be without them? What to do if the computer does not boot from a flash drive? Let's look at the main problems. First check if it is disabled USB controller in BIOS. In Award, you can check this in the “Advanced Chipset Features” or “Integrated Peripherals” section. Look for the “USB Controller” option, it should be in the “Enabled” state
In AMI, in the “Advanced” section, the “USB 2.0 Controller” option should be “Enabled” and “USB 2.0 Controller Mode” should be in the “HiSpeed” state
There may also be problems with the sockets on the front panel system unit– try connecting to the USB at the back of the computer.
If you have SETUP as in the photo, then on the “Startup” tab switch the “UEFI/Legacy Boot” value to the “Legacy Only” position
Then the reason may be in the flash drive itself or in the disk. They must definitely be bootable! You can check this on another computer where everything works.
On very old computers there is no way to boot from USB flash drives at all. If there is no newer BIOS available, then the PLOP project will help you. You need to download the latest version of Plop Boot Manager and unpack the archive. There are files there: plpbt.img - an image for a floppy disk, and plpbt.iso - an image for a CD.
Accordingly, if you have a floppy disk, then write the image for the floppy disk onto it, and if you have a CD-R/RW disk, then write the image for the disk. You can’t just copy the file onto the media, you need to use special programs. Next, boot from this disk and in the menu that appears you need to select your USB device. This way you can boot from flash drives even on very old computers.