You have a bootable DVD or USB flash drive, now you need to make the computer boot from them.
There are 2 ways to boot your computer from a DVD or USB flash drive:
- Selecting a device in the boot menu
- Changing Boot Priority in BIOS
Each method has pros and cons.
If you need, for example, to install Windows, then it is more convenient to choose the first method. And if you constantly work with boot disks, then the second method is more convenient.
Features of choosing a device in the boot menu
- On older computers (motherboards) the function is missing. In this case, you will have to change the priority in the BIOS.
- When you select a device in the menu, the computer boots from this device 1 time. This is convenient when installing Windows - you do not need to return the boot from the HDD after the first reboot.
Features of changing the priority in BIOS
- Works on both new and old computers.
- The priority is constantly changing, i.e. valid until the next change, and not one download as is the case with the menu. This is not very convenient when installing Windows from a USB flash drive, you have to return the boot from the HDD after the first reboot.
How do I enter the boot menu or BIOS?
There is no universal button for entering the boot menu or entering the BIOS. It all depends on the manufacturer of the computer (motherboard), they are all different - the keys are also different. The most correct way to find the right key is to read the instructions from the computer (motherboard). For some of the most common boards - the keys are listed below.
There is only one time when you need to press these keys - during the self-test immediately after turning on the computer (English - Power-On Self-Test or POST). If you do not go into details, POST lasts from turning on the computer until the operating system starts loading (the appearance of a logo or OS selection menu). The POST pass looks like this:
The screen displays a prompt: Press DEL to run Setupwhich means - press DEL to enter BIOS Setup... DEL is the most common key, but there are many others - more on that below.
During POST, a graphical splash screen may appear with the name of the manufacturer of the computer or motherboard.
Boot menu keys and quick instructions
As noted above, each manufacturer has its own key to enter the boot menu. Here is a small list of the most common ones:
The boot menu looks like this:
You just have to select the desired device from the list. If everything is done correctly, the disk or flash drive is written correctly, the download / installation should start.
BIOS keys and quick instructions for changing boot priority
To enter BIOS Setup, use the key corresponding to the manufacturer of the computer or motherboard, here is a small list of them:
Acer (Aspire, Altos, Extensa, Ferrari, Power, Veriton, TravelMate): | F2 or Del |
Acer (old models): | F1 or Ctrl+Alt+Esc |
F2 or Del |
|
Compaq (Deskpro, Portable, Presario, Prolinea, Systempro): | |
Compaq (old models): | F1, F2, F10, or Del |
Dell (Dimension, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex, Precision, Vostro, XPS): | |
Dell (old and rare models): | Ctrl+Alt+Enter or Fn+Esc or Fn+F1 or Del or Reset twice |
ECS (Elitegroup) | Delor F1 |
eMachines (eMonster, eTower, eOne, S-Series, T-Series): | Tab or Del |
eMachines (some older models): | |
Fujitsu (Amilo, DeskPower, Esprimo, LifeBook, Tablet): | |
Hewlett-Parkard (HP Alternative, Tablet PC): | F2 or Esc or F10 or F12 |
Hewlett-Parkard (OmniBook, Pavilion, Tablet, TouchSmart, Vectra): | |
Lenovo (3000 Series, IdeaPad, ThinkCentre, ThinkPad, ThinkStation): | F1 or F2 |
Lenovo (older models): | Ctrl+Alt+F3, Ctrl+Alt+Ins or Fn+F1 |
MSI (Micro-Star) | |
F2, F10 or Del |
|
Sony (VAIO, PCG-Series, VGN-Series): | F1, F2 or F3 |
Toshiba (Portege, Satellite, Tecra): | F1 or Esc |
You will find less common hotkeys for entering BIOS.
In addition to the fact that there are several major BIOS manufacturers (AMI, Phoenix - Award), so also computer (motherboard) manufacturers modify the BIOS for a specific model. As a result, it is impossible to create a universal instruction even for changing one function (boot priority), there will be differences on each computer. You can only roughly show how this is done, and look for the exact instructions in the documentation for your computer (motherboard).
To navigate the BIOS and change settings, use the arrows on the keyboard, the Enter and + \- .
AMI
Move the arrows to the tab Boot, go to Boot Device Priority:
In the following figure, we see that the boot is performed sequentially: from the floppy drive (Floppy Drive), hard disk (Hard Drive), and the third device is not used (Disabled).
If we want to boot from a DVD, we need to change the priorities so that the first device is the DVD drive. Use the arrows to switch to the first device ( 1st Boot Device), press Enter and select in the menu that appears CDROM... With a flash drive, everything is the same.
Push F10 and confirm the exit with saving (Save and Exit) by choosing .
Phoenix-Award
We enter Advanced BIOS Features:
If we want to boot from a DVD, we need to change the priorities so that the first device is the DVD drive.
Use the arrows to switch to the first device ( First Boot Device), change to CDROM... With a flash drive, everything is the same.
Push F10 and confirm the exit with saving (Save and Exit).
Do you know other keys or want to clarify? Comments are open!
Enjoy your use!
Most often, we remember about BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) only when we need to reinstall the operating system and need to somehow set it to boot from a disk or flash drive. I often wrote about this in articles like:, and others. Now I want to put together and refer only to this article when necessary. This article will be useful for all versions of BIOS and for different companies. A kind of unified directory
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 which version and manufacturer of your BIOS, from the manual that comes with the computer.
You can also find out by looking at the line at the top on the black screen at boot (the manufacturer will be indicated there).
Well, then enter the BIOS, knowing what kind of BIOS you have.
In some versions of the BIOS there is no such screen showing lines. There simply is a logo and at the bottom it says something like "Press F2 to enter SETUP" and then 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, keys are written to enter the BIOS and to display a list that contains available devices for loading and so that you can boot from it. But about him at the end of the article.
As you can see - most often you need to press a key F2 or Del.
Now you need to put a USB flash drive or disk in the boot.
Let's take a look at a few examples that differ from the BIOS manufacturer.
Setting up Award Bios for booting from a USB stick 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"
otherwise, you don't need to go anywhere - everything will be right before your eyes
Click on First Boot Device (First boot device), click Enter and such a window will appear
in which you need to select the disk or flash drive that will be launched first. You can specify the Second boot device, for example, but usually the BIOS fills in this data itself.
On a note:
If you choose 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 USB flash drive, it must be connected before turning on or before rebooting
Then press "F10" (for the exact key, see the prompt at the bottom of the screen with the name "Save", "Exit") or go to the main BIOS menu and select the item "Save and Exit Setup". In the red window, select "Yes" with the "Y" button on the keyboard and press "Enter"
The computer will reboot and when booting from the Windows installation disc, you may be prompted for a few seconds "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD ..."
Which translates as "Press any button to boot from CD or DVD".
This means that if at this moment you do not press any button on the keyboard, the computer will continue to boot from the next device in the list.
Another version of this bios:
I met this only on old computers ten years ago until 2003. The main menu looks like this:
To customize the boot order, you need to go to the menu BIOS FEATURES SETUP:
At this point, we just select with the PageUp and PageDown buttons (or Enter and arrows) what to put first - CDROM or USB flash drive. Don't forget about the second and third device
And further:
How to choose where to boot from in AMI BIOS
If, after entering Bios, you see such a screen, then 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 have selected in the previous tab (ie if you have selected a USB 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, and there is no need to go to the previous menu "Hard Disk Drives".
Now we save the results by pressing "F10" or go to the BIOS section "Exit" and select "Exit Saving Changes".
Another AMI BIOS, but everything is clear here:
Configuring Phoenix-Award Bios to Boot from a USB Flash Drive
If, after entering BIOS, you see such a screen, then you have Phoenix-Award BIOS:
We go to the “Advanced” tab and opposite the “First Boot Device” set what you need (USB flash drive or disk):
Save with F10
Configuring EFI (UEFI) Bios with a GUI to boot from a USB flash drive
Now you won't surprise anyone with this. Almost all new computers come with this kind of shell. You can read more about it in the article.
When loading, at the bottom of the screen there is a section "Boot Priority", where you can use the mouse (drag and drop) 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 a USB flash drive, DVD-ROM, hard disk or other available device.
How to boot from a USB 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 with a choice of loading will appear. This method does not change the BIOS settings.
Usually Award BIOS offers to press "F9" to call the boot menu, and AMI asks to press "F8". On notebooks, 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 USB flash drive in BIOS?
Possible reasons: 
On ancient computers, there is no way to boot from USB sticks at all. If there is no newer BIOS, then the project can help.
1) Download the latest version of "Plop Boot Manager" from the link above and unpack it.
2) The archive contains files: plpbt.img - an image for a floppy disk, and plpbt.iso - an image for a CD-ROM.
3) We write the image to disk and boot from it (or from a floppy disk).
4) A menu will appear in which we select our USB flash drive and boot from it already.
Small decoding of drive designations when choosing:
Do not forget after you have done what you wanted (namely, why did you change the boot in the BIOS) - return the boot settings back so that the computer boots from the hard drive.
In this article we will tell you about how to boot from USB disk, and some of the problems associated with it.
Attention! To configure the computer's BIOS to boot from a USB flash drive, the USB flash drive must be connected to the computer. Connect the USB 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 USB is required for:
- operating system installation;
- diagnosing problems;
- hardware testing;
- remove viruses on the computer.
In order to boot from a USB flash drive, it is not necessary to go into the BIOS settings, change the parameters and save them. It is often enough to bring up the Boot menu while the POST screen is displayed and select Boot from USB.
One-time boot from USB stick
Depending on the manufacturer of the laptop or the motherboard of the desktop computer, different keys may be responsible for calling the boot menu. Most often it is F8, F10, F11, F12 or Esc... Look for a prompt on the screen when booting up your computer. It usually sounds like Boot Menu or Press .. to select boot device:
IN Boot Menu, select USB-HDD:
If you cannot boot from a USB 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
In different bios, different manufacturers have different parameters. Do not think that all these parameters will necessarily be found on one computer. We have just listed the names of all possible parameters that can affect booting from USB flash.
Configuring boot from a flash drive in BIOS settings
This method is useful if:
- do you frequently boot from USB or constantly run an OS booted 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 up, press the key to enter BIOS setup. Most often it is Del, F2 or F10... If you are unable to enter 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 AMI BIOS, go to the section Boot \u003d\u003e Boot Device Priority and select the USB flash drive as the first boot device.
If you have AWARD BIOS, enter the section Advanced BIOS Features and in setting First Boot Deviceselect USB-HDD.
Save the settings.
In the previous article, I showed how to log in with BIOS on different computers and laptops. But why do they go there? In 90% of cases, in order to change the default boot disk and boot a portable operating system or start a fresh installation of Windows. In fact, the principle is the same everywhere, only a little care and consistency is required from you. And in order to better understand this, I will show you a few videos shot on various computers.
Two ways to boot your computer
There are two options. The first is to set the default boot device in BIOS (aka SETUP). This means that every time you turn on the computer will boot from the specified device. If it turns out to be unavailable or not bootable, then it will try to boot from the second device in the list, which you can also specify. If it does not work, then the computer will go further down the list.
The second method is supported by almost all modern computers and laptops. It is necessary to call the boot device selection menu when starting the computer. So you can choose from what to boot from once, it's very convenient.
To select a boot device in BIOS in the first way, you need to go into it and look at its interface. If these are blue windows, then most likely it is an Award, if gray ones, then AMI, if a graphical interface, then UEFI. There are other options as well. In general, just look at the screenshots or videos, and correlate it with what you saw on your own.
How to boot from a device without entering BIOS
To do this, it is enough to press a button when starting a computer or laptop. For example, this BIOS Award suggests pressing "F9" to open the boot menu:
It will say something similar to "Press F9 to Select Booting Device after POST". press "F9" to select the boot device. Click and see the following:
This is a list of discovered devices. Select a USB flash drive, CD / DVD or something else and press "Enter". In AMI BIOS it can be different:
It says "Press F8 for BBS POPUP". This means that you have to press "F8" to appear the selection menu. On notebooks, this can be the "F12" key, and the menu will be like this:
Just choose what you want and wait for the download. Here's a video of that moment:
Boot into UEFI BIOS
And this is a good 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 enter the BIOS, you will see the following picture:
At the bottom of the screen there is a Boot Priority section, where you can use the mouse (drag and drop) to set the desired boot order. You can also:
- click the "Exit / Advanced mode" button in the upper right corner
- select in the appeared window Advanced mode (advanced mode)
- go to the "Boot" tab
- in the Boot Option Priorities section in the “Boot Option # 1” field, set the default boot device to a USB flash drive, DVD-ROM, hard disk or other available device.
Owners of Hewlett-Packard computers will probably find the following picture in the BIOS:
In the menu "Storage -\u003e Boot order" select the desired device, press "Enter", then move it to the very top and press "Enter" again. Save the settings in the menu "File -\u003e Save and Exit".
Consider the option with an Award bios
How to choose where to boot into AMI BIOS
AMI BIOS looks different from Awards. After entering SETUP, go to the "Boot" section using the "right" button. There you will find two important points:
Hard Disk Drives - you will need it to boot from a USB flash drive or hard drive. We go there and select our USB-device (flash drive) in the line "1st Drive" (it may be called "First Drive") and exit to the previous menu with the "ESC" button
Please note that if we had selected a hard disk in the previous step, then in this list, instead of a flash drive, there would only be a hard disk!
To boot from a CD / DVD drive, you need to select "ATAPI CD-ROM" (or simply "CDROM") in this menu, and there is no need to go to the "Hard Disk Drives" menu. Now we save the results by pressing "F10" or go to the BIOS section "Exit" and select "Exit Saving Changes"
We answer the question "OK" And here is an example of AMI BIOS, which looks like an Award. Here everything is the same by analogy, you need to go to the submenu "Hard Disk Drives"
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 about the same. For example, on a regular Lenovo laptop in the Boot section, all devices are listed at once, which is very convenient. There is no confusion with priority and additional menu items. It is enough just to set the device boot order using the "F5 / F6" buttons. That is, to boot from USB, you just need to move the USB flash drive to the very top:
Just in case, I give a decryption:
- USB HDD: USB flash drive or external hard drive
- ATAPI CD: This is a CD or DVD-ROM
- ATA HDD or just HDD: hard drive
- USB FDD: External Floppy Disk Drive
- USB CD: External disc drive
Watch the video how to enter BIOS AMI and set the boot device https://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003dWojKPDi6a74
On some laptop models, such as the Lenovo G500, you need to press the OneKey Recovery key while the laptop is turned off.
Problems Booting from USB Devices
Where can we go without them. What to do if the computer does not boot from the USB flash drive? Let's consider the main problems. First, check if the USB controller is disabled in the BIOS. In the Award, this can be checked 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" in the "HiSpeed" state
There may also be problems with the jacks on the front panel of the system unit - try connecting to USB on 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 be bootable! You can check this on another computer where everything works.
On very old computers, there is generally no way to boot from USB sticks. If there is no newer BIOS, 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: plpbt.img is an image for a floppy disk, and plpbt.iso is an image for a CD.
Accordingly, if you have a floppy disk, then write an image for a floppy disk on it, and if you have a CD-R / RW disk, then write an image for a disk. It is impossible to simply rewrite the file to the medium, you need to use special programs. Next, boot from this disk and in the menu that appears, you need to select your USB device. Thus, you can boot from flash drives even on very old computers.
Hello! Today I rested all day, but Sunday. But towards the evening I thought that I needed something useful to write to my blog. I began to think what I hadn’t written yet, and what could be useful to you in the process of solving various computer breakdowns, and then the thought came that I had already written about that, and how I also wrote in it, but there is also a way by which, when turned on computer can select device to download without having to enter BIOS. I will write about this, I am sure that this advice will be useful to many.
It is often necessary to choose from which device you need to start the computer. For example, you want, or just boot your computer from a bootable disk to scan your computer for viruses. And to do this, you have to go into the BIOS, look for where this item is located in which the boot order is set, and also on different computers it is all done in different ways, and many at this stage abandon the idea of \u200b\u200brepairing the computer on their own.
If, for example, you need to boot from a CD / DVD disc, or a flash drive, for example, you can do without changing the settings in the BIOS. And now I will tell you how to do it.Selecting the boot device when turning on the computer
We insert the disc into the drive, or connect the USB flash drive. We restart the computer and as soon as it starts to boot, press the key F11.
A window will appear "Please select boot device:", in which, using the up and down arrows, select the device we need from which we want to boot, and confirm our choice by pressing "Enter". As you can see, I have the ability to boot from a drive, a USB flash drive and of course a hard drive.
Which device you choose, this will boot. As you can see, everything is much easier than digging into the BIOS settings. If nothing happens when you press F11, then there are at least two options:
- You have a USB keyboard, and the BIOS settings have disabled support for such keyboards when the computer starts. You need to connect a regular keyboard, and already with its help go to BIOS and in the Integrated Peripherals item find USB Keybord support and set the Enable value. After that your USB keyboard should work.
- And the second case, it's just that you have a different key installed to call the boot device selection menu when you turn on the computer, or simply this function is disabled in the same BIOS. For example, in Acer laptops in BIOS there is an item “F12 select boot device” (or something like that), which must be enabled by setting Enable. After that, the menu will be called by the F12 key.
It seems that he wrote everything, there will be questions, ask. Good luck!
