How to Boot from a USB Flash Drive in BIOS and UEFI

Booting from a USB flash drive can be essential for installing a new operating system, performing diagnostics, or using recovery tools. This guide will walk you through configuring BIOS and UEFI settings to boot from a USB drive.

Preparing a Bootable USB Flash Drive

Before working with BIOS or UEFI, ensure your USB drive is bootable. You can create a bootable USB using tools like Rufus or Etcher. Make sure that:

  • The flash drive is formatted to the FAT32 file system (required by most UEFI systems).
  • The USB contains the necessary boot files, such as OS installation files or recovery program files.

How to Boot from a USB in BIOS

  1. Enter BIOS: As soon as the computer starts, press the key to enter BIOS (often Delete, F2, or F12, depending on the device model).
  2. Go to the Boot section: Once in BIOS, locate the Boot tab or section.
  3. Select USB as the boot device: In the list of boot devices, select your USB drive. You may need to change the boot priority to move the USB drive to the top of the list.
  4. Save changes: Press F10 to save the changes and exit. The computer will restart and attempt to boot from the USB drive.

How to Boot from a USB in UEFI

UEFI is a more modern version of BIOS, offering a slightly different interface but a similar process. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Enter UEFI: When the device powers on, hold the designated key (F2, Delete, or Esc) to enter the UEFI menu.
  2. Find the Boot or Boot Priority section: In UEFI, look for a Boot Manager or Boot Priority tab.
  3. Select the USB drive as the primary boot device: UEFI allows you to choose USB directly by displaying it in the boot priority list.
  4. Save settings: Select Save and Exit or press F10 to save changes and restart the computer.

Common Issues When Booting from a USB

  • USB drive is not visible in the boot device list: Ensure the USB is correctly formatted and contains the appropriate boot files.
  • UEFI may require disabling Secure Boot: In some systems, temporarily disabling Secure Boot in UEFI settings may be necessary to boot from an external device.

By following these instructions, you should be able to boot from a USB flash drive in both BIOS and UEFI environments. We hope this guide makes the process easier for you.