How to put boot from flash drive in BIOS

The content of the article

• BIOS setup for boot from flash drive
• Downloading from a flash drive in Award Bios
• How to boot from a flash drive in AMI BIOS
• How to put boot from flash drive in Phoenix-Award Bios
• How to download windows from a flash drive in EFI (UEFI) Bios

Operating systems over time accumulate unnecessary files, parts of remote programs. There is a need to reinstall Windows or another OS. Most modern laptops (and sometimes desktop computers) do not already have CD-rom, so you need to know how to run a bootable USB flash drive through BIOS, set the launch priority.

BIOS setup for boot from flash drive

Every modern PC user should know how to install boot from a flash drive in BIOS. This is due to the gradual abandonment of drives and the convenience of using removable drives. It is much easier to copy the distribution kit (installer) of the system to the media and install from it. The only difficulty faced by everyone who decided to install the OS from the drive is the correct BIOS setup. It should change the boot priority, which will make the computer first read data from removable media, and only then run files from the hard drive.

Some PC owners are faced with the problem that BIOS does not see a bootable USB flash drive. To avoid this situation, you should follow these recommendations:

1. The drive must be in USB before starting the PC.
2. Connect the media to the 2.0 connector, because the 7th version of the OS does not have drivers for input 3.0.
3. Sometimes in BIOS there is no boot from a USB flash drive just because the USB controller is turned off (Award version). You must enable it from the Integrated Peripherals / Advanced Chipset Features section. Make sure the word Enabled is next to this line..

Downloading from a flash drive in Award Bios

Global laptop manufacturers (Lenovo, Asus, Sony, HP) can install different BIOS versions on their devices. Below is an example of how to install in BIOS a boot from a flash drive of the Award version:

1. Restart your computer, press Del or F2 until a blue screen appears.
2. Go to Advanced BIOS Features.
3. If immediately there is an option called First Boot Device, then you should click on it and switch to removable media with the OS.
4. In newer versions of the system firmware, there is an additional menu section called Boot Seq & Floppy Setup. Inside it, re-prioritize the drive as First Boot Device.
5. The second device is desirable to expose your hard drive. This will be needed during the installation process so that it does not start in a circle.
6. Use the Esc key to go to the main menu, go to Save & Exit Setup. Confirm save changes.

How to boot from a flash drive in AMI BIOS

Do not forget that bootable media must be inserted into the slot in advance. Below is an instruction on how to install boot from a flash drive in BIOS AMI:

• go to the settings using the Del button (press during the initial splash screen until the BIOS appears);
• using arrows, you need to select the Boot section;
• go to the Hard Disk Drives menu, then press enter on the 1st Drive line;
• from the list, select the name of your drive with the OS, press Enter.
• go to the Boot device priority section;
• enter the First boot device menu by pressing Enter;
• set the removable media again;
• go to the top menu, select Exit saving changes or Save changes and exit, confirm the consent to make changes.

How to put boot from flash drive in Phoenix-Award Bios

There is another version of the global settings. Below is an option on how to install boot from a flash drive in Phoenix BIOS. This option is encountered much less often, but the principle remains the same: you must prioritize the download so that the program launches the OS installer. To go to the settings, press Del or F2, then:

1. Check if the USB ports are turned on. Go to Peripherals and the word “Enabled” must be in front of the line “USB 2.0 Controller”.
2. After that, go to the Advanced tab, there, opposite the line “First Boot Device”, set the value to USB-HDD.
3. Exit settings with saving via Save & Exit Setup.

How to download windows from a flash drive in EFI (UEFI) Bios

The latest versions of Windows offer the simplest and most intuitive option on how to boot from a USB flash drive in BIOS. If in previous firmware the menu looked like a normal list, in which it was necessary to use the arrows on the keyboard for manipulation, then the new UEFI interface includes graphic elements, supports the use of the mouse. For different laptop models, the transition occurs using special buttons, for example:

• HP – first ESC, and then F10;
• Asus – Del, then F2.

Some users of Windows 8 note that they have problems with the transition to the BIOS version of UEFI. To solve this problem, use one of the following options:

1. Go to PC settings through the control panel, select the section with power settings. Here you need to turn off Fast Boot mode.
2. Restart the computer and press the buttons that are indicated on the start screen to go to the BIOS.
3. To restart Win 8, press Shift + Restart. In the menu after rebooting, select the Troubleshoot section. Go to “Advanced options”. Here you need to click UEFI Firmware Settings: you will be redirected to UEFI immediately after rebooting the PC.

There are two ways to start from the drive through the new BIOS. Do not forget that after reinstalling the OS, the boot priority settings will need to be reset to their original form (so that the hard disk is loaded first). Graphic global settings are very clear, any user can navigate the sections. To prioritize a drive, there are two simple options:

1. Go to the Boot Priority menu, it is located at the bottom of the screen. Drag the image of the removable drive to the first position instead of the hard drive and release.
2. Click on the Exit / Advanced mode button, accept the transition to advanced settings. Here everything is done according to the previous scheme: you need to click on the Boot Option Priorities item in the Boot section. In the line Boot Option # 1, select your removable drive. Save and exit settings.