A USB device is useful for a variety of scenarios, but boot your PC or laptop from it? That seems like a step too far.
However, in reality, this is a necessary step in many situations. If you are reinstalling Windows 11 or 10, or using software to clone hard drive, this is the easiest way.
Before you begin, there are three things you will need for the process to work:
- a bootable USB drive.
- a laptop or PC configured to boot from USB devices
- Software that will run from a USB drive
How to make a USB device bootable
A PC or laptop will not be able to boot from a USB drive unless it is formatted correctly and has the correct files and software that allow it to boot.
A common mistake is to copy an ISO file (containing an operating system) to a USB flash drive and assume that is all it needs to boot and install Windows or any other operating system. First, you need to use software that can write the files to the drive and make it bootable.
Several utilities can do this, including Rufus (which supports many operating systems) and Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool, which you can use to legally download Windows 10 or Windows 11 and put it on a USB drive .
With Rufus you have to be a little careful with the settings you use, but for the most part you just need to click on the CD drive icon, choose an ISO file and make sure the “Create disc bootable using” is checked.
These tools will warn you that they will delete everything from your USB drive, so make sure you’ve copied over any files you don’t want to lose before you start. You will also need to have downloaded the software you plan to boot from, be it Windows, Linux or something else.
How can I boot from USB in BIOS?
Many PCs and laptops are set to check for a USB flash drive before attempting to boot from a CD, DVD, or internal hard drive. But not all are configured this way. You may find that plugging in your USB drive before pressing the power button on your computer doesn’t work: it just boots Windows normally, or does nothing if you haven’t installed a Windows operating system yet. exploitation.
In this case, you must:
- Turn on your computer and press Delete, F2, F10 or F11 (this varies by device) to enter the BIOS
- Use the cursor keys to find the “Boot” menu or something similar
- Change the order so that USB is at the top of the list as the number one boot priority
If none of these keys work to enter the BIOS, check for a message on your monitor after pressing the computer’s power button. The message is usually at the bottom of the screen and says something like “Press F11 for boot options”.
Some PCs and laptops don’t display it, so you’ll need to check your manufacturer’s website to find out which key to press or even your motherboard manual.
Once in the BIOS, look for a menu or option that lets you see and change boot devices or boot priority. This varies from BIOS to BIOS, but is usually pretty obvious.
Be sure to change the first boot option (#1) because whichever setting is there will be the device that is tried first.
A small number of older PCs may not have the ability to boot from USB, but anything in the last decade should have this option. If you are still having problems, check that the USB ports have not been disabled in the BIOS. Different BIOSes work in different ways, but it should be pretty straightforward to figure out how to make a USB flash drive the first boot device.
Keep in mind that the thumb drive may need to be plugged into a USB port for it to appear in the boot options list.
Once you have everything set correctly, use the “Save and Exit” option in the BIOS to save your changes and restart the system (often this is the F10 key). Then your PC or laptop should boot from the USB drive when it restarts.
