Do you know what is the most common question among users who first decided to install Windows from a flash drive?
People constantly ask why Bios doesn’t see the bootable USB flash drive. To which I usually answer, is it bootable? 😛
In this short note, I would like to dwell on the main issues that you need to go through if you have a similar problem...
1. Is the bootable USB flash drive written correctly?
The most common thing is that the flash drive is written incorrectly.
Most often, users simply copy files from a disk to a flash drive... And, by the way, some say that it works for them. It’s possible, but you shouldn’t do this, especially since this option won’t work for most...
It is best to use a special program to burn a bootable USB flash drive. We have already gone through the most popular utilities in detail.
Personally, what I like best is to use the program: it can even burn Windows 7 or Windows 8 onto a flash drive or external hard drive. In addition, for example, the recommended utility “Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Toll” allows you to write an image only to an 8 GB flash drive (at least for me), but UltraISO will easily write an image to 4 GB!
To burn a flash drive, take 4 steps:
3) The settings window should appear. There are several important points to note here:
In the Disk Drive column, select exactly the flash drive on which you want to write the image;
Select the USB HDD option in the recording method column (without any pluses, dots, etc.);
Hide Boot Partition - select the no tab.
After that, click on the recording function.
4) Important!
When recording, all data on the flash drive will be deleted! Which, by the way, is what the program will warn you about.
After the message about successful recording of the bootable USB flash drive, you can begin setting up the BIOS.
2. Is the BIOS configured correctly, is there a function to support a bootable flash drive?
If the flash drive is written correctly (for example, as described just above in the previous step), most likely you simply configured the Bios incorrectly. Moreover, in some BIOS versions there are several boot options: USB-CD-Rom, USB FDD, USB HDD, etc.
2) Go to the download section. In different versions of Bios it may be called slightly differently, but the word “BOOT” is always present there. What interests us most is the loading priority: i.e. queue.
Just below the screenshot shows my download section on an Acer laptop.
The important thing here is that the boot from the hard drive comes first, which means the turn simply won’t reach the second line of the USB HDD. You need to make sure that the second line of the USB HDD becomes the first: on the right side of the menu there are buttons that can be used to easily move the lines and build the download queue the way you need.
ACER laptop. Setting up the boot partition - BOOT.
After the settings, it should look like the screenshot below. By the way, if you insert a flash drive before turning on the computer, and after turning it on, go into Bios, then you will see opposite the USB HDD line - the name of the flash drive and you can easily figure out which line you need to move to the first place!
Manufacturers of laptops and computers are increasingly abandoning bulky CD drives. This is understandable, because it allows you to save a lot of space and make the device much more compact.
Due to this new trend, users need to install the operating system not from a CD, but from a USB drive, and, as usual, this entails certain problems. For example, sometimes the BIOS does not see a flash drive, which means that further work with it becomes impossible. You can read below about how to fix this.
Flash drive malfunction
The first thing to check is the functionality of the USB drive. It is quite possible that the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive due to its malfunction. In this case, the device can safely work as a storage for files, but will cease to function if used as a Boot device.
It is best to check the serviceability of the flash drive on another computer or laptop. To do this, just try to use it as a boot device and if everything goes well, then your USB drive is not damaged.
If you don't have a second computer, you can use alternative ways to check the functionality of the flash drive. For example, you can simply connect it to a different port or even write an operating system image to another drive and try to boot from it.
USB port problem
If the BIOS does not see the flash drive, which you are completely sure is working, you should check the functionality of the USB port. This is much easier to do than with a USB drive, because you don’t need another computer or laptop for this operation.
So, you just need to connect the flash drive to different ports one by one and try to boot from it. Yes, this operation is time-consuming, but thanks to it you will completely eliminate one of the possible causes of BIOS errors.
Separately, it is worth highlighting the USB ports located on the front wall of the system unit, on the keyboard, various extension cords, and so on. It often happens that they begin to function only after the operating system has fully loaded. Simply put, when the computer starts, they do not work, and accordingly, the BIOS does not see the flash drive. What to do in such a situation? Use the ports located on the back of the system unit.
USB 3.0
Modern computers and laptops are equipped with new devices for working with flash drives - USB 3.0. They provide much greater speed of the drive, but at the same time they can cause certain problems. Including sometimes the BIOS does not see a bootable USB flash drive if it is connected to a version 3.0 port.
It’s worth saying here that the malfunction does not arise due to the inability of older versions of Windows to work with USB 3.0 during installation. For example, you will not be able to install Windows 7 from a flash drive connected to 3.0, but already in the “eight” and “ten” there is no such problem.
Fortunately, manufacturers have taken into account possible compatibility issues. They provide computers with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports. The latter, by the way, are painted blue. So, if your flash drive does not work in the 3.0 connector, you can try removing it and connecting it to USB 2.0.
"Broken" image
Another reason that the BIOS does not see the flash drive may be a “broken” image of the operating system recorded on it. Damage to OS installation files can occur either while downloading them from the Internet or during writing to a USB drive.
The problem is that you will not be able to repair a “broken” image. The only thing you can do is download the installation files again, and then install them again on the USB flash drive. In addition, following the advice of computer specialists, you can check the USB drive with the image recorded on it for errors and bad sectors.
It is also worth mentioning unlicensed versions of Windows OS. Pirates don’t bother much when creating them, so very often problems arise when trying to make a bootable USB flash drive from such files. In other words, you should try downloading a distribution from another team, or even better, use only licensed software.
The image is written incorrectly
Very often, the BIOS does not see the flash drive because the operating system image was written to it incorrectly. Some users simply copy the installation files to a USB drive and then try to boot from it. Yes, this option may work in some cases, but it is by no means correct.
In fact, you only need to create a bootable USB flash drive using special programs. Such applications are provided both by the creators of the operating system and by third-party developers. For example, UltraISO, Rufus, WintoFlash, and so on are very popular programs. Each of them fully copes with its functions, so it’s difficult to single out a favorite.
Recording with Rufus
Since the most common reason for the “invisibility” of a flash drive is an incorrectly recorded image, you should definitely figure out how to do it correctly. As an example, we will take the Rufus program, which is easy to learn. So, to create a bootable USB flash drive, follow this algorithm:
- Connect the USB drive to your PC and launch Rufus.
- In the main menu of the application, find the line “Device” and select your flash drive in it.
- Now click on the CD-ROM icon located opposite the “Create boot disk” option. Using the Explorer window, specify the path to the operating system image.
- If necessary, you can enable the function of checking the device for bad blocks by checking the box of the same name. But keep in mind that this operation will increase the image creation time by two or even three times.
Now all you have to do is click the “Start” button, confirm your decision and wait for the operation to complete. Remember that it is strictly not recommended to remove the flash drive while the program is running.
Incorrect BIOS setting
To ensure that your PC starts from a USB drive rather than from a hard drive, you need to set the boot priority correctly. In Award BIOS, for example, this is done like this:
- Enter the BIOS by pressing the appropriate key while the computer boots. Most often this is F2 or Del, but sometimes there are other options.
- Open the Integrated Peripherals section and check if the USB Controller option is Enabled. As a rule, it is enabled by default, but it is still worth making sure of this.
- Now go back to the main menu (ESC key) and go to Advanced BIOS Features. Next, open the Hard Disk Boot Priority subsection.
- Find the HDD-USB parameter and move it to the first line using the Plus key.
- After that, return to the previous menu, open First Boot Device and put HDD-USB in first place.
- Press F10 to save your changes and then exit Settings.
Keep in mind that in other BIOS versions, the procedure for setting boot priority may differ slightly from the Award BIOS. You can find details about it in the manual on the official website of the motherboard manufacturer.
Secure Boot
On computers and laptops released after 2013, the Secure Boot function is quite common. Its purpose is to prevent malware from being installed before the operating system starts. However, this service can block the operation of the bootable USB flash drive, so you need to disable it. This can be done like this:
- Go to the BIOS and open the Boot section (sometimes called Advanced).
- Find the Boot List Option and change it to Legacy.
- Set the Fast Boot option to Disabled.
Now all you have to do is set the boot priority and start installing the operating system. Most importantly, do not forget to enable Secure Boot again after you no longer need to use the bootable USB flash drive.
Old BIOS versions
If you are the “lucky” owner of an outdated computer, there is a high probability that it does not know how to work with USB drives at all before loading the operating system. More precisely, it is the old BIOS that does not see the flash drive, since earlier, in the era of CDs and floppy disks, there was simply no such need.
This problem can be fixed by updating the BIOS to the latest version. The files and programs needed for this procedure can usually be found on the website of your PC or laptop manufacturer.
Keep in mind that the process of updating (firmware) BIOS is associated with great risks, and it is better not to start it without the proper skills. If you do something wrong, you can cause damage to your computer, which only specialists can fix.
Alternative options
So, you have tried all the methods outlined above, but the BIOS still completely refuses to work with the flash drive. In this case, you can use two alternative options.
The first one is installing the OS from a disk. If your computer has a CD-ROM, feel free to create a bootable CD and install the operating system from it. In addition, you can temporarily borrow a CD drive from friends and connect it to your PC.
The second option is to use the Plop Boot Manager utility. It is installed on the hard drive and allows you to select the boot priority without having to go into the BIOS.
Even the most experienced user at some point may encounter an unpleasant moment when an attempt to start the system from a bootable flash drive (to reinstall Windows, for example) ends in nothing, since the BIOS simply does not see the flash drive. There is a logical explanation for this phenomenon. In this manual you will find a couple of tips that will help solve the problem.
What to do if the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive
First, make sure your USB port is working. Try connecting to a port on the motherboard itself. If you try to solve this problem by rewriting the bootable media, but inserting it into a non-working port in the BIOS or in general, your efforts will be of little use, to put it mildly. If the port is working, move on to the next solution.
Most often, bootable flash drives are not displayed in the BIOS or Boot Menu due to the fact that the image recorded on it does not support booting in the mode installed on the motherboard (by the user or manufacturer). For example, an image for UEFI is recorded on a flash drive, and the motherboard operates in Legacy mode or vice versa. Many motherboards support hybrid mode, which allows you to boot from both UEFI and Legacy drives. You need to go into the BIOS (UEFI) and find the desired item.
For example, on my motherboard from Gigabyte it is called BootModeSelection and allows you to select two modes at once. It is because of the hybrid mode that when entering the Boot Menu, one drive is displayed twice - one Legacy and one UEFI (if an image is recorded for both systems at once), which allows you to select your preferred boot mode without overwriting the image or changing BIOS settings. On other motherboards, selecting the boot mode may be called differently. Eg, Legacy Support or Compatibility Support Mode(it may be abbreviated CSM). In some cases, it is also called the name of the operating system, such as Windows 10 / 8 for UEFI, and for Legacy Windows 7 or Other OS.
If your motherboard only supports one of the boot types, you will need to either switch the BIOS to Legacy / UEFI, or reset it. An error with the image most often occurs among users who have not figured out how to correctly write Windows to a flash drive. Many people simply copy the contents of the image to a removable drive and then try to boot from it. This method will work on a UEFI system, but will not work on Legacy. And yes, you need to copy content image, and not the image itself as a separate file. Copying the image itself will not work even on UEFI. If the BIOS does not see the flash drive, we recommend overwriting the drive, since when trying to install Windows from a Legacy drive on a UEFI system, you may also need to disable Secure Boot.
It is also worth considering that on some motherboards the flash drive must be inserted into the USB port before the computer starts booting. In other words, it will not appear in the boot menu list if you insert the USB flash drive into the port after entering the same Boot Menu. Insert the drive into the port, restart the computer, go to the Boot Menu and boot from the flash drive.
If all else fails, try recording Windows on another flash drive and boot from it. Alternatively, connect the drive to a USB 2.0 port, not USB 3.0.
On older BIOSes, USB flash drives are not displayed as a separate boot menu item at all (USB-HDD does not work). In this case, you need to go into the BIOS and find the hard drive priority settings. Your flash drive with the recorded system should be displayed in the list of connected drives. Install it in the first place, save, reboot, and then in the boot menu select start from HDD. The BIOS will select the flash drive first and start booting from it, which in turn will allow you to install the system.
If all attempts are in vain, you will have to burn Windows to another type of media. If the computer you are trying to install Windows on has a DVD drive, try burning the system to a DVD and booting from it. This advice will cause ridicule for many, but if all else fails (this primarily applies to older computers), booting from a DVD should help solve the situation. You can burn the image to disk in the same Media Creation Tool, but select the target drive not as a USB drive, but as a DVD drive.
Modern laptops are getting rid of CD/DVD drives one after another, becoming thinner and lighter. At the same time, users have a new need - the ability to install an OS from a flash drive. However, even with a bootable USB flash drive, not everything can go as smoothly as we would like. Microsoft specialists have always loved to present their users with interesting problems. One of them is that the BIOS may simply not see the media. The problem can be solved by several sequential actions, which we will now describe.
In general, there is nothing better for installing an OS on your computer than a self-made bootable USB flash drive. You will be 100% confident in it. In some cases, it turns out that the media itself is not made correctly. Therefore, we will look at several ways to make it for the most popular versions of Windows.
In addition, you need to set the correct parameters in the BIOS itself. Sometimes this may be the reason why a drive is not in the list of drives. Therefore, after we figure out how to create a flash drive, we will look at three more ways to configure the most common BIOS versions.
Method 1. Flash drive with Windows 7 installer
In this case we will use .
This method is suitable for Windows 7 and older. To record images of other systems, use our instructions for creating bootable flash drives.
In the following instructions you can see ways to create the same drive, but not with Windows, but with other operating systems.
Method 2: Setting up Award BIOS
To enter Award BIOS, press F8 while the operating system is loading. This is the most common option. There are also the following entry combinations:
- Ctrl+Alt+Esc;
- Ctrl+Alt+Del;
- Delete;
- Reset (for Dell computers);
- Ctrl+Alt+F11;
- Insert.
Now let's talk about how to properly configure the BIOS. In most cases, this is precisely the problem. If you have an Award BIOS, do this:
Advances in technology have made it possible to significantly increase the capacity of flash drives. During this time, CDs completely disappeared from our lives, even Microsoft began distributing Windows 10 on flash drives. But what to do if the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive that contains the software you installed.
Causes and solutions
There are not so many reasons, they are almost all related to the BIOS settings.
Important! First, you should make sure that the flash drive is working. By connecting it to another computer or laptop, check whether it is displayed.
Incorrect image entry
The installation flash drive is created using special programs; it is not enough to simply upload the file to the drive, it must be written down correctly.
If you want to burn an image of Windows 7, then use a proprietary Microsoft utility.
For other versions of Windows and other programs, it is better to use UltraISO.
BIOS settings
What to do if the flash drive is written correctly, but loading from it does not occur? Most likely the problem is in the BIOS settings.
Device startup order
Advice! Connect the drive to a USB port before performing the following steps. This will make it easier to detect.
Download mode
The second reason may be that the flash drive is not visible in the Boot Menu due to a boot mode mismatch. Most devices support two boot modes: Legacy and EFI. If the BIOS is set to Legacy mode, and the flash drive is written for EFI (or vice versa), then the system will not be able to recognize it.
The only thing you need to do in this case is to specify the desired mode through the Basic Input/Output System.
As a last resort, we recommend resetting the BIOS settings. You can read how to do this in the article “Resetting the BIOS configuration on a home computer and laptop.”
USB port support
Sometimes there are situations when the PC does not see the flash drive through the USB 3.0 port when trying to install the system from it. This is most likely due to the BIOS configuration. To solve the problem, just change the flash drive to USB 2.0.
