Bios does not see usb. Why does the BIOS not see the bootable USB flash drive - how to fix it? How to configure UEFI so that the computer sees a bootable USB flash drive

Why can't the computer see the USB flash drive? Friends ask me at the end of the working day and put the system unit in front of me, to my remark that the computer is not new, I hear the answer: I recently bought it, everything worked for the previous owner, but for some reason they do not have it and put a camera in front of me that needs to be connected , a USB flash drive, and in addition they point to a printer in the corner, I'm very tired, but I need to solve the issue, the USB specifications, compatibility, the USB controller in the BIOS, with which I decided to start, were spinning in my head.

Why can't the computer see the USB flash drive?

If you connect a device to the USB connector of the system unit, it should be automatically detected to be available in the My Computer window, but this does not happen and the device is not detected.

Let's start with the BIOS, and how to get into it? In most cases, you need to often press the F2 or Delete keys in the very initial phase of the computer boot, or read the instructions for your motherboard, or you can read our article
We went into the BIOS, we have it from Award, then go to the tab Advanced and move to the point Integrated peripherals, press Enter

and we see that our USB Controller switched on

but he specifications USB 1.1, so what, our devices should work with it.
Here I had the idea to reinstall the operating system, but first I decided to look inside the system unit and saw a USB 1.1 hub connected to a 9-pin connector on the motherboard, this hub brought four USB connectors to the rear panel of the system unit, on the motherboard itself there are only two USB 1.1 ports and you might not even notice them.

Note: The point is that hubs USB 1.1 cannot be used to connect devices USB 2.0... Of course, the old owner knew about this and tried to connect all the devices directly to the USB ports on the motherboard, but my friends did not.

Let's connect our devices directly to the USB ports on the motherboard.
After turning on the computer, we saw a message from the operating system that a faster device of the USB 2.0 specification is connected to the port.
Flash drive I saw each other quickly, but I had to download a package of drivers on the official website for a Hewlett-Packard camera, and only after installing them did it start working. By the way, I tried to connect the camera to the system unit with the motherboard supporting the USB 2.0 interface, just to no avail. The hardware wizard did not resolve the issue either.
As for the Samsung printer, all the labels with numbers and names were erased, the drivers had to be searched for by the device code, we have a good article about this. When the drivers were found, our printer worked fine.

I will give another example why a computer maybe do not see the flash drive may be useful to you.
I have a laptop at work, a Canon CanoScan LiDE scanner is connected to it, which is powered directly from the USB port. The manufacturer claims to be economical in terms of electricity, which is good, but just connect two more devices to my laptop, for example a USB interface keyboard, and then a USB flash drive, the laptop stops seeing the scanner or does not see the USB flash drive point-blank, why?
This means that there is a shortage of power for these devices, sometimes the overall level of energy consumption connected to the USB connectors is approaching the limit of its capabilities.

The power of the USB controller on your computer can be found in the device manager Properties- tab Nutrition, it is equal 500 mA for USB 2.0 and 900 mA for version 3.0, and printers and scanners require a lot more power to power.

So, you decided to install a new system, or use some kind of utility to work with the same system, but it must be written to a USB flash drive. You insert a USB flash drive into a USB port, and then you have a question, why the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive?

You have created a bootable USB flash drive, but the BIOS does not see it. Many factors play a role here, for example, you made a bootable USB flash drive incorrectly, the BIOS needs to be reset or even updated, the program with which you created the bootable USB flash drive turned out to be damaged, and much more. Let's try to solve this problem.

What to do if BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive

How to make a bootable USB flash drive and how to do it correctly

First, you need to make sure that the flash drive does not really work with your computer. You can check this using a drive on another PC or laptop, if it is the same there, then you probably incorrectly created a bootable USB flash drive.

I want to note that if you just threw the files on a USB flash drive and think that it will work, then I hasten to upset you. To record the distribution of a system or program, special utilities are required. I will now list them:

WinSetupFromUSB
Rufus
Windows USB / DVD Download Tool
WinToHDD
Windows To Go
UltraISO

And this is not all the programs, but I have listed the most basic tools. For each, I have a review. For example, if you want to make a bootable USB flash drive with Windows, then use Rufus or WinSetupFromUSB. If the first one does not work and the USB flash drive is not visible in the BIOS, then use another one.

I will list the articles that I talk about creating a bootable USB drive. You probably know many of the ways.

If you have used all these utilities, and the flash drive still does not work, make sure it is working properly, try formatting in NTFS or FAT32, and try to boot from another computer. And if that doesn't help, then use another flash drive.

How to configure BIOS for a bootable USB flash drive

First you need to understand that the flash drive is not visible in the BIOS at all, that is, there is no line "USB-name of the flash drive", or there is a line, but when you click on this item, you have nothing but a black screen.

There are two options why this happens - your flash drive is faulty, or you recorded the image incorrectly, or problems with your BIOS, so BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive.

The best option is to boot from a USB flash drive -. You can enter it using the ESC key, or F8. It is different on different devices, therefore. Opening the Boot Menu your gaze will be presented with a list of devices from which you can boot - flash drives, hard drives, CD-DVDs. You need to find something like USB Kingston 8 GB or similar, depending on the brand of your flash drive.

If you do not have a Boot Menu, or is disabled, then in the BIOS on the tab Boot or Advanced you need to move your flash drive to the first place. It is done using the F5 and F6 keys, but I repeat, the parameters of each BIOS model may differ, you will have to figure it out on your own, or write in a comment so that I can help you.

After you have put the bootable USB flash drive in the first place in the BIOS, press the key F10 to save the current BIOS settings. Or on the tab Exit select the option Save Changes and Exit.

In second place after the flash drive should be the hard disk, and then other devices.

Finally, you can if none of the above helps. Follow the link and read about it. Usually, the reset option is located in the Exit tab and is called Load Optimal Defaults or a little differently.

Let's summarize all of the above and say why Bios does not see the bootable USB flash drive:

The flash drive is defective. Use a different flash drive, or try using it on a different PC.
The wrong program for creating a bootable USB drive has been selected.
The image on the USB flash drive is damaged and needs to be replaced.
BIOS settings are incorrect, you need to reset it.
The BIOS does not support booting from flash drives (it also happens), then the BIOS needs to be updated.

If you have such "misunderstandings" with a flash drive, then try to create a disk with Windows or the desired program. I would like to point out that you need to be extremely careful. First, you need to find the correct firmware that fits your motherboard, if the wrong version is chosen, or from another motherboard, then there is a high probability of failure of the entire motherboard, and you certainly do not want that.

The development of technologies goes ahead, the devices are thinner each time, take up less space and therefore the usual solutions look different.

Many have heard about installing an operating system via a usb port from a flash drive. But, what if Bios does not see the flash drive?

The problem may be technical: the usb ports are out of order, or the USB flash drive is not working. Or there may be a problem in the BIOS itself (BIOS), or rather its firmware. Many manufacturers release motherboards with Boot priority menu firmware only with UEFI mode without the option to select Legacy, which makes it possible to select the priority of booting from a USB flash drive.

What to do in this case? There are two ways out of the situation. The first and dangerous one is to flash the BIOS to a version where you can enable Legacy mode, or you will need to make a bootable UEFI flash drive.

Since the first option is recommended only for experienced users, the second can be done by following the easy instructions. Read what to do below:
1. Download the Rufus program, install it, and run it as an administrator;

2. Select our USB drive, for which we set the GPT partition scheme with the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) interface, and also tick the boxes (quick formatting, creating a bootable disk, installing extended labels and devices);

3. We indicate the path to the image of our disk and press start and wait for the completion of the creation of the bootable USB flash drive;

Next, we start installing the operating system.

BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive in the Boot Menu

Bootable USB stick is not displayed in Boot Menu

The most common reason that a bootable flash drive is not visible in the Boot Menu is a mismatch between the boot mode supported by this flash drive and the boot mode set in BIOS (UEFI).

Most modern computers and laptops support two boot modes: EFI and Legacy, while often only the first is enabled by default (although it happens the other way around).

If you burn a USB drive for Legacy mode (Windows 7, many Live CDs), and only EFI boot is enabled in the BIOS, then such a flash drive will not be visible as a bootable one and you will not be able to select it in the Boot Menu.

Solutions in this situation can be as follows:

Enable support for the desired boot mode in BIOS.
Write the USB flash drive differently to support the desired boot mode, if possible (for some images, especially not the newest ones, only Legacy boot is possible).
As for the first point, most often it is required to enable support for Legacy boot mode. This is usually done on the Boot tab in the BIOS (see How to enter the BIOS), and the item that needs to be enabled (set to Enabled) may be called:

Legacy Support, Legacy Boot
Compatibility Support Mode (CSM)

Sometimes this item looks like a choice of OS in BIOS. Those. the item name is OS, and options for item values include Windows 10 or 8 (for EFI boot) and Windows 7 or Other OS (for Legacy boot).
Additionally, if you are using a bootable USB flash drive that only supports Legacy booting, you should disable Secure Boot, see How to disable Secure Boot.

On the second point: if the image being written to the USB flash drive supports booting for both EFI and Legacy mode, you can simply write it differently without changing the BIOS settings (however, images other than the original Windows 10, 8.1 and 8 may still need to be disabled Secure Boot).

The easiest way to do this is using the free program Rufus - it makes it easy to choose which type of boot the drive should be written for, the main two options are MBR for computers with BIOS or UEFI-CSM (Legacy), GPT for computers with UEFI (EFI boot) ...

Types of booting from a USB flash drive to Rufus

Note: if we are talking about the original image of Windows 10 or 8.1, you can record it in the official way, such a flash drive will support two types of boot at once.

Additional reasons that the flash drive is not displayed in the Boot Menu and BIOS

There are some more nuances that, in my experience, are not fully understood by novice users, which causes problems and the inability to boot from a USB flash drive to BIOS or select it in the Boot Menu.

In most modern BIOS versions, in order to install a boot from a USB flash drive in the settings, it must first be connected (so that it is detected by the computer). If it is disabled, it is not displayed (connect, restart the computer, enter BIOS). Also keep in mind that the "USB-HDD" on some older motherboards is not a USB stick. Read more: How to put a boot from a USB flash drive in BIOS.

In order for the USB drive to be visible in the Boot Menu, it must be bootable. Sometimes users simply copy the ISO (the image file itself) to a USB flash drive (this does not make it bootable), sometimes they also manually copy the contents of the image to the drive (this only works for EFI boot and only for FAT32 drives). Perhaps it will be useful: The best programs for creating a bootable USB flash drive.

Your computer's BIOS may not see the bootable USB flash drive for the following reasons:

incorrect operation of the USB controller: to fix the problem, go to the BIOSA - "Award BIOS" section, select the "Integrated Peripherals" subsection, then go to the "Advinced" menu. Find the category "USB Configuration", find your flash drive there and reconnect it - press "Enter" twice, "Disabled" and "Enabled" should light up alternately;
cache corruption: to solve the problem, simply delete the "INFCACHE.1" file located in the C: / WINDOWS / System32 / DriveStore folder;
compatibility issue: make sure your flash drive supports USB 2.0.
If you have the appropriate software and a floppy drive, you can easily burn the operating system to a disc and install it on your computer.

Why doesn't BIOS recognize removable media?

When you connect an external drive or device via USB, it is automatically detected, and the "Device Manager" reports that a new media is connected. In some cases, he asks to install drivers or updates as well. But sometimes the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive or cannot synchronize its work. What to do in this case? There are several most likely reasons for the occurrence and solutions to this trouble.

USB controller: setup

The BIOS is the part of the operating system that is responsible for the problems with the flash drive in most cases. Where exactly is the problem? The most obvious reason why the flash drive is not detected by the BIOS is that the USB controller does not work correctly or is simply disabled. How to deal with the problem? Turn it on! To do this, in the Award BIOS section, find the Integrated Peripherals subsection, and then go to the second menu item - Advinced (where the advanced BIOS settings will be). Then we find the USB Configuration category, go into it, press Enter and pay attention to the inscription that appears opposite the USB parameters. Disabled and Enabled may light up there. If the controller is in the off state, then you need to turn it on using the arrow buttons. To save the changed parameters, be sure to press F10.

If the controller is connected, but the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive, you can try it on a different port of the system unit. Perhaps this one is faulty or incorrectly configured, which interferes with its functioning.

Sometimes none of the ports can identify the USB stick. In this case, it makes sense to update the drivers of the USB controller itself. Especially often, such a problem occurs after reinstalling or rolling back the operating system, when some of the necessary data may be lost or the parameters are reset to "default". Therefore, re-downloading all the latest drivers can fix the problem with the USB flash drive.

Compatibility issues

The vast majority of modern peripherals only support USB version 2.0, which, of course, will not be recognized on computers with an interface configured for 1.1. In this case, to solve the problem, you just need to install auxiliary software, which, as a rule, always comes with the device - on the same disk with drivers or separately. Sometimes the applications you need can be downloaded from the official websites of USB drive manufacturers.

The INFCACHE.1 system file is the root of all evil

If you have tried all of the above methods, but the problem has not disappeared anywhere, then you can try another, but already cardinal method. Just delete the INFCACHE.1 system file from your computer. You can find it in the WINDOWS root directory, on hard drive C, or on the location where your operating system is installed. The full path to this file looks like this: WINDOWS: system32DriveStore. You can also find it through search or using the command line. If, after deleting this file, the problem disappeared, then all the problems were related to cache corruption. The next time you turn on the computer, the INFCACHE.1 file will recover by itself.

Still, it's the BIOS?

Instructions for setting up this part of the system software will help to cope with problems with a USB flash drive in some cases. For example, if, as mentioned above, the problem is in a disconnected USB controller. Correct BIOS setup is not difficult, but important. Almost any user can cope with this, even with little experience of working at a personal computer.

So, in order to get into the parameters, you need to press the F2 key (in some cases DELETE) at the moment when the BIOS is booted. Next, you need to go to the Advanced tab, where you can manage advanced features, select the Integrated Peripherals section and press Enter. After completing these simple manipulations, you can see if the controller is working, as well as other tools that affect the functioning of the ports and the automatic detection of connected USB devices.

BIOS does not see other devices connected through the port

If the computer fails to detect not only the USB flash drive, but also other external media and devices connected via USB (for example, a printer, speakers, camera or phone), then this case requires special and radical measures.

Remove the cover (protective side plates) from the computer. As a rule, they are either bolted to the case, or fastened to the "latches", then we connect the USB flash drive or other device directly to the USB port on the motherboard. In most cases, this may be enough for the BIOS to see the device. But if this did not happen, then you can try to install the package of the appropriate drivers for correct operation and to eliminate incompatibility problems. If this does not help, there is still a way out!

Other reasons why the BIOS does not see a flash drive and other USB devices

It often happens that a lot of different devices are connected to a computer that require a lot of energy. For example, a scanner or a powerful sound system. And already these two connected devices may be enough to cause a power shortage when connecting even such an economical medium as a USB flash drive. What can we say about trying to connect a camera to the computer to reset or view photos on the big screen. In this case, the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive (or other device) due to the too low power level that can be spent on this port. In other words, the device may need more power than the USB connector can provide. As a result, it simply lacks the power to turn on and function.

In order to eliminate such a problem, you need to find out the power consumption of the USB controller of your personal computer. You can clarify this in the "Device Manager" on the "Properties" tab in the "Power" column. USB 2.0 devices typically require 500 mA, while newer 3.0 devices already consume 900 mA. Based on this, we can assume that sometimes in order to connect a device, you first need to disconnect one or even several previously connected, but currently unused devices. If you are charging your phone or player from a computer, and the flash drive is not detected in parallel with this, then you should try to disconnect the charging cord for a while. In 90% of cases, this will be enough for the BIOS to see the connected device.

Or maybe the flash drive is to blame?

Have you tried everything but nothing helps? Then there is a chance that the matter is in the device itself. You can read reviews about your flash drive. The BIOS may not be the reason that it is not detected if you come across a device with a factory defect, for example. It is also possible that this model requires some special manipulation or the presence of a USB-HUB for correct operation. There can be many options, so you should study all existing ways to determine the problem.

If the identification of the problem due to which the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive, and its solution was not successful, then, of course, you should contact the service center. But before that, just turn off the power management function of the USB controller from the operating system side. To do this, go to Device Manager, find the Universal Serial Bus Controllers tab, select the USB Root Hub subsection and double-click the Power Management window, uncheck the corresponding checkbox and click OK to save the changes. And we repeat this procedure for each USB hub. Perhaps this is what will save you from going to the service center.

Flash drive with Windows 7 installer

In this case, we will use the Windows USB / DVD Download Tool.

The first step is to head over to the Microsoft website and download the utility from there to create a bootable flash drive.

Install it and start making a USB stick.
Using the "Browse" button, which will open the Explorer, specify the location where the ISO image of the OS is located. Click on "Next" and proceed to the next step.

In the window with the choice of the type of installation media, specify "USB device".

Check the path to the USB flash drive and start creating it by clicking "Begin copying".

Close the window in the usual way and proceed with the installation of the system from the newly created media.
Try using a bootable drive.
This method is suitable for Windows 7 and older. To record images of other systems, use our instructions for creating bootable USB drives.

Award BIOS setup

To enter Award BIOS, press F8 while the operating system boots. This is the most common option. There are also the following entry combinations:

Ctrl + Alt + Esc;
Ctrl + Alt + Del;
F1;
F2;
F10;
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 exactly the problem. If you have an Award BIOS, do this:

Go to BIOS.
From the main menu, use the arrows on your keyboard to navigate to the Integrated Peripherals section.

Check that the switches of the USB controllers are in the “Enabled” position, if necessary, switch it yourself.

Go to the "Advanced" section from the main page and find the item "Hard Disk Boot Priority". It looks like the one shown in the photo below. Pressing "+" on the keyboard, move the "USB-HDD" to the very top.

As a result, everything should look like the one shown in the photo below.

Switch back to the main window of the "Advanced" section and set the "First Boot Device" switch to "USB-HDD".

Return to the main window of your BIOS settings and press "F10". Confirm the selection with the "Y" key on the keyboard.

Now, after rebooting, your computer will start installing from the USB stick.

AMI BIOS setup

The key combinations for entering the AMI BIOS are the same as for the Award BIOS.

If you have AMI BIOS, follow these simple steps:

Go to BIOS and find the "Advanced" sector.

Switch to it. Select the "USB Configuration" section.
Set the "USB Function" and "USB 2.0 Controller" switches to the "Enabled" position.

Go to the "Boot" tab and select the "Hard Disk Drives" section.

Move the "Patriot Memory" item to its place ("1st Drive").

The result of your actions in this section should look like this.

In the "Boot" section, go to "Boot Device Priority" and check - "1st Boot Device" should exactly match the result that was obtained in the previous step.

If everything is done correctly, go to the "Exit" tab. Press "F10" and in the window that appears - enter.
saving Award BIOS changes

The computer will reboot and start a new session by launching it from your flash drive.

UEFI setup

Logging into UEFI is the same as entering BIOS.

This advanced version of BIOS has a graphical interface and can be operated with the mouse. To set the boot from removable media there, follow a series of simple steps, namely:

On the main window, immediately select the "Settings" section.

In the selected section with the mouse, set the parameter "Boot Option # 1" so that it shows the USB flash drive.

Come out, reboot and install the OS you like.

Incorrectly recorded bootable USB flash drive with Windows

This is perhaps the most common reason. Many users create bootable USB drives in one scenario: they simply copy files from a Windows CD / DVD to a USB flash drive. At the same time, some users say that everything works ...

Perhaps this is true, but it is not entirely correct. To create bootable flash drives, it is best to use special utilities (especially since there are quite a few of them!).

Example: how to properly write a bootable USB flash drive in Rufus

1) First step: insert the USB flash drive into the USB port of the computer. We copy all important data from it to the hard disk (if any). Then it can be formatted (optional).

2) Second action: the Rufus program must be run as administrator (for this, it will be enough to right-click on the executable file "rufus.exe" and select it in the context menu that appears);

3) Now go to the Rufus settings (screen below + explanations to it for each item):

column "Device": select our USB flash drive for recording;
Under the number 2 in the screenshot, there is a button that sets the ISO image file with Windows OS, intended for you to write to a USB flash drive (just specify it);
column "Partition scheme": "GPT for computers with UEFI"
column "File system": select FAT 32 (usually, it is installed by default);
The last button ("Start") is to start the recording process.

Before recording, Rufus, by the way, will warn you that all data on the flash drive will be deleted. If you didn't manage to save something - save it, after formatting the flash drive - it will not be so easy to restore the data ...

That's all, in fact, a USB flash drive recorded in this way should work 100% and be visible, in almost any modern BIOS version (UEFI) ...

Boot priority not set in BIOS (UEFI)

So that you can boot from a flash drive and start installing Windows, you need to properly configure the BIOS / UEFI (and this is always difficult, especially for novice users :-)).

First you need to enter the BIOS settings.

The BIOS has a boot priority (sometimes called the boot queue): for example, it first checks a floppy disk for boot records, if not, then the hard disk, then the CD drive, etc. As soon as boot records are found on some media, the computer will boot from it.

Our task is to change the boot priority so that first of all the computer checks the boot records on the USB flash drive, and then on the hard drive.

For this, the BIOS has a BOOT section. For example, the screenshot below illustrates the following download priority:

CD / DVD discs;
HDD.
Naturally, with this setting - no matter how much you insert a USB flash drive into the USB port - the computer will not see it!

By changing the boot priority to your own - that is, putting USB in the first place, instead of a CD / DVD drive, you can boot from a USB flash drive (do not forget to save the settings - the F10 key, or Exit: Save and Exit).

Boot section - boot configuration

Boot Section - Boot Configuration (Example UEFI Settings)

I also want to note: various BIOS versions may differ in menus, sections, and generally in appearance.

The screenshot below shows the settings for "Award Software Advanced BIOS Features" - in it, in order to boot from a USB flash drive, you need to set the USB-HDD (this is a flash drive) opposite the "First Boot Device" item (note: the first boot device). Then save the settings (F10 key).

In the BIOS, laptops usually always have a BOOT section. Having entered it, you also need to put the device in the first place: USB Storage Device, USB-HDD, USB device, etc. (depending on your laptop model, BIOS version).

Secure Boot is not disabled in BIOS (or wrong flash drive)

Secure Boot is a relatively new feature that is designed to prevent unwanted software from running when the computer is turned on. In all modern laptops and computers, this option is available (until about 2013 - it was almost never met). Secure Boot support Windows 8, 8.1, 10.

There are two solutions:

Create a UEFI flash drive, thereby not having to disable Secure Boot in the BIOS.
Disable Secure Boot in Bios and install Windows (by the way, for example, Windows 7 does not support this function at all).

To disable Secure Boot, you need to enter the BIOS and open the BOOT section (in most cases this is the case, but sometimes this function is contained in the "Advanced" section).

As a rule, in BOOT, you need to change the following (for example, a Dell laptop):

Boot List Option: change UEFI to Legacy;
Fast Boot: Change Enabled to Disabled (ie disable "fast" boot);
don't forget to change the boot priority (see example screenshot below).

USB 3.0 or USB 2.0

On new computers and laptops, some of the USB ports are made in the old "format" - USB 2.0, the other in the new - USB 3.0. When copying files to a USB flash drive, there is no big difference which USB to use (well, except for the data transfer speed).

But when installing Windows - the choice of USB port plays a key role! The point is, Windows 7 does not support USB 3.0 installations! Those. by inserting a bootable USB flash drive into such a port, you will not be able to install Windows 7!

How to distinguish a USB 3.0 port from a USB 2.0 port

Everything is very simple - USB 3.0 are marked in blue (or blue): moreover, both plugs and ports are marked.

Note: Windows 8, 10 - can be installed using USB 3.0 (USB 3.1) ports.

Is the USB port working ...

Without going far from the USB ports, I would also like to dwell on the following point: does the USB port work at all? If you have an "old" Windows OS installed, and it still "somehow" works (and in most cases it does) - try to boot your computer and check the port.

I recommend paying special attention to the USB ports located on the front panel of the system unit, on keyboards, adapters, etc. Often, the reason lies precisely in this: for example, one friend of mine could not install Windows, because he connected a bootable USB flash drive to the USB ports on the keyboard, and these ports began to work only after Windows was booted.

Therefore, a simple advice: try connecting the flash drive to another USB port (preferably USB 2.0), on the back of the system unit.

"Brutal" collection with Windows

There isn't much to comment on here - any builds can be the cause of anything 8-) (I'm exaggerating a bit, of course, but still ...).

"Old" PC, does not support booting from flash drives

If you have an old computer, then it is quite possible that it may not support the option of booting from USB flash drives at all (however, in this case, you will not be able to configure the BIOS - it simply will not have an item for selecting USB-Flash Drive ( i.e. it will be obvious)).

If you have an old PC and want to install from a USB stick, there are several ways:

update the BIOS version to a newer one that supports booting from a USB flash drive (If, of course, there is such an update on the website of your equipment manufacturer. Important! Updating the BIOS may cause the PC to malfunction!);
use a boot manager like Plop Boot Manager. In this case, you will first boot into this manager (by the way, you can burn it to a CD), and then select boot from a USB device in it and continue with the installation.

New versions of BIOS

You can work with new versions of BIOS using the keyboard and mouse. Also "comes across" support for the Russian language. You will quickly figure out the parameters. But even if it is not there, you will be able to customize the boot order and run through a USB flash drive.

Click the "Advanced" tab.
USB Configuration menu. Configuration USB
Allow initialization from external devices. Setting permissions
This option can be found elsewhere as well. For example, in the "Boot" section. It depends on the type of BIOS. Be guided by the "USB" parameter in the title.
In the same place, set the launch priority you need.
Save your changes.

Award-BIOS

After starting BIOS, do you see two lists on a blue background? Then you have the Award version. You won't be able to navigate the menu by clicking the mouse. It can only be configured using the keyboard. At the bottom or on the side there will be instructions on which buttons to press for this.

Go to the Integrated Peripherals section. Integrated peripherals
Find the item "USB Controller". "USB Controller"
If the parameter "Disabled" is set next to it, change it to "Enabled".
There may be several such points.
Return to the main menu. To do this, press Esc.
Open the "Advanced BIOS Features" section.

Further - subsection "Hard Disk Boot Priority". Hard Disk Boot Priority
You need the "HDD-USB" or "Patriot Memory" parameter. Select it and move it up with the "+" ("Plus") key.
Now let's get down to load priority.

Go to the previous menu.
Open the "First Boot Device" menu. First Boot Device
Put "HDD-USB" or "FDD-USB" there.
The second device ("Second Device") is better to make a hard disk ("Hard Drive"). If the flash drive does not start, the bootloader will read data from the hard drive.
Check the instructions for which key is used to save the settings. The caption looks something like this: "F10 Save & Exit". The system will ask you to confirm the action. Press "Y" (the first letter of the English word "Yes").
When you are finished using the drive, return to the previous BIOS settings.

AMI-BIOS

The BIOS AMI has a gray screen, a blue font and a row of tabs at the top. The information block is on the right. Mouse control is also not available.

Section "Advanced".
USB Configuration menu. USB Configuration AMI
Next to all the settings that have “USB Controller” and “USB Function” in their names, put the value “Enabled”.
Now you can change the bootloader parameters:

Boot tab.
The parameter "Boot Device Priority". Boot Device Priority AMI
Put a USB flash drive in the first place: "Patriot Memory" or "USB".
Press Esc to go back to Boot.
Open "Hard Disk Drives".
In "1st Device" select the flash drive.
To save your changes, go to the "Exit" tab. There will be an "Exit & Save" item.

Phoenix-Award BIOS

The Phoenix-Award BIOS also has a gray screen. Information about which keys should be pressed is located below and highlighted in green. If the computer does not boot through the drive:

Open the "Peripherals" tab.
There are two parameters "USB Controller". Set them to "Enabled".
You can configure the startup priority in the "Advanced" section. Configure parameters
Save changes - go to the "Exit" tab and select "Exit & Save".
UEFI
Have you enabled USB support, but for some reason there is no flash drive in the BIOS? The problem could appear due to UEFI - a mode that "protects" the bootloader from malware and extraneous code. This module will start the operating system even if you have configured the BIOS correctly. What to do? Disable UEFI.

The settings depend on the motherboard manufacturer. First way:

Open the "Security" tab.
Set the "Secure Boot" parameter to "Disabled".
Section "Advanced". UEFI BIOS settings
Item "System Configuration".
In Boot Mode, select CSM or Legacy and UEFI instead of UEFI.
This item may be called "OS Mode Selection".
Save.
Check if the PC boots via flash drive.
Second way:

Boot tab.
Item "Boot Device Control". Legacy and UEFI
Select "Legacy and UEFI".
Save.
After working with the media, re-enable Boot Protection.

Need a "correct" flash drive

Perhaps it's the flash drive itself. More precisely, in the way it is written. If you copy the information to it directly, nothing will work. But why is it necessary to create a "bootable" drive? To run it, you need a "program script". Without it, the system will not understand what, in general, to do with the carrier.

To create a bootable USB flash drive from the LiveUSB utility:

Insert the drive into the slot.
Run the installer.
Select your Flash media from the list.
Confirm the installation.
Now, through this drive, you can "reanimate" the system.

To install a third-party OS, you need a ready-made ISO image and a burning program. For example, UltraISO or Rufus. Consider the second one:

Insert the drive into a USB port.
Run the program.
Check the "Create bootable disk" checkbox.
Click on the button in the form of a disk.
Specify the path to the image.
Click on "Start".

A bootable USB drive can be created using Windows.

Go to the "Control Panel".
Backup and Restore menu. It's in the System and Security category.
The list on the left will contain items "System Image" and "Recovery Disc". Recovery disc
If the BIOS does not "see" the bootable USB flash drive, perhaps the problem is not with it, but with the settings. Don't throw it away ahead of time. Try changing the BIOS configuration first.

WinSetupFromUSB
Rufus
Windows USB / DVD Download Tool
WinToHDD
Windows To Go
UltraISO

There are two options why this happens - your flash drive is faulty, or you recorded the image incorrectly, or problems with your BIOS, so BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive.

The best option is to boot from a USB flash drive - Boot Menu. You can enter it using the ESC key, or F8. It differs on different devices, so read the article first. Opening the Boot Menu your gaze will be presented with a list of devices from which you can boot - flash drives, hard drives, CD-DVDs. You need to find something like USB Kingston 8 GB or similar, depending on the brand of your flash drive.

If you do not have a Boot Menu, or is disabled, then in the BIOS on the Boot or Advanced tab, you need to rearrange your USB flash drive to the first place. It is done using the F5 and F6 keys, but I repeat, the parameters of each BIOS model may differ, you will have to figure it out on your own, or write in a comment so that I can help you.

After you have put the bootable USB flash drive in the first place in the BIOS, press the F10 key to save the current BIOS settings. Or, on the Exit tab, select the Save Changes and Exit option.

In second place after the flash drive should be the hard disk, and then other devices.
Finally, you can reset the BIOS if none of the above helps. Follow the link and read about it. Usually the reset option is on the Exit tab and is called Load Optimal Defaults or a little differently.

Let's summarize all of the above and say why Bios does not see the bootable USB flash drive:

The flash drive is defective. Use a different flash drive, or try using it on a different PC.
The wrong program for creating a bootable USB drive has been selected.
The image on the USB flash drive is damaged and needs to be replaced.
BIOS settings are incorrect, you need to reset it.
The BIOS does not support booting from flash drives (it also happens), then the BIOS needs to be updated.

If you have such "misunderstandings" with a flash drive, then try to create a disk with Windows or the desired program. As for updating the BIOS, I want to note that you need to be extremely careful. First, you need to find the correct firmware that fits your motherboard, if the wrong version is chosen, or from another motherboard, then there is a high probability of failure of the entire motherboard, and you certainly do not want that.

Laptop and computer manufacturers are increasingly abandoning bulky CD drives. This is understandable, because it saves a lot of space and makes the device much more compact.

As a result of this new trend, users need to install an operating system not from a CD, but from a USB stick, and, as usual, this entails certain problems. So, for example, sometimes the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive, which means that further work with it becomes impossible. You can read below how to fix this.

USB stick malfunction

The first thing to check is the performance of the USB drive. It is 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 it will cease to function if you use it as a Boot device.

It is best to check the operability 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.

In the absence of a second computer, you can use alternative methods to check the operability of the flash drive. For example, you can simply connect it to a different port, or even write the operating system image to another drive and try to boot from it.

Faulty USB port

If the BIOS does not see a USB flash drive, which you are completely sure of is working properly, you should check the functionality of the USB port. It is much easier to do this than in the case of a USB drive, because you do not need another computer or laptop for this operation.

So, you just need to alternately connect the flash drive to different ports and try to boot from it. Yes, this operation is time-consuming, but thanks to it, you 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, all kinds of extension cords, and so on. It often happens that they begin to function only after the operating system is fully loaded. Simply put, when the computer starts up, they do not work, respectively, the BIOS does not see the USB 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, as well as laptops, are equipped with new devices for working with flash drives - USB 3.0. They provide a much higher speed of the drive, but at the same time they can cause certain problems. In particular, sometimes the BIOS does not see a bootable USB flash drive if it is connected to a version 3.0 port.

It should be said 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 USB flash drive connected to 3.0, but already in the "eight" and "ten" this problem is absent.

Fortunately, manufacturers have taken into account possible compatibility issues. They supply computers with both version 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports. The latter, by the way, are painted in blue / blue color. So, if your flash drive does not work in the 3.0 slot, you can try removing it and plugging it into USB 2.0.

"Broken" image

Another reason that the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive may be the "broken" image of the operating system written to it. Damage to the OS installation files can occur both during their download from the Internet and in the process of writing to a USB drive.

The problem is that you won't be able to fix the "broken" image. The only thing that can be done is to re-download the installation files, and then reinstall them on the USB flash drive. In addition, by following the advice of computer experts, you can check the USB drive with the image recorded on it for errors and bad sectors.

Also worth mentioning are the unlicensed versions of Windows. Pirates, creating them, do not bother too much, so very often when trying to make a bootable USB flash drive from such files, problems arise. In other words, you should try to download the distribution kit from another team, or even better - use only licensed software.

Image recorded incorrectly

Very often, the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive due to the fact that the operating system image was written to it incorrectly. Some users just 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 by both the creators of the operating system and 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 is difficult to single out a favorite here.

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 drive, follow this algorithm:

Connect USB stick to PC and launch Rufus program.
In the main menu of the application, find the line "Device" and select your USB flash drive in it.
Now click on the CD-ROM icon located opposite the "Create bootable 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 ticking the option of the same name. But keep in mind that this operation will increase the image creation time by two, or even three times.

Now you just have to press the "Start" button, confirm your decision and wait for the end of the operation. Remember that removing the USB flash drive while the program is running is strongly discouraged.

Incorrect BIOS setup

To start the PC from a USB stick instead of 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 corresponding key while the computer boots. Most often it is F2 or Del, but sometimes there are other options.
Open the Integrated Peripherals section and check if the USB Controller option is in the Enabled state. It is usually enabled by default, but it's worth checking it out.
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, go back to the previous menu, open First Boot Device and put HDD-USB in the first place in it.

Press the F10 key to save your changes and then exit the settings.

Keep in mind that in other BIOS versions, the boot priority setting procedure 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 manufactured after 2013, the Secure Boot feature 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. You can do it like this:

Go to the BIOS and open the Boot section (sometimes the name Advanced is found).
Find the Boot List Option and change it to Legacy.

Set the Fast Boot option to Disabled.

Now you just have to set the boot priority and start installing the operating system. Most importantly, do not forget to turn Secure Boot back on after you no longer need to use a bootable USB flash drive.

Older BIOS versions

If you are a “lucky” owner of an outdated computer, there is a high probability that he does not know how to work with USB drives at all before the operating system boots. More precisely, this old BIOS does not see a USB flash drive, since earlier, in the era of CDs and floppy disks, there was simply no such need.

This problem can be corrected by updating the BIOS to the current version. The files and programs required for this procedure can usually be found on the website of your PC or laptop manufacturer.

Keep in mind that the process of updating (flashing) the BIOS is associated with great risks, and without the proper skill, it is better not to start it. If you do something wrong, you can harm 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 a USB flash drive. In this case, you have two alternative options.

The first is to install the OS from 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 enter the BIOS.

Each user is certainly faced with the need to reinstall the operating system on his computer or laptop. Recently, it has been more rational to carry out such an installation using a regular flash drive, making it bootable.

This installation is fast and reliable, and creating bootable media is now as easy as shelling pears. But sometimes the user may encounter one problem that prevents him from carrying out a normal installation of the system - BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive.

When connected to a computer device, it turns out that the flash drive is simply not detected by it, as if it were not there. Even going into BIOS (UEFI), the user does not find the drive in the Boot Menu. Below it will be explained why the PC does not see the boot drive in the BIOS, how to fix the situation and make it visible.

Why is the bootable USB drive not visible in the BIOS?

The main reason why the bootable flash drive is not visible in the BIOS is the discrepancy between the boot modes specified in the BIOS and those supported by the drive itself. Why it happens? Because modern computers have 2 boot modes: Legacy and UEFI. On older devices, there was no such choice. So, only one of these modes is included in the device.

If the UEFI mode is set, then the drive on which the system image for the Legacy mode is recorded will not be displayed in the BIOS. Accordingly, you will not be able to select it as a bootable one. In this mode, images for Windows 7 systems are usually recorded. If Windows is installed, then, as a rule, there are no problems.

What to do for BIOS to see a bootable USB flash drive

2 options for solving the problem.

In a situation where the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive, you can do one of the following 2 actions:

In BIOS, you need to disable support for the second mode, which will not be used. After entering BIOS, go to the Boot tab and simply set the value for the mode you need "Enabled"... Sometimes it is not easy to find this item. For example, it might look like an operating system choice. In this case, the suggested options may be:

Boot Windows 8 or 10 systems for UEFI mode.
Boot another system (Other OS) also for Legacy mode.

If you are using a bootable USB flash drive designed only for booting in Legacy mode, you must disable Secure Boot in the BIOS. To do this, in the field Secure Boot specify value "Disabled"... On some laptops and PCs, you only need to select Windows 7 to disable Secure Boot.

To find out if Secure Boot is enabled on Windows 10 or 8 systems, just press the Windows + R combination on the keyboard, and then enter the expression in the line "Msinfo32"... After pressing "Enter", information about the system installed on your computer will be displayed, where you can find an item that displays the status of your Secure Boot.

Overwrite the data to the USB flash drive again by choosing a different boot mode. This option is only possible for newly created images. If you are recording an image that is one year old or older, then only Legacy mode support will be available.

If the recorded image is supported for both modes, it is not necessary to change the BIOS parameters. It is enough to rewrite the system image. However, please note that Secure Boot must be disabled to capture Windows 7 and XP images.

It is very easy to create a bootable USB flash drive in the Rufus program. Before starting data recording, you can choose for which boot mode the drive will be recorded. The default (for most cases) is MBR mode for UEFI and Legacy. But you can choose MBR mode with UEFI or GPT with UEFI.

Important note! Many users do not understand one important point. For a USB flash drive to be visible in the BIOS, it must be bootable. That is, it is not enough just to write an image of a system to a USB drive and then install the system from it. You just need to create a bootable drive using one of the special programs.

You may be wondering how to use a USB drive to increase the computer's RAM ().

Using these tips, you can easily install any operating system on your device using a bootable USB flash drive.