How to make a USB flash drive bootable bios. How do I set the BIOS to boot from a disk or USB flash drive? Do I need to back up the BIOS

All the best!

One of the most frequently asked questions from users when installing Windows: "why can't the computer (BIOS) see my flash drive?"... Naturally, I have repeatedly answered it, and more than once on the blog gave my recommendations. Now I decided to collect all of them together in this one article.

I'll tell you right away so that the computer (laptop) "sees" your bootable USB flash drive (on how to create it correctly) - you need to properly configure the BIOS (UEFI). If this is not done, then no matter how much you fight, nothing will come of it ...

In the article I will show you how to do this correctly using the example of several BIOS versions (UEFI). I think the note will be very useful for those who do not reinstall the system so often.

Perhaps, the article should be started not with BIOS settings, but with how to enter it 👀 ... This is also far from so obvious and simple for an inexperienced user.

In general, it all comes down (usually) to the fact that immediately after turning on the computer / laptop, while only the first logo appears at boot time, press the special. key (preferably several times). If you pressed the correct key, you will see the coveted BIOS settings window.

Most common buttons for entering BIOS: F2, Esc, Del. If you have a laptop, then it is possible that you need to press them together with the Fn button (i.e., for example, Fn + F2). It depends on the keyboard settings in the same BIOS ...

The main difficulty is that there is no single key to enter the BIOS! Each manufacturer may have their own specials. keys (sometimes, these are whole combinations of 3-4 buttons!).

Below I will give several options for how you can enter the BIOS and give links to articles where you can find out these cherished keys.

Option number 1

If you have Windows 8/10 installed on your computer, you don't have to guess with the buttons at all, but enter the BIOS from the OS interface. This is done quite simply, see the instructions, the link to which is given below.

To help!

How to enter UEFI (BIOS) from the Windows 8, 10 interface (without using special keys F2, Del, etc.) -

Option number 2

To find out the key to enter the BIOS, you can use the documentation (which came with your device when purchasing), or special. tables and specifications (of which there are plenty on the Internet).

I also have a few tables and instructions posted on my blog, maybe you can find something there.

Instructions!

1) how to enter BIOS or UEFI (instruction) -

2) tables with buttons for entering BIOS / Boot Menu for different PC manufacturers -

Option number 3

Pay attention to the first screen that appears immediately after restarting the computer (to see the first screen - just restart the computer, do not turn it on ...).

If you do not have time to see the "first" screen (or read the information on it) - press the key Pause (Break).

If you manage to do this, the screen will "freeze" and will wait for your next press (ie you can read and inspect everything).

The screenshot below shows the AMI BIOS welcome screen: F2 or Del- these are the buttons to enter the BIOS settings (in English: to run Setup).

AMI BIOS: F2 key - enter BIOS settings.

Option 4

Some laptops have specials. buttons for entering the BIOS (they are usually small, and are located either next to the power button or next to the power socket).

You need to press them with a pen (or pencil) when the laptop is turned off. After clicking on it, the device will turn on and you will be presented with a boot menu (from which you can go to the BIOS).

Boot Menu / Lenovo (as an example)

Basics of work

Note: for those who are already in the slightest degree familiar with BIOS management - this section of the article can be skipped.

Control keys, change settings

The BIOS will have to manage and set the settings without using the mouse (This scares many novice users. By the way, support for the Russian language and the mouse is implemented in UEFI).

In fact, even in Windows (where the mouse works) - many actions are much faster using the keyboard!

The control buttons, for the most part, are the same everywhere (although there is a difference, it is usually not significant)... One more detail: there is a hint on the right or at the bottom in the BIOS: all the main control keys are indicated in it (see photo below).

Control Keys (AMI BIOS)

Main keys:

  • F1 - call help (help);
  • Arrows ← and → - select the settings section (for example, Boot, Advanced, etc.);
  • Arrows ↓ and - select a specific parameter in the required section;
  • + and - - change the setting (increase / decrease);
  • F10 - Save BIOS settings and exit (you can press from any BIOS section);
  • ESC - exit;
  • Enter - set (approve) the selected parameter / or open a parameter or section for further configuration (in general, one of the most basic keys).

In general, knowing these ten buttons, you can easily change all BIOS settings.

Saving settings

You can change any settings in the BIOS, but they will take effect only after you have them save and restart the device (by the way, the computer / laptop restarts automatically after exiting the BIOS).

  1. Press the key F10- in most BIOS versions, it means to save the settings and reboot the device;
  2. Go to the section Exit and click on Save Changes and Exit(save settings and exit, an example is shown in the screenshot below - arrows 1 and 2).

By the way, you can exit the BIOS without saving the settings - for this, select in the section Exit option Discard Changes and Exit (discard settings and exit / do not save settings, exit).

You can also exit the BIOS by simply restarting the computer. (although, once again, this is not recommended ...).

Resetting the settings to optimal

If you changed any settings in the BIOS and the computer stopped booting (or, for example, the sound disappeared) - well, or you just decided to return everything back as it was - then you should know that the BIOS has a special function for resetting the settings. Those. this function will return all settings to default (i.e., it will do everything by default, as it was upon purchase).

There are two ways to reset the settings:

  1. push the button F9(however, it does not work in all BIOS versions);
  2. go to the section Exit, then click on Load BIOS Defaults(see screenshot below).

Resetting to default settings - AMI BIOS

By the way, after you load the default settings, you need to save them by pressing F10 (about this - see a little higher in the article).

In various BIOS versions - the name of the item for resetting the settings may differ slightly. For example, the screenshot below shows the section Exit for a Dell laptop - here you need to click on Restore defaults and then save the tinctures - Save Changes and Reset... After rebooting the device, it will work with the default settings.

Reset to Default // Dell Laptop // Restore Defaults

BIOS setup for booting from flash drive / disk

Let's move on to the most important thing. I will consider the BIOS settings using the example of some of the most popular BIOS versions - AMI BIOS and Award BIOS(in principle, the main thing is to understand the meaning - everything is done in the same way everywhere, there is a slight difference in the menu designation).

AMI BIOS

First you need to go to the section Advanced(extended, see arrow 1 on the screenshot below), then you need to open the section USB Configuration... Then check that all USB ports are turned on (i.e., that the inscription is lit in front of them Enabled)!

Checking USB ports - are they enabled?

  1. 1st Boot Device - CD / DVD ... (means that the first boot device from which the PC will try to boot is a CD / DVD drive. If there is no boot / installation disk in it, the computer will try to boot from the 2nd Boot Device);
  2. 2nd Boot Device - SATA: 5M-WDC WD5000(the hard drive of the computer. Windows is installed on it, therefore, it is it that will boot if there is no disc in the CD / DVD drive).

Naturally, with such a download queue, the computer will not boot from the USB flash drive!

How it was and how it should be to boot from a USB flash drive // ​​AMI BIOS

In order for the BIOS to see your USB flash drive, you need to change the boot queue to the following:

  1. USB: Generic USB SD;
  2. CD / DVD: 6M-TSST;
  3. SATA: 5M-WDC WD5000.

In this case, the BIOS will first check the USB flash drive inserted into the USB port, then the CD / DVD drive, and then boot from the hard disk. In most cases, this is the best option.

Award BIOS

In principle, it is configured in the same way, there is a slight difference in the menu designation. And so, after entering the BIOS, I recommend immediately opening the section Standard CMOS Features.

In this section, check if USB ports (devices) are enabled. Just make sure that opposite the lines where "USB" is mentioned is everywhere (example in the screenshot below).

USB ports: are they working? They work!

  1. First Boot Device - USB-HDD (The best choice for booting from a USB flash drive is USB-HDD. In exceptional cases, if the BIOS suddenly does not see your flash drive, try USB-FDD) ;
  2. Second Boot Device - Hard Disk.

Laptop BIOS setup

It is performed in the same way as for a computer. True, there may be some "serious" differences in individual models, but on the whole everything is identical.

In laptops, to configure the boot - there is a separate BOOT section. Having opened it, all the download options are available to you.

I will give a universal version of the parameters that is most often used. (using Dell Inspiron 3000 series laptop as an example):

  • Secure Boot - (protected boot mode is disabled. Only new versions of Windows 8, 10 support it, and many have several operating systems, or use 7-ku ...);
  • - (fast loading - in most cases, it doesn't speed up that much ...)
  • 1st Boot Priority - the first bootable device (USB-stick);
  • 2nd Boot Priority is the second boot device (hard drive).

In many other laptop models, the BIOS is configured in the same way, the menus and settings are similar or the same.

A few words about UEFI

Modern computers and laptops use UEFI instead of BIOS. It is a more advanced and advanced BIOS version: for example, you can work with a mouse in it, often there is a Russification of the menu, etc. Within the framework of this article I will say that in terms of editing the Boot section, everything is the same here ...

For example, the photo below shows the main UEFI window on an Asus laptop, which is displayed immediately after entering it. In order to open the extended menu and find the Boot section - pay attention to the bottom of the window: you need to press the key F7 (or even press F8- and immediately start booting from the USB flash drive).

In the advanced settings in the Boot section, everything is done in the same way as in the "regular" BIOS: you need a USB flash drive (in my case "jetFlashTranscend 16 GB") just move to the first place, and then save the settings (key F10) .

Booting from a USB flash drive / disk using the Boot Menu

Why configure and change the boot queue in the BIOS when you can boot from a USB flash drive by pressing a single button?

We are talking about the Boot Menu - a boot menu, translated into Russian. If you call this menu, then you can choose where to boot your computer / laptop: from a hard disk, from a CD / DVD-disk, from a flash drive, from an SD-card, etc.

The button for calling the Boot Menu is usually indicated on the first screen that you see after turning on. An example in the photo below:

  1. F2 or Del - enter BIOS settings;
  2. F11 - call the Boot Menu.

Calling the Boot Menu, you will see all the devices from which you can boot. An example in the photo below: you can boot from a hard disk, flash drive and CD / DVD drive.

Why BIOS won't boot from flash drive / disk

1) Disabled USB controller in BIOS

Almost all BIOS versions have an option to disable USB ports. Of course, if they are disabled, then you will not be able to boot from a USB drive. Check if they are enabled (or reset the settings to default) - just above in the article, I gave how this is done.

2) Incorrectly written bootable USB flash drive

Often it can be written incorrectly due to incorrect program settings. (in which you recorded it), or a "broken" ISO image with the system. I recommend reading this article:

3) After restarting the computer, the installation starts over

Quite often the following situation occurs. You inserted a USB flash drive, the computer booted from it and the installation began, then it rebooted, and the installation began again. And so in a circle ...

In this case, just remove the USB stick and restart your computer. It will boot from the hard drive (where the installation files from the USB flash drive have already been copied)- and the installation will continue (rather than start over).

4) USB 3.0 and USB 2.0

Now on modern PCs / laptops there are several types of USB ports: USB 3.0 (USB 3.1) and USB 2.0 (USB 3.0 - marked in blue)... "Old" Windows operating systems do not support USB 3.0, so in cases where the flash drive is "invisible", I recommend trying to install the OS from the USB 2.0 port.

Case in point: USB 2.0 and USB3.0

5) USB-HDD, USB-FDD, etc.

In BIOS, when setting the boot order, usually you need to select USB-HDD, but in some cases the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive. In this case, try changing the USB-HDD to USB-FDD.

6) Error "Reboot and Select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key"

It often occurs if you have connected, for example, a disk (floppy disk) to a computer that does not have boot records. Just take out and unplug all media other than the one from which you intend to install (for example, a USB stick).

Instructions! Solution of the error "reboot and select proper ..." -

7) Disconnect all extras from the computer. equipment

It is also recommended to disconnect the second monitor, printers, scanners, etc. from the computer. The fact is that when installing Windows, this can create additional problems. For example, I had a case that Windows incorrectly detected the default monitor and "sent" the image to another monitor that was turned off (and I watched a "black" screen ...).

8) Enable Legacy Mode

In the Boot section, you need to change the boot mode from EFI (UEFI) to Legacy (if any). In this regard, I gave a recommendation above. The fact is that not all Windows operating systems support the "new" feature (besides, you need to correctly write the USB flash drive for this installation mode).

9) Turn off Secure Boot

In the BIOS in the Boot section (usually) there is a Secure Boot option - also disable it, turn it to Disable (if any).

10) Enable Launch CSM (if present (usually a Boot partition))

In BIOS, under Boot, change Launch CSM to Enable (if any).

Do you need to reinstall or restore your system? To do this, you need to first create at or CD. In this article I will tell you how to install a boot from a USB flash drive in BIOS .

First, we need to find the tab boot or boot priority. Here in settings expose USB Device (Floppy), save and restart your computer, after that the system will boot from the USB stick... At first glance, everything looks very simple, in fact it is, but I want to tell you about some of the nuances. The fact is that Bios has different versions and visual skins, which may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Because of this, some users get lost and cannot find the desired tab.

How to configure an old BIOS version to boot from a USB flash drive

In all old versions of BIOS, there is a menu at the top, in which we should find the tab “ Boot" or " Boot Sequence», Further in this tab the priority of device loading is displayed.

To boot the system from a USB flash drive in position 1st Boot Device you need to put the value of the flash drive - USB HDD or USB:flash drive name in fact it looks like this:

There are times when there is no value in BIOS 1st Boot Device, but simply there is a list of connected media. Find your USB stick in this list USB: Kingston Max 240(for example) and using the F5 and F6 buttons make it so that it is at the very top! Then press the F10 button to save the settings and restart the computer, now the system should start from the USB flash drive.

Note! In older versions of Bios, you can only control using the keyboard, the mouse does not work in the BIOS!

The new Bios are very different visually from the old ones, moreover, they differ and it depends on the manufacturer among themselves, but the essence remains the same. Unlike the old versions of Bios, in the new ones you can control the mouse, therefore, this makes it easier and faster to set up Bios.

To put the system boot from a USB flash drive in new BIOSes You don't need to go far, regardless of the manufacturer, these settings are on the initial screen, you just need to find them with your eyes, in which corner the manufacturer placed them.

As a rule, it is a nice rectangle with a title. Boot Priority, in which all connected drives are displayed, just left-click on our bootable USB flash drive, the computer will restart and the system will start from the USB flash drive with Windows recorded.


The advantage of new versions of Windows is that it starts from a flash drive once and after restoring or reinstalling the system, you do not need to enter the BIOS again and change the settings. In older versions of Bios, after installing Windows, you must return to the system startup settings and set the priority to the hard drive!

Video. How to set up booting from a USB flash drive!

That's all! Good luck!

The world does not stand still. Once the peak of popularity was to store information on disk or on a floppy disk. Now preference is given to more convenient and spacious flash drives.

To load into BIOS via a USB flash drive, you need to take into account several features:

  • It is recommended to connect a removable disk to the connector located on the back of the system unit. It is he who is on the motherboard;
  • connect the storage device before turning on or restarting the computer.

Regardless of the BIOS manufacturer, to boot Windows from a USB flash drive, you need to do the following steps:

  1. Open BIOS. To do this, you need to press Delete or Esc... Service call keys may differ in different versions of the program. They are usually written at the bottom of the screen just before the operating system boots.
  2. Next, you need to turn on the USB controller.
  3. After that, the USB flash drive must be moved to the first place in the list of devices from which it is loaded.
  4. Save your changes.

Launch from a USB stick in Award Bios

This version of the program is called by the button DEL or a keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Esc(in older versions).

Go to the tab Integrated Peripherals to turn on the USB controller. Near the inscription "USB Controller" and "USB Controller 2.0" set the value "Enable"... To do this, use the button Enter... Go back one step by pressing Esc.

Now we need to directly configure the boot from a USB flash drive to bios. To do this, go to the tab "Advanced BIOS Features"... Choose a section "Hard Disk Boot Priority"... Here, the first line should contain the name of the memory card. By default, this position is occupied by the hard disk. Using the key «+» , move the required line to the first place. Return to the previous menu.

Pay attention to the line "First Boot Device"... Next to this inscription there should be "USB-HDD", which means booting from a USB flash drive or external hard drive. Sometimes the installation process may not go through. In this case, select the indicator for the external floppy disk drive - "USB FDD".

Hard Disk should be listed next to Second Boot Device.

After making changes, you can exit the BIOS, while saving the changes. Press Esc to exit to the main menu. Then press Save & Exit Setup.

Installing a boot from a USB flash drive in AMI Bios

Exit to "AMI BIOS" is carried out by pressing the keys DEL or F2.

USB controller settings are located in the tab "Advanced", In chapter "USB Configuration"... Index "Enable" should be near "USB Function" and "USB 2.0 Controller".

Return to the previous menu (Esc) and go to the tab "Boot", chapter "Hard Disk Drives"... The name of the flash drive should come first. Click on "Enter" on the first line and in a new window, select the desired item.

In the previous menu go to "Boot Device Priority"... There should be a flash card at the top.

After that, you can return to the main menu and exit the BIOS, saving the settings.

Set boot from flash drive to Phoenix-Award Bios

By clicking F1 or F2 you can open the BIOS version "Phoenix-Award" .

The USB controller section can be found under the tab "Peripherals"... Index "USB-HDD" need to be set in the line "First Boot Device", tab "Advanced"... Remember to save your settings.

Configure boot from USB to Bios UEFI

New laptops released no earlier than 2013 have a special BIOS version. One of its features is the presence of protection against installation of operating systems from any media, except for a licensed disk. To install a boot from a USB flash drive in this version of bios, you must first disable this protection and set the compatibility mode with other operating systems.

After entering BIOS, go to the tab "Security", chapter Secure Boot and set the value there "Disabled".

In chapter "Boot", in line "Boot Mode" should be set to Legacy Support... In line "Boot Priority" should stand Legacy First.

Enter BIOS again, go to the Boot section and raise the line "USB-HDD" to the first place. Then save your changes. Booting Windows will be possible from a USB flash drive.

There is nothing surprising in the evolution of operating systems. Every day there are more and more new ways of processing information, and more and more software components are required for support. But something always remains at a primitive level. So, for example, you may need a bootable DOS flash drive to operate and configure the BIOS.

Rufus

More precisely, this is a specialized mini-utility for Rufus flash drives. A simple free program that doesn't even require installation. Download it from the official site and run it right away. After that, you need to make a few settings.

  1. In the "Device" field, select the desired flash drive. Please note that creating a bootable DOS flash drive will delete all data that was on it. You can add the necessary files and programs that work "under dos" to it after the process is complete.
  2. Enter Fat32 in the File System field. If not, change. Remember that this "partition" of the disk supports a maximum file size of up to 4 GB. So, if you decide to save some space on the device then write something large here, you are unlikely to succeed.
  3. Opposite the third checkbox from the top (specify Create FreeDos or MS DOS. You will not see a fundamental difference.
  4. That's all. You can change the disc label, but you can do it after.
  5. Press the "Start" button. It will take a few seconds to create a bootable DOS stick.

WinToFlash

This is another free program that can be used to create a bootable DOS flash drive. It can also be downloaded from the official website, so you don't have to worry about security. There are definitely no viruses there.

The process itself is not much more complicated than in the previous case. You just need to run the program and then go to advanced mode. After that, open the "Task" drop-down menu and select the desired item. Then you will be prompted to specify an external device that will become a boot device. A bootable MS DOS flash drive will be created in a few seconds.

For ready-made

One of the most common but inconvenient ways. In it, a bootable DOS flash drive is created from ready-made files. First, you need to find a folder on the network with a ready-made utility as well as the USB Storage Tool.

Then everything is simple. We launch the utility. Specify FAT32 as the formatting mode. Then we clarify which system we need to install on the USB flash drive. Finally, we specify the path to the MS DOS files that we downloaded a little earlier and start the creation process. After that, the bootable DOS flash drive will be ready.

Usage

After the bootable DOS flash drive has been created, you need to use it. Depending on the operating system installed on your computer, these instructions may differ slightly.

In most cases, there is no need to change the BIOS settings. You will need a so-called boot menu. To get into it, when loading the operating system, you must press a certain key. It may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Also, do not confuse it with BIOS.

  • On Acer notebooks, the Boot menu is activated by pressing F12. If it does not work, go first to the BIOS by pressing the F2 button and enable this function.
  • Lenovo uses the same button. On some models, you can find a key with an arrow. If you click on it, then you will be able to select a boot device.
  • Asus, on the other hand, has many different options. For desktop computers, F8 is usually used. But on laptops, you can often find the inclusion of this menu by pressing the Esc button.

Difficulties may arise in modern computers using operating systems starting from Windows 8 and higher. The fact is that they do not always turn off completely, but more often go into hibernation. To avoid this, you can try the following: shutdown the PC while holding down the Shift key, or simply restart the computer instead of shutting it down.

A bootable DOS flash drive is quite in demand, judging by the statistics of search queries in Google and Yandex. At the same time, almost 99% of responses to the query "MS DOS 6.22 bootable flash drive" are given for articles on installing MS-DOS 7.10 on a USB flash drive, that is, the version of MS DOS, which is an integral part of Windows 98 and was not released by Microsoft as an independent operating system. unlike MS DOS 6.22. It is recommended that you use different versions of HP software. USB Storage Tool (file HPUSBFW.exe), Rufus, or UltraIso.

Bootable MS DOS flash drive.

Without underestimating the advantages of these programs, it should be noted that all these programs have a number of significant disadvantages:

  1. HP USB Storage Tool (file HPUSBFW.exe)- creates a bootable flash drive MS DOS 7.10 (version of MS-DOS, which is part of Windows 98). It is not possible to make a bootable USB flash drive MS DOS 6.22, MS DOS 5.
  2. Rufus - - a freeDOS bootable USB stick is created. Older versions (1.6, 1.7) allow you to create a bootable MS DOS 7.10 USB flash drive, however, in a somewhat "dirty" way - linux (grab) capabilities are used to boot, and this is not always appropriate.
  3. UltraIso - an ISO image of the installed system is required, which is not entirely comfortable.

Thus, quickly and easily finding a simple and reliable manipulation algorithm on the World Wide Web that will result in a bootable MS DOS 6.22 flash drive is not as easy as we would like. With our article, we will fix this gap.

To determine the version of MS-DOS, you need to type the command ver and press "Enter".

Bootable DOS flash drive.

As a result of the manipulations described below, we get a full-fledged bootable MS-DOS 6.22 flash drive with the Volkov Commander file manager in addition. You can work with it by rebooting your computer and booting from USB Flash. The flash drive will be perceived as a hard disk drive (HDD) C: \- clean dos without any problems, unnecessary files and perversions with the organization of the download!

A bootable DOS flash drive is quite in demand not only by downgrade lovers, but also by owners of more modern computers who are accustomed to the convenient features of easy booting from USB Flash and need to work in pure DOS.

How to install any dos on a USB stick.

Well, we probably won't need to install any dos on a USB flash drive due to the dependence of earlier versions on hardware, the use of an ancient file system in older versions of the operating system, etc. Let's dwell on MS DOS 5 and higher. This article will focus on MS-DOS 6.22. Bootable USB flash drive MS DOS 5.00, 7.00, 7.10, etc. - is created in a similar way. You can find separate necessary files in the archive.

You can create a bootable dos flash drive of any version using the wonderful set of utilities RMPrepUSB and RMPartUSB (http://www.rmprepusb.com). The archive with the RMPrepUSB program can be downloaded from us (link at the end of the article, file MS-DOS USB FLASH.rar). In the archive: folder RMPrepUSB - directly a utility, folder !!! MS-DOS-ver. !!! contains folders with operating systems files. Since we are installing MS DOS 6.22, we need files in the ms-dos6.22-vc-1 × 1.44 and ms-dos6.22-vc-min-1 × 1.44 folders.

  1. ms-dos6.22-vc-1 × 1.44- ms-dos 6.22 + Volkov Commander (VC) - boot floppy disk files + CD-ROM driver (mouse drivers). To fit on a floppy disk - delete the folder from the VC.
  2. ms-dos6.22-vc-min-1 × 1.44- ms-dos 6.22 + Volkov Commander (VC) - minimal installation, only COMMAND.COM, IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, HIMEM.SYS, SMARTDRV.EXE, config.sys, autoexec.bat files.

How to create a DOS flash drive - step by step algorithm.

The settings and the sequence of actions are shown in the figure:


Bootable USB flash drive ms dos 6.22 - use RMPrepUSB.

  1. Download MS-DOS USB FLASH.rar (link at the end of the article).
  2. We unpack it.
  3. We insert the USB flash drive, which we will make bootable. Taking into account that the FAT 16 (MS-DOS 6.22) file system supports a maximum hard disk size of 2 gigabytes, it is not advisable to use a larger flash drive.
  4. Run RMPREPUSB.exe in the RMPrepUSB directory.
  5. The settings are the same as in the picture. Check if the program has correctly identified the USB flash drive, if the boot sector is set correctly, in the "File system and options" settings.
  6. We press the "Browse" button from the fifth point of the settings and select the folder with our operating system - ms-dos6.22-vc-1 × 1.44 or ms-dos6.22-vc-min-1 × 1.44 "Copy system files from the following folder").
  7. We are watching the process of creating a flash drive.


DOS, pursues the restoration of the performance of computer equipment under the control of operating systems of the Windows family. Error detection and correction is much easier, at a low DOS level, before loading the system files of the main operating system. To do this, you need to make changes in the BIOS, specify the specific hardware in the "boot loader" section.

When do you need to create a bootable DOS flash drive yourself?

The question may seem strange to most users. Why go back to dense methods, transfer DOS to a USB flash drive at the current level of information technology development? Its presence will help the owner:

  • safely reflash BIOS;
  • fix corrupted configuration files;
  • update system drivers;
  • access all files.

IMPORTANT. For diagnosing, troubleshooting, and testing workstation hardware, a bootable DOS flash drive is extremely useful. The proof is the "MemTest86 +" utility for checking the RAM, which is required by Microsoft, to detect errors.

In addition, a bootable MS DOS flash drive will help to lift any operating system that has failed for various reasons. In most situations, she remains the only "savior" from sudden troubles. History proves once again that the bootable USB flash drive and DOS have not lost their relevance.

Multi-tasking options

System administrators prefer to create bootable DOS flash drives, which provides conflict resolution on many platforms (Windows and Linux). Utilities, file manager, anti-virus programs, and other applications are copied to the connected external media.

Before making a bootable DOS flash drive, a set of software required for installing a wide range of tasks is determined.

A universal bootable USB flash drive running MS DOS can work wonders when working with FAT32, NTFS, UEFI.


A flash drive running MS DOS is a must for every PC owner

Step-by-step instruction

To create an image of a bootable USB flash drive in DOS format, it is recommended to download the Easy2Boot (E2B) archive.

  1. Unpack to any directory on your PC.
  2. Run the file called _ISO \ docs \ Make_E2B_USB_Drive.cmd.
  3. To burn a Live-CD image - specify the path by selecting a disc from the list.
  4. Answer the question about the options for the proposed formatting of the media.

During the transfer of MS DOS to a USB flash drive, several problems arise:

  • FAT32 works well with UEFI, supports files no higher than 4 GB;
  • NTFS without UEFI has no limitations;
  • for images up to 4 GB, you can safely create a bootable USB flash drive in FAT32.

So that NTFS can interact with UEFI under MS DOS - creating a bootable USB flash drive is similar to the previous description. But in BIOS, you need to select a UEFI image so that Easy2Boot changes the entry of the first boot sector on the MBR disk (this is true, provided that the bootia32.efi, bootx64.efi configuration files are available).

Recommendations on how to make bootable for legacy Windows

The described method is suitable when you need to install MS DOS on a USB flash drive to work with Windows no older than version 7. Otherwise, the risk of irrecoverable data loss is inevitable.

You will not be able to create a bootable map or USB-drive using standard Windows tools, unless you download usb_and_dos.zip additionally.

Insert the drive into the slot, then unpack the archive and click hp_usb_tool.exe.

After starting the program, specify FAT. Before creating an MS DOS bootable USB flash drive, mark the corresponding checkbox with a tick, specify the path for extracting files.

After the installation is complete, restart your computer. Enter the "BOOT" section of the BIOS, change the priority of the disks by moving the USB-HDD to the top line.

To restore Windows-7, 8, 10, you need modern programs run by a privileged user as root.

There are several ways how to create MS DOS bootable USB stick for popular operating systems yourself. One of them is the reliable Boot_USB_Sergei_Strelec_2015_v.8.0_x86 software.

Most often you need to boot from a flash drive to perform office and service tasks - BIOS firmware, MBR recovery, or some other task. As a rule, the volume of a floppy disk is not enough, and you cannot format a USB flash drive as a floppy disk to make it bootable using Windows tools.

For these purposes, it is best to use a bootable DOS flash drive.

How to create such a USB flash drive will be discussed in this guide.

Creating a bootable usb-flash drive with MS-DOS

There are several programs for creating a bootable USB flash drive. The most successful is perhaps the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool.

First, download the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool and unpack the archive. The contents of the archive are as follows:

  • HPUSBF.EXE is a console utility for creating a bootable USB flash drive. For command line lovers.
  • HPUSBFW.EXE- a graphical utility for creating a bootable USB flash drive. We will start with it.
  • dos - directory with files containing MS-DOS. It will need to be selected when working with the program
  • USB is a directory with files containing utilities for working in DOS, for example Volkov Commander. It can be selected when working with the program

So, we perform the following actions:

  1. We insert the USB flash drive, copy all the necessary information from it to the laptop hard drive or to another USB flash drive. When creating a boot disk all information on the flash drive will be destroyed!
  2. Run HPUSBF.EXE
  3. We will see the program window.
  4. Device- we indicate the disk corresponding to the flash drive.
  5. We put a tick next to the item Create a DOS startup Disk
  6. celebrate using DOS system files located at and specify the path to the DOS folder.
  7. In the window File System indicate FAT32
  8. We start the process by clicking the button Start

The utility will issue a warning that all information on the USB flash drive will be deleted. Click Yes


We are waiting for the formatting to complete:

At the end of the process, the following window will appear:

You can also copy files and programs that you will run from under DOS to a USB flash drive. For example, * .exe and * .rom or * .iso or * .bin files with your BIOS.

That's it, the bootable MS-DOS flash drive is ready!

Booting a computer from a bootable MS-DOS flash drive

Without removing the USB flash drive, we restart the computer, press F2 and Del in turn to enter the BIOS. We are looking in the BIOS where the boot order is indicated (sometimes this section is called Boot options). Using the F5 and F6 buttons, we ensure that your flash drive is at the very top, that is, the download starts from the flash drive, and not from the hard drive or DVD drive.

We reboot. The Volkov Commander file manager should start at boot time. Now you can run the necessary programs for flashing BIOS, recovering MBR and for other tasks.

There are many types of BIOS: Ami, Award, Phoenix Award, UEFI. Let's figure out which buttons to press when booting a computer or laptop in order to go to BIOS and put a boot from a USB flash drive to install windows. I want to note that the traditional key delete, F2 to enter the BIOS. Below are the combinations of buttons on how to enter BIOS in order to install a boot from a USB flash drive.

Buttons for entering bios from laptop and computer manufacturers.

Buttons from BIOS manufacturers

How to put a boot from a USB flash drive in BIOS for installing Windows

To begin with, you don't always need to go into BIOS to swap the bootloader for installing windows. For this there is the so-called launch menu... To go there, you need to turn on the computer, sometimes a key is written. In this case, F12. Press the key that is written in the word Boot Menu.

Where will we start the computer: USB flash drive or other devices. The next step is to install the windows system.

How to install a boot from a USB flash drive in Ami Bios

  • Push Device Priority.

In line 1st devise we set the priority from the flash drive. This is usually all, but many have come across why I did everything right, and the computer does not start from a USB flash drive. It is just necessary to specify sometimes, in addition to priority, forced loading in the line Hard Disk Drives.

  • V Hard Disk Drives we set a forced start from a flash drive.
  • V 1st drive select the carrier.
  • Press F10 to save.

It turned out that in the 1st Devise and Hard Disk Drives settings there is a bootloader with USB Flash i.e. we put the priority option, tried it and it didn’t work. Then we set a forced launch and everything worked out for us. And so in all versions of the BIOS, if the priority loading did not work.

How to install a boot from a USB stick in Award Bios

  • Go to Advanced Features.

  • We press First Device, in the context menu we set from which bootloader we will start the computer. We have chosen the primary device to launch.

  • Hard Disk Priority put the flash drive in 1st place. (If in First Device choose to start from a drive, then you need to put a USB flash drive in Hard Disk Priority).
  • Award is ready, press F10 to save.

How to install a boot from a USB flash drive in Phoenix Award Bios

  • Customization Advanced, in line First Boot Device we put a USB flash drive or other device.
  • Push F10 to save.

New UEFI BIOS in which you can control the mouse.

  • Line Boot Priority, swap by dragging with the mouse. Can be done through advanced settings> Exit / Advanced mode and choose Advanced mode.

  • Presses Boot and choose in Boot Option # 1 loader.

It turned out to be very simple to go to BIOS and install a boot from a USB flash drive to install Windows, you just need to change just the type of boot. And remember the preemptive and force bootloader.

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