Setting up BIOS to boot from USB device

1. General approach

1.1. Change the BIOS boot order so the USB device option is listed first. The BIOS is rarely setup this way by default.

If the USB port is not first in the boot order, your PC will start "normally" (i.e. boot from your hard drive) without even looking at any boot information that might be on your USB device.

Note: After setting your USB device as the first boot device, your computer will check it for boot information each time your PC starts. Leaving your computer configured this way shouldn't cause problems unless you plan on leaving the USB device attached all the time.

1.2. Attach the USB device to your computer via any available USB port.

1.3. Restart your computer.

1.4. Watch for a Press any key to boot from external device... message.

On some bootable devices, you may be prompted with a message to press a key before the computer will boot to the flash drive or other USB device.

If you do nothing, your computer will check for boot information on the next boot device in the list in BIOS (see Step 1.1) which will probably be your hard drive.

Note: Most of the time when trying to boot to a USB device there is no key-press prompt. The boot process usually starts immediately.

1.5. Your computer should now boot from the USB flash drive or USB based external hard drive.

Note: What happens now depends on what the bootable USB device was intended for. If you're booting to an old version of MS-DOS on a flash drive, MS-DOS will load. If you're booting to the DSL version of Linux, it will start. You get the idea.

2. Newer BIOS Boot Menu

Many newer computers detect the USB device as a hard drive (USB-HDD0). In which case, you can press a specific key (F2, F10, F11 or ESC) during system post to access the "Boot Menu". Select your USB DISK from the Boot Menu and resume startup.

3. Troubleshooting

If you tried the above steps but your computer did not boot from the USB device, check out some of the tips below.

3.1. Recheck the boot order in BIOS (Step 1.1). The number one reason a bootable flash drive or other USB device won't boot is because BIOS is not configured to check the USB port first.

3.2. Didn't find a "USB Device" boot order listing in BIOS? If your computer was manufactured around 2001 or before, it may not have this ability. If your computer is newer, check for some other ways that the USB option might be worded. In some BIOS versions, it's called "Removable Devices" or "External Devices".

3.3. Switch to another USB port. The BIOS on some motherboards only check the first few USB ports. Switch to another USB port and restart your computer.

3.4. Be sure to keep an eye for BIOS updates from your board manufacturer.

Getting Started with EBCD

Before getting started, please download EBCD demo or buy full version.

Contents

1. Burning CD 1.1. Burning with ImgBurn 1.2. Burning with Nero 2. Setting up BIOS 2.1. Setting up AMI BIOS 2.2. Setting up Award BIOS 2.3. Setting up Dell BIOS 2.4. Setting up Phoenix BIOS 3. Troubleshooting 3.1. Verifying correctness of the burn

1. Burning CD

1.1. Burning with ImgBurn

ImgBurn is a freeware tool, capable of burning ISO image files, in particular EBCD.
Download, install and run ImgBurn. You should see something like this on your screen.

Select "Write image file to disc" option here. Next screen:

Select EBCD ISO file from folder where you have stored it during download. Then insert media you're going to burn, CD-RW in this example. ImgBurn displays its technical details in the right side of the window.

Then click large picture "image file -> CD" to start burning.

If CD burning was finished successfully, BurnImg displays this window:

1.2. Burning with Nero

Ahead Nero is a powerful but commercial CD burning tool.
Install Nero and start tool called "Nero Burning ROM". You should see something like this:

Click Cancel to close this window, then open Recorder -> Burn Image... in main menu.

Select EBCD ISO file from folder where you have stored it during download.
Then Nero Burning ROM asks you about burning speed and mode, defaults should be OK. Make sure media is inserted before clicking "Burn".

Burning in progress:

If CD burning was finished successfully, Nero displays this window:

2. Setting up BIOS

Generic procedure is as follows:

1. Start with your computer turned off.
2. Turn on the computer. As it starts it should display an option to enter the system set up menu, or BIOS, commonly reached by keys like DELETE, F1, F2, F10, F12 or Alt+S. Use whichever keystroke is indicated on screen. In some cases your computer may display a graphic while it starts. Typically, pressing Esc will dismiss the graphic and allow you to see the necessary messages.
3. Find the setting that controls which devices the system boots from. This is usually labeled as the "Boot Order" and commonly shown as a list of devices, such as Floppy, CD-ROM, First Hard Disk, and so on.
   Make sure that CD-ROM is selected as a first priority boot device. Make the change, then save and exit. (In case of doubt, you should consult the manual that came with your computer, and/or its motherboard.) The computer should now restart.

Some computers have option to boot once from CD-ROM/HDD/Floppy/USB device. Keep tapping the F8 button at boot time and then choose to boot from CD-ROM when boot menu comes up.
The rest of this section contains detailed description of this procedure for different motherboard and BIOS vendors.

2.1. Setting up AMI BIOS

AMI BIOS usually requires you to press DEL key to enter setup

Choose the BOOT menu and set Boot Device Priority option: set first boot device to CDROM and second boot device to HARD DRIVE. Now you can press F10 to save settings.

2.2. Setting up Award BIOS

On Award Bios you will see something like this screen. Press a key required to enter BIOS setup:

Now choose Advanced Bios Features

and set First Boot Device to CDROM and Second or third to HDD-0 and Press F10 to save it.

2.3. Setting up Dell BIOS

On some Dell Systems you can enter BIOS by pressing F2

Now choose Boot Sequence and then assign CD-ROM to first position by pressing – and + and press space to enable it (when enabled, it is marked by asterisk *). Press ESC and choose "save settings and exit".

On some Dell Systems you can press F12 to boot from CD one time.

2.4. Setting up Phoenix BIOS

Press F2 to enter BIOS setup:

and set Boot Sequence to A,CDROM,C. Then press Esc and F10 to save it.

3. Troubleshooting

3.1. Verifying correctness of the burn

Sometimes EBCD does not boot because it was burned incorrectly.
To verify that EBCD is burned correctly, open "My computer", then right click on your CD/DVD drive and select "Open" from popup menu:

CD content opens, where you should see folders "boot" and "help" and file "autorun" (or "autorun.inf"):

If you see something else, for example, single file named "ebcd-...", like this:

then you have burned CD incorrectly and you should retry.

Learn How UEFI Will Replace Your PC’s BIOS banner

While most people may be familiar with a PC’s BIOS, they may not know what it is or what it does. Since UEFI is poised to take its place, let’s take a geek retrospective on these two  technologies.

Understanding BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)

The BIOS (pronounced “bye-ose”) is a computer’s Basic Input-Output System. It’s a low-level software that’s so important integrally that resides on a chip that’s built into the motherboard. When your computer starts up, it’s the BIOS’s job to wake up the various components and make sure they’re functioning, then it passes off functionality to your operating system or another boot loader. A “long” time ago, computers used very different and proprietary ways to do this, but over time IBM’s 5150 sort of became a standard on which to base hardware compatibility. It used the Intel 8088 processor which was 16-bit, and so the BIOS itself is 16-bit and is allowed 1MB of address space. It also uses a Master Boot Record, or MBR, to specify the computer’s partition table, which in turn tells the BIOS where the operating system is.
POSTing is a BIOS-governed process. It’s a power-on self-test which checks the validity and correct functionality of your components. If something is wrong, you’ll see an error displayed or hear a cryptic series of beep codes. You may also see the acronym CMOS. This refers to the battery-backed memory which is used in conjunction with the non-volatile RAM used with the BIOS. It’s actually not accurate anymore, since this method has been replaced with flash memory (also referred to as EEPROM) in contemporary systems.

All in all it was a good system. It provided an interface from which you could enable/disable individual components and advanced hardware options. Of course, as with everything in the silicon world, BIOS obsolesced in comparison to the newer hardware that was developing. In order to make up for a lot of its shortcomings, extensions were developed. The prime example of this is Advanced Configuration and Power Interface, or ACPI, which was put in place to help device configuration and advanced power management functions. But, over time, it’s limitations needed to be overcome by a brand new system.

The Successor: UEFI

The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, also known as UEFI (pronounced “oofy” or “U effy”) was originally developed by Intel to circumvent these issues for its 64-bit Itanium-based servers. Over time, it was renamed from the Intel Boot Initiative and given over to the Unified EFI Forum, which governs the specifications for it. UEFI brought some major changes to the pre-boot environment.
Visuals
Many implementations of EFI just look like the traditional BIOS, but others customize the visual layout fundamentally. While pretty pictures aren’t really necessary, they can be really helpful for things like overclocking. Take a look at the differences:

As you can see, it’s easy to use, mouse-capable, and has a lot of potential.

MSI calls its version the “EFI Click BIOS.”
16-bit vs 32- and 64-bit
While the BIOS is limited to 16-bit processes and 1MB of memory addressing, UEFI isn’t constrained in that way. It can function in 32-bit and 64-bit modes, allowing much more RAM to be addressed by more complex processes. It also can be architecture independent and provide drivers for components that are also independent of what kind of CPU you have.
Booting
The MBR is limited to 4 primary partitions per disk and bootable disks are limited in size to 2.2 TB. UEFI uses the GUID Partition Table, which utilizes Globally Unique IDs to address partitions and allows booting from hard disks as large as 9.4 ZB. A terabyte (technically, a tebibyte) is 1024 GB, and a zettabyte (zebibyte) is 1024x1024x1024 GB. Seems pretty future-proof for the moment, no? And the benefits don’t stop there; UEFI allows more boot options, doesn’t prescribe particular file systems, and has excellent network booting abilities. OS boot loaders can also serve as extensions to the UEFI, which itself can function as a proper boot loader.
Extensions
UEFI supports older extensions, like ACPI, which aren’t  dependent on a 16-bit runtime environment. Cryptic beep-code errors are also a thing of the past, as extensions can better test components (unless something more dire is wrong, like a bad processor). In addition, it support EFI-based partitions on hard disks which manufacturers can use to add more functionality. Asus’s Splashtop instant-on OS is a good example. While it works with BIOS, UEFI can offer better boot times and loading for something like that.

From BIOS to UEFI

Its potential is what makes UEFI so promising. Not everything is optimal yet, but it operates already at BIOS level, so manufacturers have been starting to use it more on their motherboards. They can use older extensions with the new system until newer ones can take over, and the older visual style can also be used in the interim. The switch has been rolling out at an ever-increasing pace over the past few years. It’s not possible to put UEFI on BIOS-based motherboards, but odds are that when you buy a new system or perform an upgrade in the next few years you’ll be making the switch, perhaps without even realizing it. It’s a slow switch, but it seems to be an inevitable one.

How To Change the Boot Order in Your Computer’s BIOS

The boot order in your computer’s BIOS controls which device it loads the operating system from. Modify your boot order to force your computer to boot from a USB drive, CD or DVD drive, or another hard drive.
You may need to change this setting when booting from another device, whether you’re running an operating system from a live USB drive or installing a new operating system from a disc.
Note: This process will look different on each computer. The instructions here will guide you through the process, but the screenshots won’t look exactly the same.

Access the BIOS

To access the BIOS, you’ll need to restart your computer and press a specific key at the start of the boot process. This key is generally displayed on-screen during the boot process. For example, you may see a message that says “Press <DEL”> to enter setup” or “Press F2 to access the BIOS.” Press the required key at the correct time and your computer’s BIOS will appear.

While Delete and F2 are probably the most common keys, your computer may require another key, such as F1, Escape, or Ctrl+Alt+Escape. If you don’t see the required key on-screen, consult your computer’s manual or search for your computer’s model name and “bios key” on Google.
(If you built your own computer, consult the motherboard’s manual instead.)

Locate the Boot Options

Once you’re in the BIOS, look for some sort of “Boot” option menu. If you’re lucky, there will be a tab at the top of the screen named Boot. If not, this option may be located beneath another tab.

Use the arrow keys to navigate through the BIOS. To select something, press Enter. You’ll generally see a list of the keys you can use at the bottom-right corner of your screen.

Change the Boot Order

Locate the boot order screen that lists the boot devices. This may be on the Boot tab itself or beneath a Boot Order option.

Select an option and press Enter to change it, either to disable it or specify another boot device. You can also use the + and – keys to move devices up or down in the priority list. (These steps may be slightly different on some computers; consult the list of keyboard shortcuts on your screen.)

Note that “USB drive” doesn’t appear as an option in the list, even though our computer has USB ports. If we connected a USB device to the computer before starting our computer and accessing this screen, we’d see the USB drive option in the list. Some computers display the USB drive option even when a drive isn’t connected, while some don’t.
The boot order is a priority list. For example, if “USB drive” is above “hard drive” in your boot order, your computer will try the USB drive and, if it’s not connected or no operating system is present, boot from the hard drive.

Save Your Settings

To save your settings, locate the Save & Exit screen. Select the Save Changes and Reset or Save Changes and Exit option and press Enter to save your changes and restart your computer.
You may also be able to press a specific key to save your settings and reset the computer. Ensure you select the “save and exit” option, not the “discard changes and exit” option.

Once your computer restarts, it will boot using your new boot order priority.

Bonus: Using A Boot Menu

To reduce the need to change your boot order, some computers have a Boot Menu option.

Press the appropriate key – often F11 or F12 – to access the boot menu while booting your computer. This allows you to boot from a specific hardware device once without changing your boot order permanently.

---

Most new computers will soon be using UEFI instead of the traditional BIOS, but PCs with traditional BIOSes will be with us for a long time to come. While different computers use different BIOS keys and have different BIOS layouts, the process is similar on all computers using the traditional BIOS.