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.

How to Create and Use a Recovery Drive or System Repair Disc in Windows 8

Windows 8 allows you to create a recovery drive (USB) or system repair disc (CD or DVD) that can be used to troubleshoot and restore your computer. Each type of recovery media gives you access to Windows’ advanced startup options.
You can also copy your computer’s recovery partition to the drive, creating a backup copy. After you create the backup copy, Windows will allow you to remove the recovery partition from your computer, freeing up gigabytes of space.

Creating a Recovery Drive (USB)

To open the recovery drive creation tool, press the Windows key and type recovery drive. Click or tap the Settings category and launch the Create a recovery drive application.

The Recovery Media Creator opens on your desktop. If your computer came with a recovery partition, you can copy it to the recovery drive. Of course, this will use much more space, so you’ll need a large enough USB drive. After copying the recovery partition, Windows will ask you if you want to delete the recovery partition on the hard drive. On the Surface with Windows RT, Microsoft claims that this can save you about 3.5 GB of hard disk space.

Click the Next option and you’ll be prompted to select a connected USB drive. Click the Create button and the files will by copied to your USB drive.

After the process is complete, you’ll be asked if you want to delete the recovery partition. If you do delete the recovery partition, you’ll need the drive to Refresh and Reset your PC in the future.

Creating a System Repair Disc (CD/DVD)

The ability to create a USB recovery drive is new in Windows 8. In Windows 7, only system repair discs were supported. This option is also present in Windows 8.
To open the disc creation tool, press the Windows key, type recdisc, and press Enter.

The disc creator will open on the desktop. Select the disc-burner drive with a writable CD or DVD in it and click the Create disc button to create a recovery disc.

Using a Recovery Drive or System Repair Disc

A recovery drive will normally not be necessary. If your computer fails to boot several times, Windows 8 will automatically bring up the advanced startup options, which allows you to troubleshoot and fix it.
If Windows can’t even bring up these tools, you’ll need the recovery drive, system repair disc, or a Windows 8 installation disc. Insert the recovery media into your computer and restart. Your computer should boot from the recovery media automatically. (If it doesn’t, you may need to change its boot order.)

Once it’s booted from the recovery media, you’ll see options for troubleshooting and repairing your PC. You can refresh and reset your PC or access advanced options to use system restore, recover from a system image, or automatically repair your computer. You can even get a command prompt that will allow you to fix problems by hand.

If your computer can’t boot, you should try the Automatic repair or System Restore options. Refreshing or resetting your PC should always fix the problem, too.