How to Boot Your Computer from a USB Flash Drive

Step 1: Prepare Your USB Drive
Ensure your USB thumb drive is prepared with the correct bootable software or operating system (e.g., installation media, recovery tools).

Step 2: Insert the USB Drive
Plug the USB thumb drive into your computer while the computer is turned off.

Step 3: Power On Your Computer and Open Boot Menu

  • Turn on your computer.
  • Immediately press the appropriate boot menu key repeatedly (varies by manufacturer):
    • Dell: F12
    • HP: F9 or Esc
    • Lenovo: F12 or Novo button
    • Acer: F12
    • ASUS: Esc or F8
    • Toshiba: F12
    • Microsoft Surface: Hold Volume Down button while pressing power button.

Step 4: Select the USB Drive to Boot From
Once the boot menu appears, use your arrow keys to highlight your USB device (it might appear as USB, the USB brand, or the name of your software), then press Enter.

Step 5: Wait for Your USB Drive to Boot
Your computer will now boot from the USB drive. Follow any on-screen instructions if applicable.

Troubleshooting:

  • If the boot menu doesn’t appear: Try restarting and pressing the boot key sooner.
  • If USB doesn’t appear in boot menu:
    • Restart and enter BIOS/UEFI (usually pressing F2, Del, or Esc immediately after powering on).
    • Navigate to the “Boot” menu.
    • Enable “USB Boot” or set the USB as the first boot device.
    • Save settings (usually pressing F10) and exit.

This process will allow your computer to boot from your USB thumb drive easily.