How to boot usb in windows 10?

• Press the Power button on your computer.
• During the initial startup screen, press ESC, F1, F2, F8, or F10.
• When you enter BIOS Setup, the setup utility page will appear.
• Using the arrow keys on your keyboard, select the BOOT tab.
• Move USB to be first in the boot sequence.

And while users historically would pop a boot media disk into their DVD or CD drive, many computers no longer come with optical disk drives. As a result, booting from USB media is becoming the standard. How you start that rescue media can vary depending on your operating system, but a few general guidelines can help get your machine started. So if your system is unstable, you need to run a diagnostic tool on the hard drive, or you want to load a Linux desktop just to see what it's all about, let's look at how you start your machine via rescue USB boot media.

Bootable media can be CD, DVD, USB flash drive, external hard drive, or other removable media that enables users to run the agent without an active operating system on their computer. The primary purpose of bootable media is to install Windows on a brand-new machine or reinstall Windows should it crash on your current PC or laptop.

Computers are usually configured to search for an OS from a CD, DVD, or USB first and only then - on the HDD or SSD. This is why it's best to create (and test) bootable media when performing a disk-level backup. It's also recommended to re-create the bootable USB, CD, or DVD after each major protection agent update.

Bootable USB drives work similarly to the legacy floppy disk drive (FDD) boot. It provides an alternative way to repair, recover, or install an operating system. You'd need a legitimate bootable USB drive to connect to the PC to perform a USB boot. You can set up the USB via a native component or third-party solutions available on the internet. The tool will copy all OS components and boot sequences into the USB to command a successful boot.

Creating a bootable USB drive doesn't need to be complicated, although there are several recommended options to consider. For Mac users, we recommend visiting Apple's support page on USB boot media. It provides guidance specific to the iteration of OS X you are running (i.e., Sierra, High Sierra, Yosemite, etc.) to help you get the boot version you need. Windows and Linux users might consider Acronis Disk Director 12.5, which includes an intuitive Boot Media Builder that streamlines the process and offers tremendous flexibility for the type and kind of boot media you can create, including WinPE media.

After the download tool completes the ISO download, do any of the following:

For a UEFI machine, you can use ISO to USB; for a BIOS PC - Win32DiskImager; for Linux - the dd utility.

Keep in mind, for the process to work, all data on the chosen drive will be erased.

First, you need to know what each format represents to choose the right one for your bootable media. Let's explore them below.

Function: FAT32 is the 32-bit version of the file allocation table (FAT) format. It is compatible with almost all systems and devices - USBs, external HDDs, and flash drives.

Maximum file size: 4GB/Maximum cluster size: 64KB/Maximum volume size: 16TB

Pros

Cons

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, Mac, Chrome OS, Android, Printers, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and more

Function: NTFS is a proprietary journaling file system, default for Windows NT. It also supports Linux and BSD.

Maximum file size: 8PB/Maximum cluster size: 2MB/Maximum volume size: 8PB

Pros

No file size limitations

Cons

Compatibility: Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Linux, macOS (limited)

Now that you know the specifics, you can see that FAT32 is an excellent storage option for most systems. However, it limits the single file size to 4GB. Since a Windows 10/11 ISO requires at least 8GB of free space for the ISO, FAT32 may be used for a recovery drive but won't be the right tool if you want to install or reinstall Windows. On the other hand, NTFS doesn't have size limitations, and it also supports data compression. Therefore, NTFS should be the default for Windows bootable USBs to ensure a successful install.

In theory, all USBs can be bootable. However, simply transferring files to a blank USB doesn't make it bootable. As we've discussed, it takes a specific process to boot from a USB. Some drives may not be suitable for bootable media, so it's best to double-check a USB's specs on the internet before purchasing one. For example, you may want to buy a 2GB drive, but you won't be able to install Windows from it, as Windows installer media needs at least 8GB of free storage to hold the ISO. Once you have the right thumb drive, you need to use a dedicated tool to transfer the installer correctly.

Getting your Mac to load from a USB drive is pretty straightforward.

NOTE: Have multiple USB devices connected to your Mac? Don't worry. The Apple Startup Manager only lists drives that include bootable content.

Starting your PC using USB rescue media is not difficult, although it first requires an adjustment in the BIOS (Basic Input Output System). That's because the BIOS settings include the machine's boot sequence when starting up. The boot order tells the machine which devices to search for the software needed to launch the computer and the priority of each device in that search. If you're booting from USB media, you must change the BIOS boot order so the USB device is listed first. Otherwise, the computer will load from the hard drive as standard. Start by plugging the thumb drive into a USB port. Then to change the BIOS boot sequence:

In the future, your computer will first check the USB port for boot media when starting up. That won't be a problem since the BIOS will move to the next device in the boot sequence ... unless you keep the boot media in the USB port. Then the system will launch from that device every time.

The process of booting Ubuntu from USB media is very similar to the Windows instructions above.