You have a bootable DVD or flash drive, now you need to make sure that the computer can boot from them.
There are 2 ways to boot your computer from a DVD or flash drive:
- Selecting a device in the boot menu
- Changing Boot Priority in BIOS
Each method has pros and cons.
If you need, for example, to install Windows, then it is more convenient to choose the first method. And if you constantly work with boot disks, then the second method is more convenient.
Features of device selection in the boot menu
- Older computers (motherboards) do not have this function. In this case, you will have to change the priority in the BIOS.
- When you select a device in the menu, the computer boots from this device 1 time. This is convenient when installing Windows - you do not need to return the boot from the HDD after the first reboot.
Features of changing the priority in the BIOS
- Works on both new and old computers.
- The priority change is permanent, i.e. valid until the next change, and not one download as is the case with the menu. This is not very convenient when installing Windows from a USB flash drive, you have to return the boot from the HDD after the first reboot.
How to enter the boot menu or BIOS?
There is no universal button for entering the boot menu or for entering the BIOS. It all depends on the manufacturer of the computer (motherboard), they are all different - the keys are also different. The most correct way to find the right key is to read the instructions from the computer (motherboard). For some of the most common boards, the keys are listed below.
There is only one time when you need to press these keys - during self-testing immediately after turning on the computer (English - Power-On Self-Test or POST). Without going into details, POST lasts from turning on the computer until the operating system starts loading (appearance of the logo or OS selection menu). The POST pass looks something like this:
The screen prompts: Press DEL to run Setup which means click DEL to enter BIOS Setup. DEL is the most common key, but there are many others - more on that below.
During POST, a graphical splash screen with the name of the manufacturer of the computer or motherboard may be displayed.
Keys to enter the boot menu and brief instructions
As noted above, each manufacturer has its own key to enter the boot menu. Here is a short list of the most common ones:
The boot menu looks like this:
You just have to select the desired device from the list. If everything is done correctly, the disk or flash drive is written correctly, the download / installation should begin.
Keys for entering the BIOS and brief instructions for changing the boot priority
To enter BIOS Setup, use the key corresponding to the manufacturer of the computer or motherboard, here is a small list of them:
Acer (Aspire, Altos, Extensa, Ferrari, Power, Veriton, TravelMate): | F2 or Del |
Acer (old models): | F1 or ctrl+alt+Esc |
F2 or Del |
|
Compaq (Deskpro, Portable, Presario, Prolinea, Systempro): | |
Compaq (old models): | F1, F2, F10, or Del |
Dell (Dimension, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex, Precision, Vostro, XPS): | |
Dell (old and rare models): | ctrl+alt+Enter or fn+Esc or fn+F1 or Del or reset twice |
ECS (Elitegroup) | Del or F1 |
eMachines (eMonster, eTower, eOne, S-Series, T-Series): | Tab or Del |
eMachines (some older models): | |
Fujitsu (Amilo, DeskPower, Esprimo, LifeBook, Tablet): | |
Hewlett-Parkard (HP Alternative, Tablet PC): | F2 or Esc or F10 or F12 |
Hewlett-Parkard (OmniBook, Pavilion, Tablet, TouchSmart, Vectra): | |
Lenovo (3000 Series, IdeaPad, ThinkCentre, ThinkPad, ThinkStation): | F1 or F2 |
Lenovo (old models): | ctrl+alt+F3, ctrl+alt+Ins or fn+F1 |
MSI (Micro Star) | |
F2, F10 or Del |
|
Sony (VAIO, PCG-Series, VGN-Series): | F1, F2 or F3 |
Toshiba (Portege, Satellite, Tecra): | F1 or Esc |
You will find less common hotkeys for entering the BIOS.
In addition to the fact that there are several major BIOS manufacturers (AMI, Phoenix - Award), computer (motherboard) manufacturers also modify the BIOS for a specific model. As a result, it is impossible to create a universal instruction even for changing one function (boot priority), there will be differences on each computer. You can only roughly show how this is done, and look for exact instructions in the documentation for your computer (motherboard).
Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate through the BIOS and change settings. Enter and + \- .
AMI
Move arrows to the tab Boot, go to Boot Device Priority:
In the following figure, we see that the boot is sequentially performed: from the floppy drive (Floppy Drive), hard drive (Hard Drive), and the third device is not used (Disabled).
If we want to boot from a DVD, we need to change the priorities so that the first device is the DVD drive. Arrows switch to the first device ( 1st boot device), press Enter and select from the menu that appears CDROM. It's the same with a flash drive.
Click F10 and confirm the exit with saving (Save and Exit) by choosing .
Phoenix Award
Entering Advanced BIOS Features:
If we want to boot from a DVD, we need to change the priorities so that the first device is the DVD drive.
Arrows switch to the first device ( First boot device), change to CDROM. It's the same with a flash drive.
Click F10 and confirm the exit with saving (Save and Exit).
Know other keys or want to clarify? Comments are open!
Happy using!
The instruction explaining how to enter the Boot Menu will definitely come in handy for users who are going to install Windows or boot from a Live CD to restore the system, but do not want to go into the BIOS settings and change the boot priority there. In addition, on some laptop models, a recovery tool is located in the Boot Menu.
Purpose of Boot Menu
When interacting with a computer / laptop, users are often faced with the need to select a download option. Usually, all manipulations with the startup order are performed through the BIOS or the System Configuration menu in the Windows environment. 
However, if you need to boot from a USB flash drive or disk only once (for example, to install the OS or check for viruses), then it is better to use the boot menu.
The Boot Menu displays all devices from which it is possible to boot - USB drives, optical drives, hard drives.
Unlike BIOS startup priority, here the selected device is loaded once, that is, you then do not have to change the established order back.
Sign-in features on different versions of Windows
Typically, the Boot Menu is launched by pressing the F8 or F11 key during the initial boot of the operating system. However, on Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, this method may not work, especially if we are talking about a laptop with a preinstalled system.
Shutting down Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 is not a complete shutdown - it's more of a deep sleep, from which the power key returns.
That is why the computer / laptop with the "eight" or "ten" turns on quickly and without the appearance of boot screens, as it was on XP or Windows 7. In order to have time to press the boot menu button, you must first disable fast startup.
You can go the other way - restart your computer and when the start screen appears, press F11 or another key that launches the boot menu.
Boot Menu Entry Keys
Different manufacturers of laptops and motherboards have different keys for launching the boot menu. The two most popular keys listed above are F8 and F11. But there may be other options:
- Most modern ASUS laptop models launch the Boot Menu after pressing the Esc key.
- Lenovo laptops require you to press F12 when turning on.
- Acer laptops also launch the Boot Menu with the F12 key, but in order for it to work, you must first set the BIOS to “Enabled” for the “F12 Boot Menu” function.
It is rather difficult to take into account all the common options, but in the table below we tried to provide as much information as possible about the possible Boot Menu launch keys for different models of laptops and motherboards. 
You can pick up a key without a laptop model or BIOS version - using the selection method. In any case, try F8 and F11 first; if these options do not work, then you can go to Esc and F12. Naturally, each time you need to restart your computer to try the next key.
Good day to all.
When installing Windows (for example), it is very often necessary to choose bootable media other than the hard drive. You can do this in two ways:
1) Go into the BIOS and change the boot queue (i.e. put the flash drive in front of the HDD in the boot queue - this way the PC will first check the flash drive for boot records, and only then the hard drive);
2) Call the Boot Menu and select a specific media for booting at the moment. In my opinion, this option is even better than the first one: it's faster and you don't need to go back and forth in the BIOS to change the boot queue.
To enter the BIOS (call the Boot Menu) in most cases, the keys are used: F2, Del, Esc, F12 (depending on the device manufacturer). The button must be pressed immediately after turning on the computer (you can several times so as not to miss the right moment.
By the way, if you look closely at the first screen, which is visible immediately after turning on the computer, then a button is often written on it to enter the desired settings (calling the menu). Screenshot example below.
Rice. 1. Dual Bios. DEL button - enter the BIOS settings, F12 button - Call the Boot Menu.
Table number 1: keyboard shortcuts for computers
To use the table - you need to know what motherboard you have, BIOS version. There are several ways to find out, here are the fastest:
A simple free program that will tell you a lot about your hardware. For example, you can find out information about: processor (CPU), RAM (Ram), motherboard (Motherboard), video card (Graphics), HDD drives, SSD (Storage), etc. In addition, you can find out and control online temperature main components: hard disk, video card, processor.
A screenshot of this utility is shown in Fig. 2.
Rice. 2. Speccy - getting information about the motherboard
Table #1
| Motherboard | BIOS Version | hot key | Which menu will be open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acer | Del | Enter Setup | |
| F12 | boot menu | ||
| ASRock | AMI | F2 or DEL | run Setup |
| F6 | Instant Flash | ||
| F11 | boot menu | ||
| TAB | switch Screen | ||
| Asus | Phoenix Award | DEL | BIOS Setup |
| TAB | Display BIOS POST Message | ||
| F8 | boot menu | ||
| Alt+F2 | Asus EZ Flash 2 | ||
| F4 | Asus Core Unlocker | ||
| BioStar | Phoenix Award | F8 | Enable System Configuration |
| F9 | Select Booting Device after POST | ||
| DEL | Enter SETUP | ||
| Chaintech | Award | DEL | Enter SETUP |
| ALT+F2 | Enter AWDFLASH | ||
| ECS (Elite Grour) | AMI | DEL | Enter SETUP |
| F11 | BBS POPUP | ||
| FoxConn (WinFast) | TAB | POST Screen | |
| DEL | SETUP | ||
| ESC | boot menu | ||
| gigabyte | Award | ESC | Skip memory test |
| DEL | Enter SETUP/Q-Flash | ||
| F9 | Xpress Recovery Xpress Recovery 2 | ||
| F12 | boot menu | ||
| Intel | AMI | F2 | Enter SETUP |
Table number 2: hot keys (Bios / Boot Menu, etc.) for laptops
Note: on modern laptops, the key combination in Windows also works: hold down the SHIFT button + select the restart button with the mouse.
The Boot Menu is a small window in which, using the mouse (arrows on the keyboard), you can select the device from which to boot. An example of such a menu is shown in Fig. 3.
Depending on the manufacturer of your device, the menu may be slightly different, but the principle of operation is the same everywhere.
Table number 2
| Notebook manufacturer | BIOS Version | hot key | Function / menu call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acer | Phoenix | F2 | Enter Setup |
| F12 | Boot Menu (Change Boot Device,Multi Boot Selection Menu) | ||
| Alt+F10 | D2D Recovery (disk-to-disk system recovery) | ||
| Asus | AMI | F2 | Enter Setup |
| ESC | popup menu | ||
| F4 | Easy Flash | ||
| Phoenix Award | DEL | BIOS Setup | |
| F8 | boot menu | ||
| Benq | Phoenix | F2 | BIOS Setup |
| Dell | Phoenix,Aptio | F2 | Setup |
| F12 | boot menu | ||
| eMachines (Acer) | Phoenix | F12 | boot menu |
| Fujitsu-Siemens | AMI | F2 | BIOS Setup |
| F12 | boot menu | ||
| Gateway (Acer) | Phoenix | Click mouse or Enter | Menu |
| F2 | BIOS Settings | ||
| F10 | boot menu | ||
| F12 | PXE Boot | ||
| HP (Hewlett-Packard)/ Compaq | Insyde | ESC | Startup Menu |
| F1 | System Information | ||
| F2 | System Diagnostics | ||
| F9 | Boot Device Options | ||
| F10 | BIOS Setup | ||
| F11 | System Recovery | ||
| Enter | Continue Startup | ||
| Next | F1 | Call Boot Menu | |
| F2 | BIOS setup | ||
| Lenovo (IBM) | Phoenix SecureCore Tiano | F2 | Setup |
| F12 | Multi Boot Menu | ||
| MSI (MicroStar) | *** | DEL | Setup |
| F11 | boot menu | ||
| TAB | Show POST screen | ||
| F3 | Recovery | ||
| Packard Bell (Acer) | Phoenix | F2 | Setup |
| F12 | boot menu | ||
| Toshiba | Phoenix | Esc,F1,F2 | Enter Setup |
| Toshiba Satellite A300 | F12 | bios |
Table number 3: recovery from a hidden partition (for laptops)
Most modern laptops have a special hidden partition built in with the ability to restore Windows using a "pair" of keys (there is no need to prepare a bootable flash drive, download ISO images from Windows, etc.).
As a rule, to start the recovery function, after turning on the laptop, just press one key (F9, for example, on Asus laptops). Next, a window will appear in which you need to follow the instructions of the recovery wizard.
Note: when restoring information, the system disk "C:\" is often formatted and all information is deleted from it. Make a copy of important data from it in advance.
Rice. 4. ACER laptop - service recovery utility
Table #3
| Notebook manufacturer | Button combination | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Acer | Alt+F10 | First you need to enter the BIOS of the laptop, and enable the D2D Recovery function. In the recovery system, by default, the password is set: 000000 or AIM1R8. |
| Asus | F9 | |
| Dell Inspiron | Ctrl+F11 | |
| Fujitsu-Siemens | F8 | |
| HP | F10, F11 | |
| LG | F11 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad | F11 | |
| MSI | F3 | |
| Packard Bell | F10 | |
| RoverBook | alt | |
| Samsung | F4 | |
| Sony VAIO | F10 | |
| Toshiba | F8, F11 |
PS
The tables will be updated (over time). For additions on the topic of the article - a big merci in advance. Good luck to all!
What is the Boot Menu (boot menu), why is it needed and how does it replace the BIOS. In fact, when choosing devices, the boot menu is the best to use. More details below.
All more or less experienced computer users know that when installing the OS, or using a tool from disk media or a flash drive, it is necessary to set the priority of these devices in the BIOS, in simple words - what will be loaded in the first place when the PC starts. For this you can use.
boot menu(boot menu) - boot menu designed to simplify the selection of devices from which it is possible to boot. You turn on the computer, go to the boot menu using special keys, and then use the arrows to select the boot device, for example, a USB flash drive or a floppy drive. This makes it easier for inexperienced users to do many things.
Now we will learn how to enter the Boot Menu using the usual keyboard shortcuts. And also how to do it on laptops.
How to enter the Boot Menu - BIOS boot menu
When we enter the BIOS, we press a certain combination on the keyboard. In the case of the Boot Menu, the same is true. In many cases, for laptops and motherboards, the following methods are relevant: Esc, F11, F12, although there are other options to enter the boot menu.
It makes sense to use this feature if you do not need to change any parameters in the BIOS, except for setting the boot order.
So, if you have a laptop with Windows 8, and now with Windows 10, the above keys are not a fact that they will work. In some models, when you turn off the laptop, the device can be considered to go into hibernation mode, and not turn off as usual, so an attempt to enter the boot menu fails.
To get rid of this problem, you can use the following methods:
How to enter the Boot Menu from an Asus laptop
The most possible login options for Asus are the following keys:
- ESC - for many brands;
- F8 - for devices where names can start with the letters X and K, if it doesn't work, then use Esc.
Entering the boot menu from a Lenovo laptop
In these models it is even easier, you press the F12 key and get into the boot menu. Also on many laptops of this brand there is a special button with an arrow that allows you to select the type of boot, for example, BIOS, Boot Menu, or recovery mode.
and translate the option there F12 Boot Menu to the enabled position - Enabled. Then we save the applied actions, reboot and try to log in again using the F12 key.
Entering the Boot Menu of an HP laptop
I have a laptop of this brand, so I know a lot about it. You can enter the boot menu from this device as follows:
- Esc is a fairly common option;
- F9 - by pressing the Esc key.
Entering the Boot Menu on other models of motherboards
In the options described by me below, almost the same as described above, that is, the same keys:
- Dell laptops - F12 key.
- Toshiba - F12 key.
- Samsung - Esc key.
- Motherboards from Intel, FoxConn, Phoenix-Award - Esc key.
- Gigabyte motherboards - F12 key.
- Board from Asus, AMI - key F8 or F11, as on laptops.
- MSI, ECS, AsRock, Sony - F11 key.
- BioStar - F9 key.
- Asus AMI - ESC key.
- Fujitsu-F12.
Here, I have described most of the models. If you are unhappy that your laptop or motherboard model is not listed, please leave a comment and I will try to help you. You can always find more details in the instructions for your computer or laptop motherboard. If there is no paper version, look for an electronic one on the Internet.
Why the Boot Menu does not work on a laptop
If your boot menu refuses to work, that is, it does not start or does not see the connected devices, then there are a number of explanations for this.
It turned out that on some laptops this mode does not work for the simple reason that UEFI mode is enabled, and not BIOS Legacy Mode. In this case, you can try to enable either Legacy BIOS or UEFI and check the boot menu.
The second reason is a rare failure. In this case, it does not go out to enter both the boot menu and the BIOS. The treatment is usually simple - turning off and on the computer again. The second way is by removing the CMOS battery.
It is possible that the boot menu on your device is turned off, and on some laptop models it is possible to turn it on. Go into the BIOS and find the F12 Boot Menu item there, which should be set to the Enabled position.
Do you want to know how to enter a special boot menu BOOT, computer or laptop?
To boot from a flash drive or CD - DVD disc?
In this article, you will learn how to do it right.
When we do a clean install of Windows, we need to boot not from the hard drive, but from another medium.
This is either a CD - DVD disc, or a flash drive.
Usually, this is done by entering the BIOS of a computer or laptop.
This is exactly what we did in previous lessons.
We went into BIOS and changed the boot order of devices.
It is at this step that approximately 90% of users who want to reinstall Windows stop.
They cannot enter the BIOS and make the necessary settings there.
There is an alternative way to select a boot device.
This is the BOOT menu. The BOOT menu is easier and more convenient than entering the BIOS.
The essence of the BUT menu is to press a certain key when loading a computer or laptop.
This will bring up a menu like this:
In this menu, we can select any device and immediately boot from it.
Let's take a closer look at this.
I connected a bootable flash drive to my laptop. On my laptop, the Escape key is responsible for entering the Boot menu.
I pressed the Escape button, hold it down and, at the same time, turn on the laptop with the button. The Boot menu opened in front of me.
With the cursor keys, up and down, I select the desired device. In this case, it's a flash drive.
As soon as the desired device is selected, I press the Enter key.
Ready! I booted from the flash drive and now I can start installing Windows.
So, to enter the BOOT menu, you need to press one key when you boot your computer or laptop.
As in the case of the BIOS, the BOOT menu keys differ depending on the manufacturer and brand of your laptop or computer.
The most common keys are:
F12, Esc, F11, F9 and F8
Boot menu has significant advantages over BIOS.
1. Boot menu is simpler, it can be used faster.
2. You do not need to understand complex BIOS settings and change them. Let me remind you that there are settings in BIOS that, by changing which, your computer or laptop will stop booting at all. Using the Boot menu you will avoid this.
3. No need to return the BIOS settings back to their original state.
Of course, the Boot menu has its own peculiarities.
If you have Windows 10 or Windows 8.1, then to enter the BOOT menu, I recommend using a computer restart instead of shutting down. The fact is that in these operating systems, the so-called Quick Start is activated by default.
Quick Start makes it so that when you shut down the computer does not turn off, in the usual sense of the word. He falls asleep, or rather enters hibernation.
Therefore, when you enable it, it will not give you the option to enter the Boot menu. It will simply wake up and show you the state it was in when you pressed the shutdown button.
The solution is very simple: use reboot instead of shutdown.
Let's see how it's done:
So, my laptop is turned on, Windows is loaded, the bootable flash drive is connected. Now I enable reboot.
I just click on the Start button, click the Shut down button and click Restart.
Once the BOOT menu is in front of us, we can start installing Windows.
Fast startup can be turned off completely. And then you can use the Boot menu as usual when you turn on the computer.
The setup is very simple, I'll show you how to do it now. Quick Start is turned off through the classic Control Panel. In Windows, it can be opened through the search. Just enter in the search the word: panel. As soon as the Control Panel icon showed up in the search results, I simply press the Enter key.
In the Control Panel, you can switch from categories to icons. Or you can just search through the search Power supply.
On the left we have Power. We click on it.
Here we need a button Actions of the power buttons. We click on it. To unlock the settings that are not active, you need to click, as shown in the picture. Change settings that are currently unavailable.
Now we can turn off Fast Startup (Quick Boot), just uncheck the box. Then we save the changes.
After that, the Boot menu will be available to you when you boot.
In Windows 8.1, the setup is done in the same way.
One more feature.
In some fancy BIOSes and not so fancy ones, there is a menu item that disables the BOOT menu.
More about this in the video.
If your BIOS has such an item, then you will have to go into the BIOS and turn on the BOOT menu once. That is, activate this item.
After that, the BOOT menu will be available to you when you boot.
From the table, you can find out which keys you need to press on your PC or laptop to enter the BOOT menu.
| Manufacturer | Model (if not specified - all models) | BOOT menu entry key |
| Asus | Desktop computers | F8 |
| k25f, k34u, k35, k43u, k46cb, k52f, k53e, k55a, k60ij, k70ab, k72f, k73, k84l, k93, k95vb, k501, k601, R503C | Esc | |
| x32a, x35u, x54c, x61g, x64, x75a, x83, x90, x93sv, x95gl, x101ch, x102ba, x200ca, x202e, x301a, x401a, x401u, x501a, x502c, x750ja | F8 | |
| VivoBook f200ca, f202e, q200e, s200e, s400ca, s500ca, u38n, v500ca, v550ca, v551, x200ca, x202e, x550ca, z202e | Esc | |
| N550, N750JV, g750, Infinity ux301la, Prime ux31a, Prime ux32vd, R509C, Taichi 21, Touch u500vz, Transformer Book TX300 | ||
| Compaq | Presario | Esc, F9 |
| Dell | F12 | |
| eMachines | F12 | |
| Fujitsu | F12 | |
| HP | Pavilion Media Center a1477, Pavilion 23 All In One, Pavilion g4, g6 and g7, Probook 4520s, 4525s, 4540s, 4545s, 5220m, 5310m, 5330m, 5660b, 5670b, Pavilion a410n | Esc |
| Pavilion Elite e9000, e9120y, e9150t, e9220y, e9280t | Esc, F9 | |
| Pavilion HPE PC, h8-1287c, Pavilion PC, p6 2317c, Pavilion PC, p7 1297cb, TouchSmart 520 PC, ENVY x2, m4, m4-1015dx, m4-1115dx, sleekbook m6, m6-1105dx, m6-1205dx, m6- k015dx, m6-k025dx, touchsmart m7, Envy, dv6 and dv7 PC, dv9700, Specter 14, Specter 13, 2000 - 2a20nr, 2a53ca, 2b16nr, 2b89wm, 2c29wm, 2d29wm | Esc (Then press F9 to enter "Boot Menu") | |
| Other models | Esc, F9 | |
| Intel | F10 | |
| Lenovo | Desktop computers | F12, F8, F10 |
| IdeaPad P500 | F12 or Fn+F11 | |
| IdeaPad s300, u110, u310 Touch, u410, u510, y500, y510, yoga 11, yoga 13, z500 | Novo Button (next, after the power button), F12 | |
| ThinkPad edge, e431, e531, e545, helix, l440, l540, s431, t440s, t540p, twist, w510, w520, w530, w540, x140, x220, x230, x240, X1 carbon, IdeaPad S10-3, g460, g470 , g475, g480, g485 and other models | F12 | |
| NEC | F5 | |
| Packard Bell | F8 | |
| Samsung | NC10, np300e5c, np300e5e, np350v5c, np355v5c, np365e5c, np550p5c | Esc |
| Series 5 Ultra, Series 7 Chronos, Series 9 Ultrabook | Esc (Need to disable "Fast boot" in BIOS) | |
| Ativ Book 2, 8, 9 | F2 (Need to disable "Fast boot" in BIOS) | |
| Other models | F12, Esc | |
| Sony | VAIO Duo, Pro, Flip, Tap, Fit | Assist button (Press the Assist button when the computer is off, not when booting up) |
| VAIO, PCG, VGN | F11 | |
| VGN | Esc, F10 | |
| Toshiba | F12 | |
