New PC updates, unable to boot from USB for Windows installation
New PC updates, unable to boot from USB for Windows installation
Hey there, I’m on my final push and thought I’d share what’s happening. I just set up a new system and checked the BIOS via the BIOS menu. When trying to boot from the USB for Windows installation, I get either a blank screen with just an underscore in the top left or nothing at all—probably a coin flip. If I wait too long before pressing DEL to enter BIOS, the PC freezes and forces a restart.
I’ve tried several fixes: reinstalling the flash drive multiple times (Windows 10 three times, Windows 11 once), using another PC to reinstall it, installing via Rufus USB, testing all USB ports, booting from the drive on other machines, adjusting RAM settings, trying different SSDs, updating BIOS, and even using a different USB stick. I’ve confirmed the system can read the flash drive in BIOS.
The issue seems to be consistent across devices, so it’s not just a random glitch. I’m hoping someone can help me figure out what’s going on. Thanks for any guidance!
Your boot sequence in BIOS is what you see first, and whether a USB drive is present depends on your setup. Clearing the CMOS will erase any BIOS adjustments and return everything to the standard configuration. The BIOS should show only the USB drive if it’s connected; otherwise, it might list other devices depending on your system.
The only choice for booting is my flash drive. This seems unusual since I installed Windows on the M.2 drive using another computer as a workaround. Even though the drive is formatted as a bootable Windows installation, it isn’t listed as a boot option. The BIOS recognizes it as an M.2 connection but doesn’t allow booting from it.
The boot sequence contains several options, including USB external CDs and possibly floppies. (You likely don’t have any of these.) Essentially, the boot order lists the locations the BIOS scans for a bootable file, starting with the first one. If it finds something, it launches immediately. Often, USB drives are placed before internal ones, which helps if the internal OS is corrupted—allowing you to start from a USB key without checking the hard drive. In the past, CDs were standard, and Linux liveCDs would load directly from them instead of the main hard drive. Updated December 15, 2022 by Bombastinator
Only the flash drive appears at the top of the boot sequence. Trying to start from it via BIOS or a regular reboot results in either a blank screen with no display or a blank screen marked with an underscore.
It seems there’s some confusion. Are you referring to the same topic? I’m checking for a default list to confirm. Let me clarify.
You have a 2TB M.2 drive set up, but it doesn’t appear in the boot order even though Windows runs fine on it.