By default, your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC is set to boot from the first connected internal hard drive. If you want to boot from a USB stick or external drive, you need to change the boot order. In this post, we will walk you through the steps to how to boot from USB Drive within Windows 11/10.

How to boot from a USB drive in Windows 11/10

Usually, if you can’t boot into Windows and can’t access your files, you can create a boot disk and use the media to boot and repair the OS installation.

Perhaps a little-known option for PC users to boot from a USB drive as part of a running Windows installation. If Fast Boot is enabled in UEFI/BIOS, you may not be able to boot from USB unless you boot from USB in Windows; otherwise, you will have to temporarily disable fastboot or superfastboot in order to be able to boot from the USB drive.

To boot from a USB drive in Windows 11/10, do the following:

1. Plug the bootable USB drive into your PC’s USB port.
2. Download additional launch options through the Settings app.
3. After restarting your computer, click/tap on Use a device.
4. On the next screen, click/tap USB drive from which you want to boot.

The computer will now restart and boot from the selected USB drive.

That’s all!

How to boot a computer from a USB drive?

To boot from a USB drive in Windows 11/10, follow these steps:

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

Can Windows boot from a connected USB drive?

If you have a bootable USB drive, you can boot your Windows 10 PC from it. The easiest way to boot from USB is to open advanced startup options by pressing and holding the button shift key when you choose Restart in the start menu.

How to make USB show up in boot menu?

You can enable the Silent Boot option from the main menu. In the “Advanced” menu, make sure the “Legacy USB support” option is enabled. Do the following:

• Reboot the system into BIOS.
• Make sure boot mode is set to EFI (or UEFI). This can be found in the Boot Options menu.
• Make sure USB boot priority is enabled.
• Save changes and exit.

Is bootable USB safe?

Short answer: Yes. It is safe to run the operating system from a USB drive. But be aware that if you choose to install Windows on a USB drive, flash drive (UFD), eSATA drive, or keep the Windows Native Boot VHD on a USB drive or UFD drive, this scenario is not supported by Microsoft.