Bios does not read bootable USB flash drive. solution to the problem


Quite often, when working on a computer, it becomes necessary to use a bootable USB flash drive. The average user, as a rule, uses it to install the OS and run any programs from DOS.

Due to the prevalence of bootable flash drives, many users experience problems with them. A frequently encountered difficulty is that . This entails the inaccessibility of its functionality to the user.

You may find it useful:

Hardware faults

The problem of the absence of a bootable flash drive in the BIOS occurs when certain hardware malfunctions of the computer or flash drive occur. When faced with this problem, you need to check:

  • Flash drive performance;
  • The computer's USB port and card reader or extension cord are in good working order if the flash drive is connected through it.

If the flash drive is equipped with an indicator light, but it does not blink when connected, this may indicate a hardware failure. Errors at the hardware level of a flash drive are diagnosed using specialized software (for example, Victoria).

Victoria HDD is an excellent program for diagnosing drive failures

Troubleshooting hardware problems is often difficult to accomplish. In some cases, it is easier, faster and cheaper to simply replace the equipment. If the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive due to hardware faults, it can help:

  • Using another flash drive and/or another USB port;
  • Connecting a flash drive to a computer directly without using adapters;
  • Using the rear panel USB port;
  • Connecting the USB port to power if it is not connected to it.

If the above methods for solving the problem do not lead to a positive result, the malfunction is related to software.

Software problems

Due to problems at the software level, most situations arise with the absence of a bootable flash drive in the BIOS. Its software malfunctions almost always arise due to incorrect creation of the bootable USB flash drive.

User inattention during the process of creating a bootable drive, errors in the operating system and BIOS microcode - all this leads to various software problems with the flash drive. In particular, the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive. This problem can be solved in the following ways:

  • By re-creating a bootable flash drive with strict adherence to the instructions and/or using special software for this. So, if a bootable USB flash drive is created manually, you need to format it to the FAT32 file system;
  • Eliminating problems with the operating system or BIOS microcode by updating, reinstalling or flashing them;
  • By enabling the USB controller option in the BIOS settings. To do this, you need to find the “USB Controller” function and move it to the “Enabled” position.

In order for the computer to start not from the hard drive, but from a USB drive, you need. Such a flash drive is used for system recovery, password reset and other “rescue” missions. But how to select a media if it is not displayed in the BIOS settings? You can solve the problem yourself. Provided that the drive is working properly and data is being read from it.

How to fix the problem: BIOS does not “see” the USB flash drive?

Check if USB device support is enabled. How to do this depends on the motherboard model. After turning on the computer, the message “Press [key] to enter Setup” will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click it to enter BIOS. And look for a menu that has “USB” in its name.

New BIOS versions

You can work with new BIOS versions using a keyboard and mouse. There is also support for the Russian language. You will quickly understand the parameters. But even if it is not there, you will be able to configure the boot order and launch via a USB flash drive.


Award-BIOS

After starting the BIOS, do you see two lists on a blue background? Then you have the Award version. You won't be able to navigate through the menu by clicking the mouse. It can only be configured using the keyboard. Below or on the side there will be instructions on which buttons to press for this.


Now let's take a look at boot priority.


When you are finished working with the drive, return to the previous BIOS settings.

AMI-BIOS

The BIOS AMI interface has a gray screen, blue font and a row of tabs at the top. The information block is on the right. Mouse control is also not available.


Now you can change the bootloader parameters:


Phoenix-Award BIOS

In BIOS Phoenix-Award there is also a gray screen. Information about which keys to press is located below and highlighted in green. If the computer does not boot through the drive:


UEFI

You enabled USB support, but for some reason the flash drive is not in the BIOS? The problem could arise due to UEFI - a mode that “protects” the bootloader from malware and foreign code. This module will start the operating system even if you have configured the BIOS correctly. What to do? Disable UEFI.

Settings depend on the motherboard manufacturer. First way:


Second way:


After working with the media, re-enable “boot protection”.

You need the “right” flash drive

Perhaps it's the flash drive itself. More precisely, in the way it is written. If you copy information onto it directly, nothing will work. But why is it necessary to create a “bootable” drive? To run it, you need some kind of “software script”. Without it, the system will not understand what to do with the media.

To create a bootable USB flash drive from the LiveUSB utility:

  1. Insert the drive into the slot.
  2. Run the installer.
  3. Select your Flash media from the list.
  4. Confirm installation.
  5. Now through this drive you can “reanimate” the system.

To install a third-party OS, you need a ready-made ISO image and a burning program. For example, UltraISO or Rufus. Let's look at the second one:

  1. Insert the drive into the USB port.
  2. Launch the program.
  3. Check the “Create a boot disk” checkbox.
  4. Click on the disk button.
  5. Specify the path to the image.
  6. Click on “Start”.

You can create a bootable USB drive using Windows.


If the BIOS does not “see” the bootable USB flash drive, perhaps the problem is not in it, but in the settings. There is no need to throw it away ahead of time. First try changing the BIOS configuration.

Modern laptops are getting rid of CD/DVD drives one after another, becoming thinner and lighter. At the same time, users have a new need - the ability to install an OS from a flash drive. However, even with a bootable USB flash drive, not everything can go as smoothly as we would like. Microsoft specialists have always loved to present their users with interesting problems. One of them is that the BIOS may simply not see the media. The problem can be solved by several sequential actions, which we will now describe.

In general, there is nothing better for installing an OS on your computer than a self-made bootable USB flash drive. You will be 100% confident in it. In some cases, it turns out that the media itself is not made correctly. Therefore, we will look at several ways to make it for the most popular versions of Windows.

In addition, you need to set the correct parameters in the BIOS itself. Sometimes this may be the reason why a drive is not in the list of drives. Therefore, after we figure out how to create a flash drive, we will look at three more ways to configure the most common BIOS versions.

Method 1. Flash drive with Windows 7 installer

In this case we will use .


This method is suitable for Windows 7 and older. To record images of other systems, use our instructions for creating bootable flash drives.

In the following instructions you can see ways to create the same drive, but not with Windows, but with other operating systems.

Method 2: Setting up Award BIOS

To enter Award BIOS, press F8 while the operating system is loading. This is the most common option. There are also the following entry combinations:

  • Ctrl+Alt+Esc;
  • Ctrl+Alt+Del;
  • Delete;
  • Reset (for Dell computers);
  • Ctrl+Alt+F11;
  • Insert.

Now let's talk about how to properly configure the BIOS. In most cases, this is precisely the problem. If you have an Award BIOS, do this:


It happens that the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive. This can happen on any personal computer with absolutely any operating system, be it Windows XP, G7 or G8. What to do if BIOS This is a very popular question among all users. In addition, any owner of a personal computer or laptop has encountered such a problem at least once in their life. Some people in such a situation immediately contact service centers. And some even go to the store where they bought the flash drive, indignant and complaining that it doesn’t work.

Of course, it may also be that the whole issue is really a faulty device. But sometimes BOIS does not see the flash drive for a number of other reasons. And even if everything was fine before, the problems that have arisen now can be caused by various malfunctions that simply “accumulated” in the system. Or the flash drive may not have enough power of your system unit. Or... Below are the most popular reasons why problems arise with identifying flash drives and other USB devices, as well as ways to solve these problems.

Why doesn't BIOS recognize removable media?

When you connect a device via a USB port, it is automatically detected, and Device Manager reports that a new device is connected. In some cases, it also asks you to install drivers or updates. But sometimes the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive or cannot synchronize its operation. What to do in this case? There are several most likely causes and solutions to this problem.

USB controller: setup

The BIOS is part of the operating system, which is where problems with a flash drive lie in most cases. Where exactly is the problem? The most obvious reason why the BIOS - USB controller is not working correctly or is simply disabled. How to deal with the problem? Turn it on! To do this, in the Award BIOS section, find the Integrated Peripherals subsection, and then go to the second menu item - Advinced (where there will be advanced BIOS settings). Then we find the USB Configuration category, go into it, press Enter and pay attention to the inscription that appears opposite the USB parameters. Disabled and Enabled may light up there. If the controller is in a disabled state, then you need to turn it on using the pointer buttons. To save the changed settings, be sure to press F10.

If the controller is connected, but the BIOS does not see the flash drive, you can try it on another port of the system unit. This one may be faulty or incorrectly configured, which is preventing it from functioning.

Sometimes none of the ports can detect the flash drive. In this case, the USB controller itself makes sense. This problem especially often occurs after a reinstallation or rollback of the operating system, when some of the necessary data may be lost or the settings are reset to “default”. Therefore, re-downloading all the latest drivers may solve the problem with the flash drive.

Compatibility issues

The vast majority of modern peripheral devices only support USB version 2.0, which, of course, will not be recognized on computers whose interface is configured for 1.1. In this case, to solve the problem you just need to install the supporting software, which, as a rule, always comes with the device - on the same disk with drivers or separately. Sometimes the necessary applications can be downloaded from the official websites of USB drive manufacturers.

System file INFCACHE.1 - the root of all evil

If you have tried all the above methods, but the problem has not disappeared, then you can try another, but more drastic method. Simply remove the INFCACHE.1 system file from your computer. You can find it in the WINDOWS root directory, on your hard drive C, or wherever your operating system is installed. The full path to this file looks like this: WINDOWS:system32DriveStore. You can also find it through a search or using If after deleting this file the problem disappeared, then all the problems were related to cache memory corruption. The next time you turn on your computer, the INFCACHE.1 file will be restored by itself.

Is it still a matter of BIOS?

Instructions for setting up this part of the system software will help solve problems with the flash drive in some cases. For example, if, as mentioned above, the problem is a disabled USB controller. Correctly setting up the BIOS is not difficult, but important. Almost any user can cope with this, even with little experience working with a personal computer.

So, in order to get into the parameters, you need to press the F2 key (in some cases DELETE) at the moment when the BIOS system boots. Next you need to go to the Advanced tab, where you can manage advanced features, select the Integrated Peripherals section and press Enter. By performing these simple manipulations, you can see if the controller is working, as well as other means that affect the functioning of the ports and the automatic detection of connected USB devices.

BIOS does not see other devices connected via the port

If the computer cannot detect not only a flash drive, but also other external media and devices connected via USB (for example, a printer, speakers, camera or phone), then this case requires special and radical measures.

Remove the casing (protective side plates) from the computer. As a rule, they are either bolted to the case or fastened with “latches”, then we connect a flash drive or other device directly to the USB port on the motherboard. In most cases, this may be enough for the BIOS to see the device. But if this does not happen, then you can try installing the appropriate driver package for correct operation and eliminating incompatibility problems. If this doesn’t help, there is still a way out!

Other reasons why the BIOS does not see a flash drive and other USB devices

It often happens that many different devices are connected to the computer, requiring a large amount of energy. For example, a scanner or a powerful sound system. And just these two connected devices may be enough to cause a power shortage when connecting even such an economical medium as a flash drive. What can we say about trying to connect a camera to the computer in order to reset or view photos on the big screen. In this case, the BIOS does not see the flash drive (or other device) due to the too low level of electricity that can be spent on this port. In other words, the device may need more power than the USB connector can provide. As a result, it simply does not have enough power to turn on and function.

In order to eliminate this problem, you need to find out the USB controller of your personal computer. You can clarify this in the "Device Manager" on the "Properties" tab in the "Power" column. USB 2.0 devices typically require 500 mA, while newer 3.0 devices consume 900 mA. Based on this, it can be assumed that sometimes, in order to connect a device, you first need to disconnect one or even several previously connected but currently unused devices. If you charge your phone or player from a computer, and the flash drive is not detected at the same time, then you should try disconnecting the charging cord for a while. In 90% of cases, this will be enough for the BIOS to see the connected device.

Or maybe the flash drive is to blame?

Have you tried everything but nothing helps? Then there is a possibility that the problem is in the device itself. You can read reviews about your flash drive. BIOS may not be the reason why it is not detected if you come across a device with a factory defect, for example. It is also possible that this model requires some special manipulations or the presence of a USB HUB for correct operation. There can be many options, so you should study all existing ways to identify the problem.

Conclusion

If you identify a problem due to which the BIOS does not see the flash drive, and its solution is unsuccessful, then, of course, you should contact a service center. But before that, simply disable the power management function of the USB controller from the operating system. To do this, go to the “Device Manager”, find the “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” tab, select the “USB Root Hub” subsection and double-click the “Power Management” window, uncheck the corresponding box and click “OK” to save the changes. And we repeat this procedure for each USB hub. Perhaps this is what will save you from going to the service center.


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