How to Boot from a USB Drive on Windows 10 PCs?

Boot from a USB Drive on Windows 10 PCs

In case you are using an old computer, then you may want to upgrade the OS at a later point of time. When you upgrade the operating system, the computing experience becomes a lot smoother and you are able to perform your daily tasks at a quicker pace than ever before.

Let's assume that you are currently using a Windows 7 OS but you want to install Windows 10 using a USB device. If you wanna know how to do that, then look below. Fortunately, you don't need CDs to boot software now as you can do so using a USB drive. One may think Windows 10 boot is complicated but it is not complicated at all. So, let's get started.

How to boot from USB on Windows 10 pc?

Below are the steps that you need to follow in order to boot from a USB drive on Windows 10 PCs. 

Step 1: Alter the BIOS Sequence on your PC

In various cases, BIOS is not going to be set to your device automatically. If you will not perform this step, then your PC will start from the hard drive instead of getting boot details from your USB device. 

Note 1: Many PCs have a BIOS mode as a USB boot option as removable devices but some can also choose it as a hard drive choice. In case you are having any trouble searching for your device, then you may have to search around for a little longer. 

You can leave your PC configured to its new settings, which will not lead to any problem in case you are planning to leave a bootable USB device permanently on your PC. 

Step 2: Connect the USB Drive to Any USB Port on Your PC

The thing might seem as easy as copying the files onto the device and getting done with the transfer. However, this is not the case. First, you need to burn an ISO file. An ISO file is a method of boxing up all the files and folders into one single file. This can also lead to file extension. ISO files are an easy way to copy all the programs and software. 

Step 3: Restart your PC

Starting from this step, you are not going to make any changes within the OS. However, the restart process is a little different. Instead of pressing the usual restart keys, BIOS will tell you the keys that you need to press. 

Step 4: Wait for a "Press any Key to Boot from External Device" Message to Show up on the Screen. 

Sometimes, you will receive a message from your USB drive to press a button prior to the PC booting from your USB device. If you get a message and you don't respond to it, then your PC is going to look for another boot option from the BIOS order sequence. Usually, the next option in the sequence is a hard drive. 

Step 5: Your PC will Boot from the USB device

This step depends on the purpose for which you are using the bootable USB device. In case you are trying to boot Windows 10 from the device and you have performed all the necessary steps, then your OS is going to start and you will be able to run Windows 10 on your device. 

This is how you boot from a USB device from Windows 10 PC.