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Boot device priority does not see the flash drive. Data error message. The “Insert disk” message appears even if the flash drive is already connected to the USB port

Advances in technology have made it possible to significantly increase the capacity of flash drives. During this time, CDs completely disappeared from our lives, even Microsoft started distribute Windows 10 on flash drives. But what to do if the BIOS does not see bootable USB flash drive, which contains the software you installed.

Causes and solutions

There are not so many reasons, they are almost all related to BIOS settings.

Important! First, you should make sure that the flash drive is working. By connecting it to another computer or laptop, check if it is displayed.

Incorrect image recording

The installation flash drive is created using special programs, it’s not enough to just put the file on the drive, it needs to be written down correctly.

If you want to burn a Windows 7 image, then use proprietary utility Microsoft.

For others Windows versions and other programs, it is better to use UltraISO.


BIOS settings

What to do if the flash drive is written correctly, but loading from it does not occur? Most likely the problem is in the BIOS settings.

Device startup order

Advice! Connect the drive to the USB port before performing next steps. This will make it easier to detect.


Download mode

The second reason may be that the flash drive is not visible in Boot Menu due to boot mode mismatch. Most devices support two boot modes: Legacy and EFI. If the BIOS is set to Legacy mode, and the flash drive is written for EFI (or vice versa), then the system will not be able to recognize it.

The only thing you need to do in this case is to specify the desired mode through the Basic Input/Output System.


USB port support

Sometimes there are situations when the PC does not see the flash drive through the USB 3.0 port when trying to install the system from it. Most likely this is due to BIOS configuration. To solve the problem, just change the flash drive to USB 2.0.

As a rule, everything modern computers are equipped with special DVD drives that can easily read any disc. They are also equipped with new laptops, the manufacturers of which strive to keep up with the times.

However, sometimes there are situations when you simply need to resort to the help of a tool such as BIOS. Many novice users do not understand what it is, so they will be interested to know that BIOS is the component without which the computer is simply impossible to operate. In other words, when you turn on the device, some module must check for the presence of all the necessary files and drivers to start the operating system. This is exactly what the BIOS does. In addition, a component such as the BIOS checks the general condition of the components in the system unit, which must be in full working order at the time the computer is started. If something is broken in them, the BIOS will report this and will not be able to turn on the computer. That is why you should know which ones are used in the BIOS.

It should be noted that some users have a lot of problems with this component. And as a rule, they arise precisely when reinstalling the operating system. The entire system is built on English language, and often it is not even clear how to set priorities when loading. What can we say about some complex technical aspects.

What if the BIOS does not see the flash drive?

One of the most common problems is that very often the BIOS does not see the flash drive. In other words, there was
a certain bootable media, from which, for example, it was subsequently planned. And now, when this media is in the corresponding slot, the BIOS does not see the flash drive.

Why is this happening? There can be many reasons, ranging from user illiteracy to technical malfunctions due to which the BIOS does not see the flash drive. But still, often the component does not see the flash drive due to the fact that the user did something wrong. Therefore, if the device does not see the flash drive, you must first check whether the information is written to it correctly. After all, it very often happens that the user simply does not have enough knowledge in order to correctly create a bootable USB flash drive. In this case, the BIOS, accordingly, does not see the flash drive. So, if the component does not see the USB flash drive, it is best to rewrite the bootable USB flash drive.

Is the bootable USB flash drive written correctly?

The occurrence of such a problem when the computer does not see the flash drive depends on whether the user has written down the bootable USB flash drive correctly. In order to correctly create a bootable USB flash drive, you must follow certain instructions.

How to create a bootable USB flash drive? In order to correctly create a bootable USB flash drive, you must:

  • prepare an appropriate image;
  • download a special program to your computer;
  • insert the flash drive into the appropriate port;
  • press the button provided for this to start the process;
  • make some settings;
  • confirm the operation.

It is worth understanding each point in more detail:

  1. A special program that is suitable for creating a bootable USB flash drive is the UltraISO utility. In order to record an image using it, you must first find it or create it yourself. It must be said right away that the process itself is not particularly complicated, so even a beginner can cope with it.
  2. After the image and program are selected, you should place the USB drive in a special slot and select the function that is responsible for recording images from hard drive.
  3. IN next step you need to do some manipulations with the settings so that there is no problem in which the component does not see the bootable USB flash drive. All these settings are quite simple and straightforward, so there should be no problems with them. So, you need to select the appropriate recording device, then install USB option HDD and select the item where it says “no”. After all of the above, you can move on to the process of creating the entry itself, which will help eliminate the problem when the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive.

  4. I would like to say right away that with such a process, all information contained on the medium will be destroyed. Naturally, the program itself will warn you about this. So, if there is some important data stored on the disk that may be needed later, it is best to move it to another location. This point is important for those who want to make sure that their computer sees the bootable USB flash drive. If something goes wrong and the BIOS still does not see the bootable USB flash drive, you need to repeat all the above steps.
  5. After the notification appears successful creation disk, there is an opportunity to proceed, which also needs some modernization. Only then can you be sure that the device sees the bootable USB flash drive. After carrying out all the above manipulations, the computer usually sees a bootable USB flash drive. If an error occurs, you should definitely start all over again, once again carefully looking at the details.

    6. Some important BIOS features

    By the way, there are some unfavorable factors, which contribute to the fact that the BIOS does not see the flash drive. So, if the BIOS does not see the media, you should make sure that everything is necessary files were copied onto it. Oddly enough, this trick often does not work, which is why the BIOS does not recognize the disk. That is why, if the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive, you need to turn Special attention on this factor. If you check and eliminate this kind of reason, it can help deal with the problem when the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive.

    In order to avoid a problem in which the BIOS does not see the device, it is necessary to use special programs to make the recording competent and of high quality. If the BIOS does not see the disk, you should think about which utility you need to give preference to so that every element written to the flash drive is readable. In other words, you should decide which program is suitable for a particular operating system, so that there is no problem in which the BIOS does not see the device. It should also be noted that if the BIOS does not see the required element, you can use the option given above. It fits perfectly any Windows and at the same time provides high-quality results. So with this utility you can forget about the problem when the BIOS does not see the required device.

    You should also pay attention to the fact that not all programs that are recommended by certain manufacturers eliminate the problem in which the BIOS does not see an element. Thus, there are many effective and interesting utilities that they can boast of large manufacturers, cope with eliminating the “BIOS does not see the device” problem much worse than the above option.

    It should also be mentioned that the BIOS itself must be properly configured in order for the boot to be successful. In particular, the BIOS must support such an option as booting from USB, and also be able to prioritize when performing this action. Naturally, for this purpose, some of the settings will have to be done manually. For example, you will have to choose the option from which the process itself should begin. As practice shows, there is nothing particularly complicated here, so even a beginner can cope with such an action. The most important thing is to spend a little time studying the system itself and understanding how it works. It is impossible to give clear recommendations on this matter, because this menu is different for everyone, as it depends on the type motherboard.

You decided to install Windows: wrote down digital copy on a flash drive, set up the BIOS, reboot your computer or laptop, but for some reason the installation does not start. What the heck? Why doesn't the BIOS see the bootable USB flash drive? It seems like everything was done correctly...

There are 2 most probable reasons. The first is that the BIOS does not display the flash drive because it is not bootable. Second, you haven’t configured the BIOS quite correctly.

Although there is one more nuance - you have too old BIOS. It does not support USB drives, and therefore does not see them. IN in this case You can install Windows from a disk.

As for the first two reasons, we will look at them in more detail.

Did you write the bootable USB flash drive correctly?

The fact is that it is not enough to simply copy files. In this case, it will not be considered bootable. This is why the BIOS does not see your flash drive. It must be recorded only using special programs. There are plenty of them, but personally I use UltraISO. Why? Because she:

  1. Free (with trial period for 30 days).
  2. Records both Windows 7 and Windows 8.
  3. Easily writes images to a 4 GB flash drive (some programs only support USB drives with a capacity of 8 GB and higher).

And most importantly: create a bootable USB flash drive in UltraISO is easier simple. First, you need to install the program (link to the developer’s website) and connect the USB flash drive to your laptop or computer. And after that there are only a few steps left to complete:

During recording, all information from the USB flash drive will be deleted. The program will also warn you about this. Therefore, if there is important data on it, copy it to another location.

Correct BIOS setup

If you did everything according to the instructions, then rest assured that the USB flash drive was written correctly. And now it really is bootable. Try it - it may work to install Windows.

Therefore, restart your laptop or computer and go into the BIOS. To do this, you need to press a certain button several times. Most often this is Del or F2, although it may be different (depending on the motherboard model and laptop brand).

Next, you need to go to the tab whose title contains the word “Boot”. This is where you configure the boot priority of devices when you turn on your PC or laptop. By default First Boot Device) is loading HDD, next comes the disk drive. In this case, you need to put the flash drive (USB-HDD) in first place, and the hard drive ( Hard Disk) temporarily lower to second.


When exiting the BIOS, be sure to save the new settings! To press the button that is responsible for the “Save and Exit” item.

That's all. Now, if the USB flash drive is connected to a computer or laptop, and the BIOS is configured correctly, Windows installation will begin.

P.S. If this is all too complicated for you, then you can go to the Boot Menu. This is one of BIOS options, which is designed just to quickly set up booting from a flash drive.

P.S. If the BIOS stubbornly refuses to recognize the USB flash drive, then it may be damaged. But before you throw it away, read it. Perhaps everything will work out and it will last a couple more years.

Manufacturers of laptops and computers are increasingly abandoning bulky CD drives. This is understandable, because it allows you to save a lot of space and make the device much more compact.

Due to this new trend, users need to install operating system not from a CD, but from a USB drive, and, as usual, this entails certain problems. So, for example, sometimes the BIOS does not see the flash drive, which means further work with her it becomes impossible. You can read below about how to fix this.

Flash drive malfunction

The first thing to check is the functionality of the USB drive. It is quite possible that the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive due to its malfunction. In this case, the device can safely work as a storage for files, but will cease to function if used as a Boot device.

It is best to check the serviceability of the flash drive on another computer or laptop. To do this, just try to use it like boot device, and if everything goes well, then your USB drive is not damaged.

If you don't have a second computer, you can use alternative ways checking the functionality of the flash drive. For example, you can simply connect it to a different port, or even write the operating system image to another drive and try to boot from it.

USB port problem

If the BIOS does not see a flash drive that you are completely sure is working, you should check the functionality of the USB port. This is much easier to do than with a USB drive, because you don’t need another computer or laptop for this operation.

So, you just need to connect the flash drive to different ports one by one and try to boot from it. Yes, this operation requires a lot of time, but thanks to it you will completely eliminate one of the possible reasons BIOS errors occur.

We should also highlight the USB ports located on the front wall system unit, on the keyboard, all kinds of extension cords and so on. It often happens that they begin to function only after full load operating system. Simply put, when the computer starts, they do not work, and accordingly, the BIOS does not see the flash drive. What to do in such a situation? Use the ports located on the back of the system unit.

USB 3.0

Modern computers and laptops are equipped with new devices for working with flash drives - USB 3.0. They provide much greater speed of the drive, but at the same time they can cause certain problems. Including sometimes the BIOS does not see a bootable USB flash drive if it is connected to a version 3.0 port.

It’s worth saying here that the malfunction does not arise due to the inability of older versions of Windows to work with USB 3.0 during installation. For example, you will not be able to install Windows 7 from a flash drive connected to 3.0, but already in the “eight” and “ten” there is no such problem.

Fortunately, manufacturers took into account possible problems related to compatibility. They provide computers with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports. The latter, by the way, are painted blue. So, if your flash drive does not work in the 3.0 connector, you can try removing it and connecting it to USB 2.0.

"Broken" image

Another reason that the BIOS does not see the flash drive may be a “broken” image of the operating system recorded on it. Damage to OS installation files can occur either while downloading them from the Internet or during writing to a USB drive.

The problem is that you will not be able to repair a “broken” image. The only thing you can do is download it again setup files, and then install them again on the flash drive. In addition, following the advice of computer specialists, you can check the USB drive with the image recorded on it for errors and bad sectors.

It is also worth mentioning unlicensed versions of Windows OS. Pirates don’t bother much when creating them, so very often problems arise when trying to make a bootable USB flash drive from such files. In other words, you should try downloading a distribution from another team, or even better, use only licensed software.

The image is written incorrectly

Very often, the BIOS does not see the flash drive because the operating system image was written to it incorrectly. Some users simply copy the installation files to a USB drive and then try to boot from it. Yes, this option may work in some cases, but it is by no means correct.

In fact, you only need to create a bootable USB flash drive using special programs. Such applications are provided by both the creators of the operating system and third party developers. For example, very popular are UltraISO programs, Rufus, WintoFlash and so on. Each of them fully copes with its functions, so it’s difficult to single out a favorite.

Recording with Rufus

Since the most common cause The “invisibility” of a flash drive is an incorrectly recorded image; you should definitely figure out how to do it correctly. As an example, we will take the Rufus program, which is easy to learn. So, to create a bootable USB flash drive, follow this algorithm:

  • Connect the USB drive to your PC and launch Rufus.
  • In the main menu of the application, find the line “Device” and select your flash drive in it.
  • Now click on the CD-ROM icon located opposite the “Create” option boot disk" Using the Explorer window, specify the path to the operating system image.
  • If necessary, you can enable the function of checking the device for bad blocks by checking the box of the same name. But please note that this operation will increase the time it takes to create an image by two or even three times.

Now all you have to do is click the “Start” button, confirm your decision and wait for the operation to complete. Remember that it is strictly not recommended to remove the flash drive while the program is running.

Incorrect BIOS setting

To ensure that your PC starts from a USB drive rather than from a hard drive, you need to set the boot priority correctly. IN Award BIOS, for example, it is done like this:

  • Enter the BIOS by pressing the appropriate key while the computer boots. Most often this is F2 or Del, but sometimes there are other options.
  • Open the Integrated Peripherals section and check if the USB Controller option is Enabled. As a rule, it is enabled by default, but it is still worth making sure.
  • Now go back to the main menu (ESC key) and go to Advanced BIOS Features. Next, open the Hard Disk Boot Priority subsection.
  • Find the HDD-USB parameter and move it to the first line using the Plus key.
  • After that, return to the previous menu, open First Boot Device and put HDD-USB in first place.

  • Press F10 to save your changes and then exit Settings.

Keep in mind that in other BIOS versions, the procedure for setting boot priority may differ slightly from the Award BIOS. You can find details about it in the manual on the official website of the motherboard manufacturer.

Secure Boot

On computers and laptops released after 2013, the function is quite common. Secure Boot. Its purpose is to prevent malware from being installed before the operating system starts. However this service may block the operation of the bootable flash drive, so you need to disable it. This can be done like this:

  • Go to the BIOS and open the Boot section (sometimes called Advanced).
  • Find the Boot List Option and change it to Legacy.

  • Set the Fast Boot option to Disabled.

Now all you have to do is set the boot priority and start installing the operating system. Most importantly, do not forget to enable Secure Boot again after you no longer need to use the bootable USB flash drive.

Old BIOS versions

If you are the “lucky” owner of an outdated computer, there is a high probability that it does not know how to work with USB drives at all before loading the operating system. More precisely, this old BIOS does not see the flash drive, since earlier, in the era of CDs and floppy disks, there was simply no such need.

This problem can be fixed by updating the BIOS to current version. The files and programs needed for this procedure can usually be found on the website of your PC or laptop manufacturer.

Keep in mind that the process of updating (firmware) BIOS is associated with great risks, and it is better not to start it without the proper skill. If you do something wrong, you can cause damage to your computer, which only specialists can fix.

Alternative options

So, you have tried all the methods outlined above, but the BIOS still completely refuses to work with the flash drive. In this case, you can use two alternative options.

The first one is installing the OS from a disk. If your computer has a CD-ROM, feel free to create a bootable CD and install the operating system from it. In addition, you can temporarily borrow a CD drive from friends and connect it to your PC.

The second option is to use the Plop utility Boot Manager. It is installed on the hard drive and allows you to select the boot priority without having to go into the BIOS.

Every user is certainly faced with the need to reinstall the operating system on their computer or laptop. IN Lately It is more rational to carry out such an installation using a regular flash drive, making it bootable.

This installation is fast and reliable, and creating bootable media is now easier than ever. But sometimes the user may encounter one problem that prevents him from conducting normal installation systems - BIOS does not recognize bootable USB flash drive.

When connected to computer device It turns out that the flash drive is simply not detected by it, as if it doesn’t exist. Even after entering the BIOS (UEFI), the user does not find the drive in the Boot Menu. Below it will be explained why the PC does not see boot drive in the BIOS, how to correct the situation and make it visible.

Why is the bootable USB flash drive not visible in the BIOS?

The main reason why a bootable flash drive is not visible in the BIOS is a discrepancy between the boot modes specified in the BIOS and those supported by the drive itself. Why is this happening? Because modern computers have 2 boot modes: Legacy and UEFI. On older devices there was no such choice. So, only one of these modes is enabled in the device.

If the UEFI mode is set, then the drive on which the system image for Legacy mode is written will not be displayed in the BIOS. Accordingly, you won’t be able to select it as a boot one. In this mode, images for Windows 7 systems are usually recorded. If Windows is installed, then, as a rule, there are no problems.

What to do to make the BIOS see the bootable USB flash drive

2 options for solving the problem.

In a situation where the BIOS does not see the bootable USB flash drive, you can do one of the following two actions:

  1. In the BIOS you need to disable support for the second mode, which will not be used. After entering the BIOS, go to the Boot tab and simply set the mode you need to the value "Enabled". Sometimes this item is not easy to find. For example, it might look like choosing an operating system. In this case, the proposed options may be:
  • Booting Windows 8 or 10 systems for UEFI mode.
  • Booting another system (Other OS) also for Legacy mode.


If you are using a bootable USB flash drive designed only to boot in Legacy mode, you must disable Secure Boot in the BIOS. To do this, go to the field "Secure Boot" indicate value "Disabled". On some laptops and PCs, you just need to select Windows 7 to disable secure boot.

To see if Secure Boot is enabled on Windows systems 10 or 8, just press on the keyboard Windows combination+ R, and then enter the expression in the line "msinfo32". After pressing "Enter", information about the system installed on your computer will be displayed, where you can find an item displaying the status of your secure boot.

  1. Rewrite the data onto the flash drive again, choosing a different boot mode. This option is only possible for new images created recently. If you are recording an image that is a year old or older, it will only support Legacy mode.

If the recorded image is supported for both modes, it is not necessary to change the BIOS settings. It is enough to rewrite the system image. However, please note that for recording Windows images 7 and XP required disabling Secure Boot.

It is very easy to create a bootable USB flash drive in Rufus program. Before you start recording data, you can choose which boot mode the drive will be written to. The default (for most cases) is MBR mode for UEFI and Legacy. But you can choose MBR with UEFI or GPT with UEFI mode.

Important Note! Many users do not understand one thing important moment. For a flash drive to be visible in the BIOS, it must be bootable. That is, it is not enough to simply write an image of a system onto a USB drive and then install the system from it. You just need to create a bootable drive using one of the special programs.

You might be wondering how to use a USB flash drive to increase RAM computer().

Using these tips, you can easily install any operating system on your device using a bootable USB flash drive.