3 Ways to Start Your Computer from an External Drive

Table of contents:

3 Ways to Start Your Computer from an External Drive
3 Ways to Start Your Computer from an External Drive

Video: 3 Ways to Start Your Computer from an External Drive

Video: 3 Ways to Start Your Computer from an External Drive
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Starting your computer with an external drive will help you repair the drive or partition, troubleshoot problems, format the computer, or reinstall the operating system. You can start any Windows or Mac computer from an external drive.

Step

Method 1 of 3: Windows 8

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 1
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 1

Step 1. Swipe left on the right side of the screen, then tap Settings

If you're using a mouse, hover over the lower-right corner of the screen, hover over it, then click Settings

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 2
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 2

Step 2. Tap or click Power, then select Restart

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 3
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 3

Step 3. When the computer restarts, press and hold the Shift key

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 4
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 4

Step 4. Tap or click Troubleshoot when Windows 8 asks you to select an option

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 5
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 5

Step 5. Tap or click on “Advanced options”

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 6
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 6

Step 6. Tap or click on “UEFI Firmware Settings”

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 7
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 7

Step 7. Click “Restart”

The "Advanced BIOS Setup" menu will appear on the screen.

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 8
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 8

Step 8. Use the arrows to select the Boot option

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 9
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 9

Step 9. In the Mode option, change "UEFI" to "Legacy"

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 10
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 10

Step 10. Select the option to restart the computer, then immediately press F2 to enter the BIOS again

The key you have to press may vary depending on the type of computer. For example, you may be asked to press F12 or F5 instead of F2

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 11
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 11

Step 11. Use the arrows to select the Boot option, then change the Boot Order settings until your external drive is the first option on the list

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 12
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 12

Step 12. Connect the external drive to the computer by USB

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 13
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 13

Step 13. Restart the computer

Your Windows 8 computer will now start via the external drive.

Method 2 of 3: Windows 7 / Vista / XP

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 14
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 14

Step 1. Turn on the computer

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 15
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 15

Step 2. Connect the external drive to the computer via USB

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 16
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 16

Step 3. Click Start, then click the arrow next to Shut down

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 17
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 17

Step 4. Click Restart

Your computer will restart.

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 18
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 18

Step 5. Press the appropriate key to access the BIOS

These keys vary depending on the type of computer. For example, you may be asked to press F12, F2, F5, or Esc.

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 19
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 19

Step 6. Use the arrow keys to select Advanced Settings

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 20
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 20

Step 7. Select the Boot Order option

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Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 21
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 21

Step 8. Select the external drive as the default device

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 22
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 22

Step 9. Select the option to save the settings, then close the BIOS setup

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 23
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 23

Step 10. Restart the computer

Your Windows computer will now start via the external drive.

Method 3 of 3: Mac OS X

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 24
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 24

Step 1. Connect the external drive to your Mac OS X computer

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 25
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 25

Step 2. Click the Apple menu, then select the option to restart the computer

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 26
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 26

Step 3. Press and hold the Option key after hearing the initial sound

The device selection menu will appear on the screen.

Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 27
Boot from an External Hard Drive Step 27

Step 4. Click the name of the external drive

Your Mac will start from that drive.

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