This article teaches you how to speed from a USB flash drive instead of a Windows 7 computer hard drive. Speeding from a USB allows you to do anything from running a light operating system to using command line services like Clonezilla. You can even use a USB flash drive to install Windows 7, if needed.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Preparing for Speeding
Step 1. Understand how speeding from a USB works
From the very beginning, the computer starts by reading operating system information from its default hard drive. You can change this by changing the priority to the connected USB device instead of the computer's hard drive.
- Settings for computer boot behavior are in a menu called BIOS, which is a pre-startup menu that can be accessed by pressing a certain key according to the computer model when it is turned on.
- To be able to speed from a USB flash drive, the hard drive must be set up as a bootable device, and it must have a disc image (ISO) file with an operating system or similar service installed on it.
Step 2. Specify the computer's BIOS key
The key that needs to be pressed to access the BIOS may vary depending on the computer manufacturer and model. You can search for it by typing the name of the manufacturer and model of the computer, along with the keyword " bios key " into a search engine on the internet. You can also read the computer's user manual, if you still have one.
Most computers use one of the function keys (for example, F12) as the BIOS key, but some use the key Esc or Del.
Step 3. Insert the USB flash drive into the computer
The USB flash drive must be inserted into one of the rectangular USB ports on the computer.
On laptops, the USB port is usually located on the side, while for desktops, the USB port is on the front or back of the CPU
Step 4. Create a flashable USB flash drive
If the flash drive doesn't boot, use Command Prompt or one of the Windows installation tools to create one.
Step 5. Add the files you want to save to the flash drive
Copy the ISO file you want to create by clicking on it once and pressing Ctrl+C, then open the flash drive and press Ctrl+V to paste it in the file.
- For example, if you are trying to install or use Ubuntu Linux from a flash drive, insert the Ubuntu ISO file onto the flash drive.
- Skip this step if you have already created a flash drive that you can use using the Windows 7 or 10 installation tool.
Step 6. Save and close all open jobs
Before accessing the BIOS, it's a good idea to save any open work, and close programs so you don't lose your work.
Method 2 of 4: Accessing BIOS
Step 1. Go to Start
Click the multicolored Windows logo in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Step 2. Click Shut down
It's on the right side of the Start menu. Once pressed, the computer will start shutting down.
You may have to press the confirm button
Step 3. Wait until the computer shuts down completely
If the computer is completely silent, you can continue.
Step 4. Press the computer's Power button
The computer will start up.
Step 5. Immediately press the BIOS button
Do this as soon as possible after pressing the power button, and don't stop until the BIOS screen appears.
Step 6. Stop pressing the BIOS key when the BIOS page loads
The BIOS page is usually a blue screen with white letters, although some may look different. At this point, you are free to change the computer boot order.
Method 3 of 4: Changing the Order of But
Step 1. Look for the "Boot Order" option
You'll find it on the main BIOS screen, but you'll most likely have to scroll left or right (by pressing the left and right arrow keys) through the label at the top of the screen until you find the "Boot Order" section.
You can find this segment in the label Advanced, although many BIOS variations have the label Boot Order separately.
Step 2. Open the "Boot Order" menu
If the "Boot Order" section is a menu instead of a title, select it using the arrow keys and press Enter.
Step 3. Select the "USB" option
Find and scroll the "USB" option in the list of boot locations.
Step 4. Look for the button legend
This option is usually found in the lower-right corner of the screen, although sometimes it's also at the bottom of the screen.
Step 5. Specify the button used to move up to the selected option
Usually you need to press the button + to move up, but check the button legend information to be sure.
Step 6. Move the "USB" option to the top of the list
Press the appropriate key until the "USB" option is at the top of the "Boot Order" list. This ensures that when restarted, the computer will look for the USB device instead of the hard drive.
Method 4 of 4: Speeding from USB
Step 1. Save changes and exit BIOS
Press " Save and Exit " as directed by the button legend, then press " Confirm " when prompted.
For example, you can press Esc to save changes and press Y to confirm that you want to save and exit.
Step 2. Restart the computer if necessary
If this time the computer does not boot from the flash drive the first time, it may be that the computer has selected the hard drive as the boot location. If so, restart the computer (with the flash drive installed) before continuing.
Step 3. Wait until the USB program menu appears
Once the computer recognizes the flash drive as the boot location, you can see a menu of programs or services installed on the USB flash drive appear.
Step 4. Follow all the instructions on the screen
When the menu appears, you can proceed with running and/or installing a program or service on the USB hard drive.
Tips
- If you don't want to use the Command Prompt to speed up the USB flash drive, you can use a free program like Live Linux USB Creator.
- In some cases, the computer will not recognize the USB flash drive as the boot location if it is connected to the wrong USB port.
