How to Change Boot Order in Windows 10 and 11

Introduction / Why This Is Needed

The boot order is a list of devices (hard drives, SSDs, USB ports, network cards) that the computer's firmware (UEFI or BIOS) checks for a bootable operating system when powered on. Changing this order is necessary if you want to:

• Boot from an installation medium (USB flash drive or DVD) to install or recover Windows.
• Choose another operating system when multiple OSes are installed on different drives.
• Temporarily boot from a LiveCD (for example, to rescue data or run diagnostics).
• Fix a boot error when the system cannot find Windows on the main drive.

This guide explains how to access your firmware settings and change the boot priority for computers running Windows 10 and 11.

Requirements / Preparation

Before you begin, ensure:

1. You have a bootable medium (USB flash drive or DVD) with the desired OS, if the goal is to boot from it. Use Microsoft's official Media Creation Tool or Rufus to create it.
2. You know your computer's firmware type (UEFI or Legacy BIOS). You can determine this via msinfo32 (see Step 1). This is critical for proper menu navigation.
3. You have physical access to the keyboard of the computer (for navigating in BIOS/UEFI).
4. You are prepared for a system reboot.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Determine Firmware Type (UEFI or BIOS)

1. Press the Win + R key combination.
2. In the window that opens, type msinfo32 and press Enter.
3. In the "System Information" window, find the "BIOS Mode" line.
4. If the value is "UEFI" — you have modern firmware. If it's "Legacy" — you have classic BIOS. Remember this, as the interface and menu labels will differ.

💡 Tip: Most computers purchased after ~2014 use UEFI. Older systems or budget PCs may use Legacy BIOS.

Step 2: Access the Firmware Interface (UEFI/BIOS)

1. Restart the computer (via the Start menu → "Restart").
2. Immediately after power-on (when the manufacturer's logo appears), start repeatedly pressing the key to enter settings. Most commonly, it is one of the following:
   • Delete (Del)
   • F2
   • F10
   • F12
   • Esc
   • F1
3. The exact key is usually shown on the splash screen at the bottom (e.g., Press F2 to enter Setup or Press Del to enter BIOS). If unsure, try several.
4. If you want to choose a boot device once without entering full settings, try pressing the Boot Menu Key (often F12, F10, or Esc). This opens a simple one-time device selection menu.

⚠️ Important: Do not use Windows Fast Startup, as it can skip the key-check phase. A full reboot is recommended.

Step 3: Find the Boot Section and Change the Order

The interface depends on the firmware type.

For UEFI (graphical interface, mouse or keyboard navigation):

1. Use the mouse or arrow keys to navigate to the Boot or Boot Priority tab.
2. You will see a list of boot options (Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, etc.).
3. To change the order, select the desired device (e.g., UEFI: USB Drive, Windows Boot Manager, SATA: Samsung SSD 870) and move it to the first position (Boot Option #1).
   • Often, this requires pressing F5/F6 or using +/-.
   • In some UEFI (e.g., ASUS), you need to press Enter on the item, then select the device from a list.
4. If your USB drive is not listed, ensure it is connected and disable Secure Boot (usually under Security or Boot). Booting from older media may require enabling CSM (Compatibility Support Module) or Legacy Boot.

For Legacy BIOS (text-based blue/gray interface, keyboard-only navigation):

1. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Boot tab.
2. Find the items:
   • Boot Device Priority (main list) or
   • Hard Disk Drives (disk priority) and Removable Devices (USB priority).
3. Select 1st Boot Device (or similar) and press Enter.
4. In the list that appears, choose the desired device:
   • For a flash drive — USB-HDD, Removable, or the drive's model name.
   • For another disk — SATA: [Disk Model].
5. Press Enter to confirm.

Step 4: Save Changes and Exit

1. After configuring the order, navigate to the Exit tab.
2. Select Save Changes and Exit. Often, this is done by pressing F10.
3. A confirmation will appear: Save configuration and reset?. Select Yes.
4. The computer will automatically reboot and attempt to boot from the device now in first place.

Step 5: Verify the Result

• If you set a Windows installation medium, the language selection screen and "Install" button should appear.
• If you selected another installed disk, the corresponding bootloader (Windows or another OS) should load.
• If nothing changed and the system booted from the old disk, repeat Step 3, ensuring you selected the correct device and saved changes with F10.

Verifying the Result

The success of the boot order change is determined immediately after reboot:

1. Successful result: The computer boots from the target device (Windows installer USB, another disk with an OS).
2. Unsuccessful result: The computer boots from the previous disk or shows a boot error (e.g., No bootable device, Boot device not found, Invalid partition table).

If unsuccessful, re-enter UEFI/BIOS (Step 2) and check:

• Did you select the correct bootable device? (It must contain a bootloader, not just data).
• Are necessary options disabled (CSM/Legacy for old media, Secure Boot for custom images)?
• Did you save changes before exiting (F10 → Yes)?

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Q: Do I need to disable Fast Boot to enter BIOS?

Yes, in some systems (especially with Windows 10/11), Fast Startup can skip the key-check during power-on. A full reboot ("Restart" from the Windows menu) is recommended, or disable Fast Startup in power settings.

Q: What if there's no option for the USB drive in UEFI?

Ensure the flash drive was created correctly (GPT for UEFI). Also check if USB controllers are disabled in settings (Advanced → USB Configuration). Try a different port (USB 2.0 if available).

Q: Can I change the boot order programmatically from Windows?

No, changing boot priority is a low-level firmware (UEFI/BIOS) function. It can only be changed through its interface at computer startup. Some manufacturers (Dell, HP) have utilities in Windows, but they only work on their own systems and often still require a reboot.

Q: Why does the system still boot from the disk after changing the boot order to USB?

Most often, this means the USB media lacks a valid boot record or is incompatible with the current mode (UEFI/Legacy). Ensure you created the media in the same mode your system uses (UEFI or CSM/Legacy). Check boot settings: in UEFI, you must select UEFI: [USB Drive Name], not just USB Drive.