Hardware and software setup

The computer does not see the flash drive with Windows. BIOS does not see a bootable flash drive: what to do

Installing Windows 7 is simple and polished, but far from perfect. Therefore, situations may arise when the installation wizard simply does not see certain devices on the computer, preventing the user from completing the initiated procedure normally. And if you have such difficulties - read the content.

Installing Windows 7 does not see the USB mouse and keyboard (we solve the problem with BIOS settings)

If the Windows 7 installation does not see a mouse or other input device, the first thing to do is to check the USB ports that these peripherals are inserted into.

Ports in blue (USB3.0) can not supported master, and therefore, at least during installation, rearrange the equipment into gray ports ( USB 2.0 ).


In most cases, the problem will be resolved. Otherwise, do the following in order actions inBIOS(later in the article, these actions will be described step by step):

  • Disable(Intel) xHCI mode » tab « Advanced » ;
  • Try a different point value USB Legacy Support ;
  • Reset BIOS.
It is not necessary to do all three steps at once.
Check the operation of the mouse and keyboard after each step, starting from the first.
First you need to go into the BIOS. Learn more about how to log in. BIOS on various devices (desktop computers or different brands of laptops), you can look at this article: how to enter the BIOS. Restart your computer and at the motherboard logo enter « Setup Menu » by pressing the key F1 (F2, F12, Delete- depending on the BIOS). Now let's get started:

Step 1 - Disable (Intel) xHCI Mode

You can find this option in the tab « Advanced » on the menu BIOS.

  1. Go to « Advanced » , navigating with the arrows on the keyboard;
  2. Change the mode to « Disabled » in step « xHCI mode » ;

Figure 1. Set the Disabled mode for xHCI Mode.
  1. We save settings by going to the tab « exit » and selecting " exit Saving Changes »;
  2. We check the mouse and keyboard by trying to install the OS again.
The first action helps in the vast majority of cases. Move on to the next heading if:
  • Line « xHCI mode » missing;
  • Item fulfillment « Action 1» gave no result.

Step 2 - Switch USB Legacy Support Mode

Unlike the one described above, the option « USB Legacy Support» available for editing on the vast majority of systems.

It is also located mainly in the tab « advanced » . We need to change the mode of this function to the opposite ( "Enabled" on the « Disabled" or vice versa).

Figure 2. Changing the USB Legacy Support value.
Do not forget save changes tab « exit » by selecting the option " exit Saving Changes ”, the computer will restart automatically.

We check our devices by running the Windows installation again. If the peripheral still does not work, you should try reset motherboard settings.

Step 3 - reset the BIOS (if the previous steps do not help)

To return the BIOS to "factory" settings, you must:

  1. Go to tab « exit » (usually follows Boot);
  2. Select item " load Setup (Optimal) Defaults » → confirm the action by pressing « Yes ". The computer will restart.
These steps will most likely solve your USB mouse and keyboard problem. Otherwise, you should check the peripherals for hardware failures on another computer. Also try connecting other devices.

Solving a problem when using a PS/2 keyboard and mouse

Failures in these devices are quite rare and are mainly related to BIOS and hardware failures. Before doing the following necessarily power off your computer. This precaution is due to the fact that ports PS/2 it is highly recommended not to touch it while the system is running. If you are using the standard PS/2 periphery, you should:

  • Check and clean the connector / port of the keyboard and mouse from various types of contaminants;
  • Try similar USB hardware;
  • Swap mouse and keyboard connectors;
  • Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest version.
If all of the above doesn't help, try using another copy Windows 7. No support PS/2 devices may be due to the fact that a particular assembly does not contain, in fact, obsolete drivers for these devices (they can be cut from the final image).

The computer does not see a bootable USB flash drive and / or other USB devices when installing Windows 7

The solution to this problem in most cases is quite simple. And before you start delving into this chapter, you need to do the following: If the installationWindowsdoes not seeUSBdevicesat all, contact . It provides some general steps to resolve the most common failures.

The Windows 7 setup wizard does not see the hard drive (SSD) or asks for a driver

Before starting to perform actions that affect the software part, you need to make sure that the drives are working and that the computer settings are correct. Note. Next actions are relevant forSSD. If in the window for selecting a disk for installation missing desired "hard drive" (hard drive), try first:

  • Verify cables and mounts HDD/SSD;
  • Disable extra drives, leaving only the one on which the OS will be installed;
  • Toggle mode « SATA mode » from « AHCI » on the « IDE » (any other available);
Let's analyze in more detailthe thirdparagraph. For this you need:
  1. Turn off computer;
  2. Enter BIOS (or « Setup Menu » ) by pressing the button F1 (F2, F12, Delete) immediately after turning on the computer at the stage when the logo of the manufacturer of your motherboard is displayed on the screen;
  3. Using the arrows, find the item in the menu « Configure SATA as » or « SATA Configuration / mode » (depending on your BIOS);
  4. Change mode « AHCI » on the « IDE » or « RAID » ;

Figure 3. Set the value IDE for the line Configure SATA as.
  1. save settings, selecting an item « exit Saving Changes » tab « exit » . The computer will restart with the changed configuration.
Now you can try the installation again. Skip to the next chapter if:
  • The OS install still doesn't see your HDD or SSD;
  • Mode « SATA mode » has already been posted on « IDE » .

Manual installation of hard drive or SSD drivers

It is recommended to proceed to this chapter after fully familiarizing yourself with the previous one. This will help eliminate unnecessary steps.
In most cases, the installation image already contains software for many storage controllers (SATA drivers). However, if the motherboard model of your computer / laptop is quite recent (or, conversely, old), drivers may simply be missing.

Therefore, we need to independently “specify” them at the stage of selecting a system disk. The following instruction will describe this process in more detail. Let's get started.

STEP 1 - find the necessary software.
Download the drivers from the manufacturer's website of your laptop or motherboard. First of all, we focus on files that include one or more word examples: INF, SATA, RAID, RST.

STEP 2 - unpacking and dumping onto media with an OS image.
Unzip the downloaded file into a separate folder → copy it to any location on the installation flash drive.
note that we need drivers should not contain executable." exe" files. Only fit unpacked(such drivers usually include folders: amd, x64 , as well as many . inf files).
STEP 3 - specifying the required software in the disk selection window.
We insert the USB flash drive into the computer → we reach the disk selection stage for installation. Here you need to find the button(or "Overview" ) and click on it.

An explorer will open in which you need to specify the required driver .
Figure 4. Select the desired folder with the driver.
The hard drive (SSD) will be detected if the appropriate drivers are selected. Now you can continue the process by selecting the SSD drive that appears.

Drivers are installed, the drive is displayed. However, the wizard does not see or does not allow you to select the desired section

In this case try remove markup HDD/SSD directly in the window disk selection. Attention! The following steps lead to formatting drive and, consequently, to the complete loss of data. Make sure all your important files are backed up on a separate drive.For this you need:

  1. Push button "Disk Setup" at the disk selection stage;
  2. "Delete" all available partitions to start the installation on unallocated space
  3. Check the integrity of the OS image on the installation disk;
  4. Re-write the image to another disk with the minimum speed;
  5. Use flash drive(preferably USB version 2.0) instead of a CD;
  6. Make sure that the drive is working: check the connection, power supply contacts, the operability of the motor and drive.
  7. The steps above will help resolve your issue. Otherwise resetBIOS and try a different OS image/build.

    Also, in extremely rare cases, reinstalling the driver for the DVD drive can help. Detailed information can be found in the "" chapter, and drivers for the drive can be found on the manufacturer's website.

    Conclusion

    If none of the above methods helped, try looking for a problem in the computer components (on your own or with the help of a specialist).

As a rule, all modern computers are equipped with special DVD drives that can easily read any discs. Including they are equipped with new laptops, whose manufacturers tend to keep up with the times.

However, sometimes there are situations when it is simply necessary to resort to the help of a tool such as the BIOS. Many novice users do not understand what it is, so it will be interesting for them to know that the BIOS is the component without which the computer is simply impossible to work. In other words, when the device is turned on, 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 perfect 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 whole system is built in English, and it is often not even clear how to prioritize 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 was created, from which, for example, it was planned later. And now, when this media is in the appropriate slot, the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive.

Why is this happening? There can be many reasons, ranging from the illiteracy of users to technical malfunctions, due to which the BIOS does not see the USB 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. Indeed, it often happens that the user simply does not have enough knowledge in order to correctly form a bootable USB flash drive. In this case, the BIOS, respectively, does not see the flash drive. So, if the component does not see the flash drive, it is best to overwrite the bootable flash drive.

Is the bootable flash drive written correctly?

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

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

  • prepare an appropriate image;
  • download a special program to your computer;
  • insert the USB 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 in more detail with each point:


Some important bios features

By the way, there are some unfavorable factors that 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 all the necessary files have been copied to it. Oddly enough, but such a 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 flash drive, you need to pay special attention to this factor. If you check and eliminate this kind of reason, then this can help to cope with such a 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 consider which utility should be preferred so that each item written to the USB flash drive is readable. In other words, you should decide which program is suitable for a particular operating system in order to avoid a problem in which the BIOS does not see the device. It should also be noted that if the BIOS does not see the desired element, you can use the option that was given above. It perfectly suits any Windows and at the same time provides a high-quality result. So with this utility, you can forget about such a problem when the BIOS does not see the required device.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that not all programs that are recommended by certain manufacturers fix the problem in which the BIOS does not see the element. So, a lot of effective and curious utilities that large manufacturers can boast of cope with the “BIOS does not see the device” problem much worse than the above option.

It is impossible not to mention that the BIOS itself must be correctly 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 proceed. 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 of motherboard.

Each user will certainly face the need to reinstall the operating system on his computer or laptop. Recently, 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 a breeze. But sometimes the user may encounter one problem that prevents him from carrying out a normal installation of the system - BIOS does not see bootable flash drive.

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

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

The main reason why the bootable flash drive is not visible in the BIOS is the mismatch between the boot modes specified in the BIOS and supported by the drive itself. Why it happens? 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 UEFI mode is set, then the drive on which the system image for Legacy mode is recorded will not be displayed in BIOS. Accordingly, it will not work to select it as a boot. In this mode, images for Windows 7 systems are usually written. If Windows is installed, then, as a rule, there are no problems.

What to do so that the BIOS sees a bootable USB flash drive

2 options for solving the problem.

In a situation where the BIOS does not see the bootable flash drive, you can do one of the following 2 actions:

  1. In 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 "Enabled". Sometimes this item is hard to find. For example, it may look like an operating system selection. In this case, the options might 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 for booting in Legacy mode, you must disable Secure Boot in BIOS. To do this, in the field "Secure Boot" specify a value "disabled". On some laptops and PCs, just select Windows 7 to disable Secure Boot.

To find out if Secure Boot is enabled on Windows 10 or 8 systems, just press the Windows + R combination on the keyboard, 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 that displays the status of your secure boot.


  1. Rewrite the data to the USB flash drive again by selecting a different boot mode. This option is only available for new images created recently. If you are burning an image that is a year old or older, it will only support Legacy mode.

If the captured image is supported for both modes, it is not necessary to change the BIOS settings. It is enough to rewrite the image of the system. However, please note that you will need to disable Secure Boot in order to capture Windows 7 and XP images.

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

Important note! Many users do not understand one important point. In order for the flash drive to be visible in BIOS, it must be bootable. That is, it is not enough just to write an image of some system to a USB drive, and then install the system from it. It is necessary to create a boot drive using one of the special programs.

You may be wondering how to use a USB drive to increase the computer's RAM ().

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

The development of technology has significantly increased the amount of flash drives. During this time, CDs have completely disappeared from our lives, even Microsoft began to distribute Windows 10 on flash drives. But what to do if the BIOS does not see a bootable USB flash drive that has the software you installed.

Causes and solutions

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

Important! First you need to make sure that the flash drive is working properly. Connecting to another computer or laptop, check if it is displayed.

Wrong image entry

The installation flash drive is created using special programs, it is not enough just to upload the file to the drive, it must be written correctly.

If you want to burn an image of Windows 7, then use the proprietary Microsoft utility.

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


Settings in the BIOS

What to do if the flash drive is written correctly, but the boot 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 doing the following. This will make it easier to find.


Download mode

The second reason may be that the flash drive is not visible in the Boot Menu due to a 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 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 USB flash drive through the USB 3.0 port when trying to install the system from it. This is most likely due to the BIOS configuration. To solve the problem, just rearrange the flash drive to USB 2.0.

Today we will look at:

Today, Windows installation is most often carried out using specially prepared flash drives, which have almost completely replaced optical discs. The process of installing the operating system itself is not difficult, but it often happens that the old one does not see the bootable USB flash drive.

In this topic, we will tell you what causes this malfunction and what to do if the BIOS does not see the USB flash drive.

Causes of the problem

One of the most common reasons why BIOS does not see a usb flash drive is the wrong boot mode set.

Modern laptops and personal computers have two modes: UEFI and Legacy. As a rule, the first mode is activated by default. If the bootable flash drive was written for another mode that is currently disabled, then you will see such an error.

The second reason why BIOS does not see usb is an incorrectly written installation flash drive. The fact is that many users, when writing the Windows installer to a USB flash drive, simply copy the ISO image. You can't do that. Thus, you will not make the flash drive bootable. Even worse is when files are simply copied to a USB flash drive.

Activating the correct boot mode

If everything is clear with the incorrect recording of the bootable flash drive, then setting the correct boot mode can be an unfamiliar procedure for many. Let's use a specific example to figure out how to change the boot mode.

Today you can find at least three types of BIOS. And regardless of whether you have an old BIOS or a new one, the menu items may differ from those that will be indicated below, however, they always have approximately similar names and nesting.

If the BIOS does not see the files on the flash drive, then you can change the boot mode as follows:


It may be that the boot drive you are using only supports Legacy mode. In this case, it may be that the BIOS does not see the usb flash drive due to the enabled Secure Boot mode.

To find out if this mode is enabled, open the search window by pressing the Win + R keys, then enter msinfo32. In the corresponding window, you can read whether this feature is enabled or disabled.

Disabling Secure Boot mode is very simple. Below is an example for Asus laptops:


If you have an HP model laptop, then this mode is deactivated a little differently: in BIOS, you need to go to the “System Conficuration” tab, where you can disable this option.

Outcome

We hope our material helped you figure out what to do if the BIOS does not see the flash drive and why this can happen. Leave your questions on this topic below, and we will help you quickly solve them.

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