BIOS setup for installing Windows from a disk. How to set up the BIOS to boot from a disk or flash drive
How to install windows OS? Perhaps, any PC user can easily answer this question. And it is not surprising, because the installation windows already has become commonplace! However, not all users understand the essence of the actions they perform! How to install Windows through the BIOS system is the topic of this article.
What is BIOS
Any installation of Windows OS implies, first of all, setting up the BIOS system. So what is it?
BIOS- base system I / O information is a set of firmware that provides the operating system, for example, windows API access to the hardware.
Although "combining" computer modules is the main function of the BIOS, it is not the only one! The very first IBM computers did not have a full-fledged operating system, but this did not prevent them from calculating and displaying information on the monitor through the BIOS. The point is that it has a built-in interpreter BASIC language. Through some kind of basic input / output system, you can even play media files and access the Internet through the simplest browsers.
At a technical level, the BIOS looks like a microchip located on the motherboard.
Information in a computer is stored and transmitted through electrical impulses - bits. However, when the computer is turned off, the entire system is de-energized. Everything but the bios! The BIOS, like the heart of a person, does not stop working for a minute, because the settings of the basic input / output system, stored in bits, provide access to the central processor to the rest of the PC modules. The computer uses a 3 volt battery to power the BIOS.
This is a battery, not a battery, and batteries tend to sit down! In the event of a complete discharge of the battery, all settings stored in the BIOS disappear, and CPU loses access to all other modules, and the power supply and computer fans will continue to work. After replacing the battery, the BIOS will recollect all information about the computer and start up with default settings.
BIOS setup
What happens when you start your computer? When current is applied to the central processor, one of the BIOS functions is activated - the POST operation, through which the system itself is tested and the parameters are configured. During the operation, the manufacturer's logo is displayed on the screen. motherboard. The POST operation itself is performed in a matter of seconds. After self-checking, the basic input / output system starts the operating system loader - a program that searches for a valid boot sector (Master Boot Record - MBR) on active partitions of disk spaces transfers control of the computer to it. In other words, the BIOS looks for an executing windows file on the active partition hard drive and starts Windows. During the installation process, Windows creates a separate partition on the hard drive equal to 100 MB and places the MBR file there. Such a partition is usually hidden from the user and marked as "system reserved".
Changes to active partition settings may result in a "BOOTMGR is missing" error when loading windows.
By default, it starts from the hard drive. In order to or installation flash drive, you will need to change the boot order in the BIOS settings.
Fortunately, the BIOS system provides a visual interface that greatly simplifies the task. It is called by pressing just one key during the POST operation. Usually, it's F2 or Delete. In either case, the desired key is indicated on the POST screen.
The visual user interface of the BIOS system is diverse and depends on the manufacturer. There are both Russian and English speakers. Since it is not difficult to understand the settings of the Russian-language interface, this article will describe the settings for the English version.
Having opened the BIOS menu, the first thing that catches your eye is the number of different tabs, but don't be scared! Through its interface, you can disable or enable individual PC modules, set the clock, delve into the system settings. In order to install windows, it is enough to change the boot order, which is located in the "boot" tab.
Expanding the tab we are interested in, you will see a couple more three. We need - Boot Devise Priority.
Moving on to the next step, you should already have windows distribution from which Windows will be installed!
So, opening the “Boot Device Priority” tab, you will see the current boot order.
- If you set the first parameter to boot from the hard disk (via the SATA bus), then windows will start faster, since the system will not check for distributions on other media.
- If you set boot from disk using CDROM as the first parameter, then the system will check for the presence of the windows distribution kit on the disk (even if the disk itself is not in the drive), and only then proceed to boot the OS installed on the hard disk.
- If you set USB-HDD as the first parameter in the boot order settings, then Windows will boot from the installation flash drive.
After saving the settings and restarting the PC, the windows installation will begin. I hope it's not necessary to explain how to install Windows! On the site you will find a lot of articles on this topic for different versions of the OS.
After installing Windows, I advise you to install the boot from the hard drive through the BIOS first to speed up the boot of the OS.
When buying a new computer or laptop, as a rule, in specialized stores, the buyer can immediately use the paid service for installing the operating system on the purchased PC, as well as some programs, including antivirus programs.
Working according to the standard scheme, in this case, the specialist will install the OS by default, without dividing the hard disk volume into sections. As a result, the system local disk will contain both the OS, the software package, and all kinds of multimedia files that are completely unrelated to the system.
And when the time comes for the next reinstallation of the OS, the user may permanently lose all data on this computer. Of course, before that, you can copy the contents of the disk to another medium, but you need to take into account that the decision to reinstall the OS is not always made in advance, as in the case of a sudden failure, the so-called "blue screen of death" (complete failure of the system without the possibility of its recovery).
Therefore, you should learn how to install Windows yourself. In fact, it is not as difficult as it may seem to a beginner, and even more so it will save money, get necessary knowledge in working with a computer and save yourself from trouble with the loss of valuable information on your hard drive.
How to remove windows 7 and install windows 7: necessary steps before installing the OS
So, it is important to emphasize that during the installation process, immediately before changing the OS, all information on the system local drive C will be erased. Therefore, the necessary data will have to be transferred either to another local disk or to external media (CD, flash drive, removable drive or reserve HDD).
Accordingly, all files displayed on the desktop will also disappear, and the work of the previous installed programs in the future it will be impossible, because before installing a new OS, drive C must be completely formatted, eliminating not only old data and system errors, but even unwanted virus software, if any (and often it is viruses that cause system failure , in fact, for these purposes they are developed).
The next step is the presence of Windows OS (in this Windows example 7) recorded as an image on the media. To the question of where to purchase this software:
- buy a licensed version in a computer store;
- download the OS distribution kit from the Internet;
- overwrite the OS image from another external media or borrow it for a while from friends.
You should immediately determine the bitness of the operating system: 32 or 64 bit.
To find out which one is this moment installed, go to the Start menu - Computer - click right click mouse on the general background - Properties.
Also, you need to write down or remember the total size of the local drive C and the amount of free space on it. This is done in order not to confuse partitions with each other when reinstalling the OS.
Then, it is advisable to make sure that there are disks with drivers for the equipment (or the driver versions can be stored on the PC, on another local disk).
A driver is the necessary software for launching and further stable operation of special PC equipment: input-output system (monitor; manipulators - keyboard, mouse, gamepad, etc.; sound and video card), external equipment (printer; scanner; unit uninterruptible power supply and etc.)
If there are no drivers, you can successfully download them from the network even after installing the OS.
In case of reinstalling the OS, the user must know that Windows, recorded as an image on the media, gives the latter the name - “bootable” ( boot disk or bootable USB stick). And, since the OS image is recorded in a special mode, the entire amount of bootable media memory is intended exclusively for Windows, and system installation is possible only through displaying and changing the settings of the "heart of the computer" - BIOS.
Windows 7 Initial Setup: BIOS Settings
If the OS image on the bootable media has already been purchased and the bit depth of the system is known, then you can proceed with the installation process.
Working with the boot disk, we use the drive; if the OS is on a bootable flash drive, include the latter in the corresponding USB connector and reboot the system.
As soon as the title image of the motherboard logo familiar to the eye appears on the monitor, we begin to repeatedly press a certain key to display the BIOS, most often it is the "Delete" or "F8" key. However, there are other options: "F1"; "F2"; "F3"; F10; F12. In any case, in order not to waste time guessing the right button, just look carefully at the commands indicated at the bottom of the screen at the time the computer boots up, where the “hot keys” of calling not only the BIOS, but also the general system management menu are located.
If the user did not have time to press the BIOS call key at the right time, you should wait for the system to boot and reboot it again, trying again. A successful press is accompanied by a special sound signal and outputs the total BIOS menu on the monitor screen.
So, the BIOS menu has opened, now you need to select the "Advanced BIOS" item.
In the next window, we find a list of priorities when loading the PC system, as well as the connection statuses of individual equipment. In this list, it is important to select the “First Boot Device” primary priority column, opposite which is written “ hard drive” (hard disk), that is, the settings are set that when the system boots, the primary reading of information occurs through the data of the hard disk, in particular the registry and local drive C.
But in order for the PC system to bypass the loading of the old copies of Windows began to scan and process information from the boot disk, for this you will have to change the primary priority of reading data. We replace the “Hard Disk” request with “CDROM” if the image of a new copy of OC is written to a CD and to “USB-HDD” if we install the operating system from a USB flash drive.
As for the older version of the BIOS, the changes in the settings are almost the same, although in general the appearance of the interface is different.
There is also an "Advanced" menu, and switching priorities for the initial reading of information is located in the "Boot" menu.
Selecting a volume to install Windows 7
Now you should wait for the Windows 7 setup menu to appear while the system copies data from the boot drive.
As soon as it appears, select the item "Install Windows 7";
architecture (bit depth) - in accordance with the current one (or based on the indicators of the processor and video card during the initial installation);
installation type - full;
accept the terms of the license agreement.
In the menu that appears with sections for installing Windows, by the type and size of the volume, we find the one that is currently local system drive C (just for this it was necessary to write down the volume of this disk before installation).
Let's start formatting it: select the required volume and click on the "Disk Setup" - "Format" button - in the warning message, click "Ok" and "Next".
Provided that the OS is installed for the first time, in the menu with partitions, only one of the main volumes will be indicated with a size equal to the size of the entire hard disk. In this case, through the "Disk Setup" button, you will need to remove this section and in its place create a new one with a size of 100 GB, which will later become the system local disk. You should install a copy of Windows on it. The remaining large part of the volume of the hard disk will fill the niche of another volume, which we will also create next to the first one. Thus, we managed to divide the hard disk into sections.
When you click on the "Next" button, the automatic process of unpacking the OS files and installing components and updates will start, which will take approximately 30 minutes until it is completed. Each further installation step will be accompanied by a PC restart to save and accept the data.
Completing the installation of Windows 7
In the final stage, before the first display on the desktop screen of a new copy of Windows 7, in the system settings windows that appear, you will need to enter: username; OC product key; your password account, optional; interface language and keyboard layout. Next, another reboot of the system will follow, and then the desktop will open in a low resolution of 800 * 600 pixels. After that, you can remove the boot disk (or bootable flash drive).
Then, in order for all components and system updates to take effect, we find a shortcut on the desktop with the Windows activator and open it.
After activating the OS, we reboot the system manually and call the BIOS again, where we return the priority to the Hard Disk in reverse order; save the changes through the "F10" key and confirm the actions with the "Y" and "Enter" buttons.
So the new operating system installed on the PC, it remains to connect necessary drivers and update them to more recent versions via the Internet.
There are only a few problems that beginners face. And one of them is the BIOS setting for Windows installations from a flash drive. This is the first step that starts everything, and this is where almost everyone stumbles.
The problem is that there are different versions BIOS. And, having studied the instructions on how to enable booting from a USB flash drive in the BIOS, a beginner may still not be able to cope. And all because he simply has the wrong BIOS version, there is no such line as in the screenshot and, accordingly, nothing happens.
It doesn't matter what brand of laptop or computer you have. The version of the operating system (Windows 10, 8, 7 or XP) also does not play a role. Only important BIOS version. And the easiest way to find out about it is by running it.
How to enter BIOS settings
Before entering the BIOS settings, you need to insert a bootable USB flash drive with the installation image into the USB port. At the same time, the main thing here is to write it down correctly. Otherwise it just won't load.
After that, restart your PC or laptop and constantly click the Delete or F2 button until the BIOS window opens. The button may differ depending on the brand of laptop or motherboard on the computer, so see the hint on the first black screen.
Then the BIOS is configured.
Award BIOS setup
How to understand that you have an Award BIOS? From the screenshot below:
If you have the same blue screen, then it is Award. Most often this option is found on the PC.
Management in BIOS is carried out only using the keyboard - arrows and corresponding buttons (their list is usually indicated at the bottom of the screen).
Before setting the BIOS to boot from USB, you need to check that it is enabled (otherwise the USB flash drive simply will not be displayed). For this:
The instruction is as follows:
In the screenshot above, the HDD is in 1st place, and the USB flash drive is in 2nd place. It needs to be lifted up. As you can see from the prompts at the bottom of the screen, you can set the boot priority in BIOS using the + and - (plus and minus) buttons. Select the USB flash drive and press the plus sign - it should move to the first line. Then press Esc to go back.
Then highlight the item "First Boot Device", press Enter and select "USB-HDD". Press the Esc button again. To exit the BIOS, click the F10 button and then Esc (Save and Exit).
AMI BIOS Setup
AMI BIOS looks like this:
And most often it is found on laptops. Again, you first need to make sure that the USB controller is enabled. For this:
Now let's look at how to boot a USB flash drive through BIOS on a laptop:
Sometimes, in order to change the device boot priority (put the USB flash drive in first place), you need to press other buttons. It can be not only + and - (plus / minus), but also F6 / F7, etc. Focus on the tips where it says what a particular button does (this little instruction is always either on the right or at the bottom).
Phoenix-Award BIOS setup
The Phoenix Award looks like this:
This is a rare (or rather, old) version, but for the full picture, let's look at the Phoenix-Award BIOS through the BIOS.
First, go to the "Peripherals" tab and check that the first two items are set to "Enabled". If necessary, expose the desired.
After that, go to the "Exit" tab (in the top menu) and select the "Save & Exit" line to exit the BIOS.
UEFI BIOS setup
The UEFI BIOS is a new and improved version of the old BIOS. She has user-friendly interface, That's why BIOS setup to install Windows here is very simple.
All you need to do is find the USB device icon, use the mouse to move it to the 1st position, and then click the “Exit” item (in the right corner) with the mouse. And don't forget to save your settings!
In this simple way, booting from a USB flash drive through the UEFI BIOS is carried out. Undoubtedly, this method is the simplest and most understandable. Actually, it was for this that a new graphical interface was developed.
When the PC or laptop reboots for the first time during the Windows installation process, you need to go into the BIOS again and restore the previous settings. That is, put the HDD-drive in the first place, and lower the flash drive to the second or third.
Or when a black screen appears after the reboot with the line "Press any key ..." ("Press any button") - do nothing.
Otherwise, Windows will start installing from the very beginning. And you can go around in circles for hours.
Once again: during the installation process after the first reboot, either go to the BIOS and return all the previous settings, or simply do not press anything. Alternatively, you can also simply pull the USB flash drive out of the USB port (but only when the PC or laptop reboots).
In this article I will talk about how to install the operating system yourself. Windows system 7 from the disk to your computer or laptop.
I offer detailed step by step instructions with a visual demonstration of screenshots of the installation of the Windows operating system.
If you think that installing an operating system is something complicated and incomprehensible that only a specialist can handle, then I will disappoint you: this is not true. Now you will see for yourself.
All you need to install Windows 7 (or Windows 8) is a computer or laptop, an operating system disk (because in this article we will install Windows from a disk), detailed instructions, which I will now give you, and, perhaps, attentiveness! I hope that after installation you will not look like . 🙂
After installation, I recommend installing immediately. You understand - in our time electronic payments this is very relevant. Also now (yet) nowhere without Adobe Flash Player . Like him right install read . You may also be interested in the very not bad. If stored on a computer private information, create a .
Important: Most of all possible problems that occur during the installation of Windows 7 is due to incorrectly prepared installation disk and (or) the quality of the “OS assembly” written to it. How to burn an operating system image to disk, you can read in the article.
Remember: if this is a disc not out of the box, that is, bought in a store, then you need to use only original images from Microsoft MSDN. It is the original image, which is also available on the Web, as well as various assemblies, that is the key to the successful installation of Windows and its normal functioning.
Do not use assemblies of unknown origin. You put all third-party fixes, fixes, homemade builds at your own peril and risk. The consequences may be irreversible.
Before installing Windows 7:
Remember two main things to do before installing Windows.
First is to determine in advance which hard section disk will install the system. Typically, in most cases, this is the C:\ drive. Remember (or create) the volume label and size.
Remember, your desktop is located entirely on the C:\ drive, or rather, here: C:\Documents and Settings\ Username \Desktop. Think in advance about the integrity and safety of files that are archived for you, copy them from the desktop, that is, from drive C, to another drive or flash drive.
All programs installed on the C:\ drive will also be removed, but this is not a reason to drag the entire folder with programs to other drives. It is much easier to re-install these programs on a clean system. Don't be lazy, it's not every day you reinstall Windows.
Second the moment is the drivers for your computer or laptop. They need to be taken care of in advance. They are included with most laptops, but if they are not available (or need to be updated), we look for them on the official website of the manufacturer and download them in advance.
Everything you need to know about installing drivers, I recommend reading the article "Installing Drivers or Five Iron Rules", which is located.
If you skip this important point, then after installing Windows, you may be left without the Internet, because it is not a fact that the windows distribution will initially contain the drivers for your network card.
Installing Windows 7 from disk:
We insert the disk with the Windows operating system into the drive and restart the computer. By the way, if you do not have a drive, then you can install the Windows operating system using the usual.
Let's continue. Our task is to configure the computer to boot from a DVD. This can be done in 2 ways:
- 1. select a device (DVD) in a special boot menu;
- 2. change the boot priority in BIOS (from HDD to DVD).
The first method, choosing a device in the boot menu, is easier and more convenient. After installing Windows, there is no need to return the boot from the HDD (hard disk). However, this feature is not available on older computers, in which case you will have to go into the BIOS and change the boot priority.
Start - reboot, wait for the screen to go out and at the first sign of the system waking up (the appearance of the logo), press and hold the Delete key on the keyboard. Why the Delete key? These keys can be F1, F2, F3 + F2, F10, Ctrl + Alt + Esc, Ctrl + Alt + S, Esc.
There is no universal button to enter the boot menu or enter the BIOS, and it all depends on the manufacturer of the computer (motherboard). The surest way is to read the instructions from the computer or from the motherboard. The table below shows an illustrative example of such keys.
The boot menu looks something like this:
Press F10, agree and confirm the exit with saving (Save and Exit) by selecting "Ok".
Phoenix Award
Consider the second version of the interface. To boot from a disc, you need to change the priorities so that the DVD drive is the first device. We find the item “Advanced BIOS Features” and use the arrows to switch to the first device (First Boot Device), change to CDROM.
Press F10 and confirm the exit with saving (Save and Exit).
If you have problems at this stage, I recommend watching this video.
Let's continue. If everything is done correctly, we will see the following window with the inscription: "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD".
Here you need to press any key, for example, the spacebar. This is done only 1 time and only at this stage of the installation. We see the following window with the inscription "Windows is loading files".
Files are being extracted, after which we will see the inscription Starting Windows and the Windows 7 installation window itself. Windows installation has begun !!
Select the desired language and click "Install".
Next, we need to select the edition of Windows 7. Choose the one for which you have a key or which you are going to activate. On laptops, it is usually indicated on a piece of paper with a key located on the bottom of the laptop. Entering the serial number itself will be a little later, it has been moved to the end of the installation.
A few words about the ability to install a 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit version of Windows. If you have more than 4 GB random access memory(aka RAM, RAM, Memory), then we set 64-bit, if not, then 32-bit (x86).
Read and agree to the terms of the license. Next, we need to select the type of installation - select "Full installation".
Now you need to select the partition on which Windows will be installed.
If you have this partition reserved by the system (note that it is still in megabytes (MB), not gigabytes), for example, as in the following screenshot, then select Disk 0 Partition 2.
In order not to be so excruciatingly painful when choosing a partition, before installing Windows, look at how many gigabytes your C drive occupies.
If you have one partition on your hard drive and it is more than 250 GB, then it would be more correct to create two local disk. One section is specifically for Windows (usually about 50-100 GB are allocated), and the other is for storing your personal information (how much will remain, XXX GB).
Note: The partitions you create should be named Disk 0 Partition 1, 2, 3..., not "Unallocated Disk Space". Otherwise, the operating system simply will not see partitions with such names.
If necessary, create a section or sections and click "Apply":
Attention: problems may arise at this stage - when Windows 7 asks for a driver for further installation or when the system does not see your hard drive in order to continue the installation.
Or install (if prepared) hard disk controller drivers. If you already have two or more partitions on your hard drive, then you can skip the above paragraph. So, we have selected the "System" section, and now we need to start formatting.
The installer warns that all our data will be deleted. We need this, because we are interested in clean install Windows. We agree and wait. The whole process usually takes a matter of seconds. After formatting, we see that there is more free space, calmly click "Next".
And here is the beginning of the installation, the process is started. You can take a breath.)
We are waiting, sir ... Usually it takes 15-25 minutes. When our system installs, it will prompt you to enter a username and computer name. Enter.
If you wish, you can enter a password and a hint. Windows will then prompt you to enter serial number. Enter (if any). If not, then skip this step and uncheck "Automatically activate when connected to the Internet."
Windows installation through the BIOS - a common procedure that every user faces sooner or later, regardless of the level of his steepness and brutality. Oddly enough, the installation procedure is quick and just as easy. Actually, the whole point of this procedure is to restart the PC and enter the BIOS by changing its method of operation. As we remember, the system boots from the hard drive where the operating system itself is installed. Our task is to force it to boot through another medium, a USB flash drive or a disk where it will be written installation version OS. At first glance, it might seem that installing Windows through Bios is a real torture that only Jedi Knights can endure. In fact, everything is very simple and my today's post is written specifically to convince you of this. Before you start the main work, you will need to get a disk with the installation Windows. You can also use ISO images, which are later used to write to a FLASH drive. It is best to use a USB flash drive, since USB ports have best speed data transfer with minimal disruption. Connect such a drive, then proceed to the next step.
How to enter BIOS?
The first problem that can give you a little negative is the launch of the BIOS itself. Installing Windows through the BIOS won't start if you can't get to the main menu. Surely you have not encountered such a problem yet, therefore, you do not know how to start the BIOS. The first, easiest way to find the desired combination of buttons- try to click on all the keys. Press the power button, notice, as soon as you see the manufacturer's start logo, for example, ASUS, ACER, etc., press ESC. For a guarantee, you should press several times in a row. Did not work? Then try to do the same procedure with the button DELETE. If this action also did not lead to the desired result, then the last remaining option is to click on the buttons F1 - F12, and each button should be pressed after a new reboot. Installing Windows through the BIOS will begin immediately after we delve into the BIOS. Once you complete all the steps from the previous paragraph, the main menu will pop up in front of you. You need to find the tab in the name of which the word BOOT appears. Most often, this name looks like this - Boot device priority. This tab will give you access to all storage devices that are connected to your hardware. This is not just a list, but a complete system of priorities. The first device in the list is the main one, it is from it that data is read, as well as bootstrap OSes. 
You must select the first item, press Enter, then select the name of the drive where the unpacked Windows is recorded. 
After that, you need to log out of the system by clicking on the EXIT tab. Most importantly, do not forget to save all the changed settings. 
fallback method.
Installing Windows through the BIOS can take more than in a simple way. You can call the BOOT menu by pressing the F1-F12 keys, one of them will be correct. If you do everything correctly, you will see something like the following window: 
All devices from which you can download are shown here. Select the device that you need, after which the installation of Windows will go at full speed. This method is one-time, and also very fast. Finished with the BIOS! Congratulations, the main work has been done successfully. It remains only to install Windows, the following posts can help you with this.
