How to Access Asus Boot Menu to Make Asus Boot from USB?
What is Asus boot menu key? How to access Asus boot menu? What should you do if the USB is not listed in BIOS as a boot option? How to make Asus boot from USB drive? In this post, MiniTool Partition Wizard will give you answers to these questions.
How to Access Asus Boot Menu
What Is Boot Menu
Boot menu is related to computer boot process. Many people may think that boot menu is the same as the boot order/sequence. The two items are similar but they also have differences. What is boot order/sequence? To explain this item, you should know what the booting process is.
The traditional boot process is as follows:
- Once the computer is switched on, start POST (Power On Self Test) process.
- The BIOS initializes the necessary system hardware for booting (disk, keyboard controllers etc.).
- According to the boot order, BIOS checks the devices (hard disks, removable devices, CD-ROM, etc.) one by one until it finds a bootable drive.
- Once it finds a bootable device, it tries to load bootloader and then the bootloader will load the system from partition to boot it.
Then, what’s the difference between boot menu and the boot sequence/order/priority? The difference is that boot order is permanent while boot menu is temporary. Once the boot order is fixed, your computer always checks drives in that order and therefore it always boots from the same drive.
If you want to boot from another drive, you should change the boot order to make that drive locate at the first place. But sometimes, changing boot order may be inconvenient, because you should change it again if you want to go back to the previous boot order.
Unlike boot order, if you choose a drive in boot menu, then the computer will boot from that drive just for once. When power down the computer and then switch it on again, the computer will boot in the previous boot order as usual.
HP/Lenovo/Dell computer says “boot device not found” or “no boot device available” in Windows 10/8/7? Top 4 fixes for this issue are introduced.
Asus Boot Menu Keys and BIOS Keys
If your computer uses Asus motherboard, you can enter its boot menu quickly by pressing a key when powering on your computer. This key is called Asus boot menu key and it varies depending on computer models. The following chart shows the Asus BIOS keys and boot menu keys corresponding to different computer models:
Boot Menu Key
VivoBook f200ca, f202e, q200e, s200e, s400ca, s500ca, u38n, v500ca, v550ca, v551, x200ca, x202e, x550ca, z202e
N550JV, N750JV, N550LF, Rog g750jh, Rog g750jw, Rog g750jx Zenbook Infinity ux301, Infinity ux301la, Prime ux31a, Prime ux32vd, R509C, Taichi 21, Touch u500vz, Transformer Book TX300
Esc (Disable “Fast Boot” and “Secure Boot Control”)
k25f, k35e, k34u, k35u, k43u, k46cb, k52f, k53e, k55a, k60ij, k70ab, k72f, k73e, k73s, k84l, k93sm, k93sv, k95vb, k501, k601, R503C, x32a, x35u, x54c, x61g, x64c, x64v, x75a, x83v, x83vb, x90, x93sv, x95gl, x101ch, x102ba, x200ca, x202e, x301a, x401a, x401u, x501a, x502c, x750ja
The above chart also lists Asus BIOS keys corresponding to different computer models. If the Asus boot menu key is not working, you can use the Asus BIOS key to enter BIOS and then open the boot menu.
You may want to know how to check the model of your computer, please refer to the following steps:
- Boot into your computer.
- In the Windows search box, type “dxdiag” to open DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
- In this window, check the system model
This post shows you how to check laptop model and specs. In this way, you can know what kind of laptop you have.
What to Do If You Can’t Access Asus Boot Menu
If you can’t access Asus laptop boot menu, you should try Asus BIOS key to see if you can enter BIOS. If the Asus BIOS key also doesn’t work, you can try the following ways to fix the problem.
Way 1: Turn Off Fast Startup.
If you can boot into Windows, you can use this method. Please refer to the following steps:
- Boot into Windows and then open Control Panel.
- Navigate to System and SecurityPower Options Choose what power buttons do.
- Click Change settings that are currently unavailable, uncheck Turn on fast startupoption and hit Save changes.
You may be familiar with Windows 10 fast startup, but do you know its pros and cons? This post will show you the pros and cons of Windows 10 fast startup.
Way 2: Enter WinRE.
If your computer can’t boot into Windows, you can use this method. Please refer to the following steps:
- Power on and off your computer continuously 3 times to enter Windows Recovery Environment.
- Navigate to Troubleshoot Advanced options UEFI Firmware Settings.
- Click Restart to enter BIOS and change UEFI settings.
Way 3: Use PS/2 Keyboard.
Some users reported that they had fixed this problem by switching to PS/2 keyboard. The USB keyboard may be not recognized by the computer until the OS starts to load. If the above methods fail and you have a PS/2 keyboard, you can try this method.
This post tells you the difference between FAT and FAT32, and shows you how to convert FAT to FAT32 without data loss.
How to Make Asus Boot from USB
If you have installed multiple systems on your computer, you can use Asus laptop boot menu to choose what system you want to boot. But most people may install just one system on the computer. In this case, the most likely reason they use Asus boot menu is to install system or repair unbootable system.
In this part, I will show you how to make a bootable USB drive and to make Asus boot from USB drive.
Boot Asus from USB Installation Media
If you want to reinstall a system on your computer, you can refer to this guide. Please follow the detailed steps below (taking Windows 10 as an example):
Step 1: Connect a USB drive to a normal running computer, and then download Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft’s official website.
Step 2: Double click this tool to run it. To run this tool, you need to be an administrator. Then, accept applicable notice and license terms.
Step 3: On the What do you want to do page, check the second option Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC and click Next.
Step 4: You are asked to select Language, Windows Edition and Architecture. In this step, you can accept the recommended options or make your own choice. Then, click Next button.
Step 5: Choose USB flash drive as the media to use and then click the Next button. On the next page, under Removable drives, highlight the drive letter of the USB flash drive. Then, click Next button again.
Step 6: Wait until the USB installation media is completed. After that, connect the USB drive to the Asus computer and power on the computer. Then, press the Asus boot menu key to open Asus laptop boot menu. From the menu, choose the USB drive and press Enter. Then, your computer can boot from the USB.
Step 7: You can start to install the system. If you want to know more detailed steps, please refer to this post: How to Install Windows 10 on a New Hard Drive (with Pictures).
Boot Asus from MiniTool Bootable Media
MiniTool Partition Wizard is tool versed in disk and partition management. With the MiniTool bootable media, you can repair system errors when the computer is unbootable, recover data when the computer crashes, and manage the system partition.
Here is the tutorial on how to use a USB drive to make a MiniTool bootable media:
Step 1: Connect a USB drive to a normal-running computer. Then, click the above button to buy MiniTool Partition Wizard.
Step 2: Launch this software and go to its main interface. Then, click Bootable Media at the upper right corner.
Step 2: Click WinPE-based media with MiniTool plug-in. Then, click USB flash drive to make a MiniTool bootable media. Please note that the data on the USB drive will be destroyed.
Step 3: After the bootable media is completed, connect the media to Asus computer and boot Asus from USB. Then, you can use MiniTool Partition Wizard to repair system or recover data.
USB Drive Not Showing/Detected In Boot Menu/BIOS
Some people report that they can’t find USB drive in boot menu. The USB drive is not listed in BIOS as a boot option. In this case, users can’t make Asus boot from USB. To solve this problem, you just need to disable the Fast Boot and Secure Boot. Please refer to the following steps:
Step 1: Boot into BIOS. Then, click Advanced Mode.
Step 2: Skip to Boot tab to disable Fast Boot and Secure Boot. Then, enable CSM support. Please note that in some BIOS modes, the Secure Boot is under another tab named Security.
- Fast Boot: This feature allows computers to directly read the system data without repeatedly detecting the computer data during the POST process. In this way, it can accelerate the startup speed of the computer.
- Secure Boot: This feature was originally designed to prevent computer viruses from infecting MBR, BIOS, and Bootloader. But later on, this tool gradually had the purpose of preventing users from changing to Linux systems. In addition, some people reported that the tool may cause the USB drive to be not detected by the BIOS.
- CSM Support: The Compatibility Support Module allows the computer to boot in both UEFI and tradition BIOS modes. When it’s disabled, the computer only boots in UEFI mode.
Step 3: Open Boot Menu again and you will see USB drive in the bootable list. Choose the USB drive to boot your computer.
Bottom Line
Has this post solved your problem? Do you have any other ideas about Asus boot menu? Please leave a comment below for sharing. Besides, if you encounter problems when booting computer from MiniTool bootable media or managing disk and partition with MiniTool Partition Wizard, please contact us via support@minitool.com. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Asus Boot Menu FAQ
Asus laptop boot menu key varies depending on computer models. But on the whole, the Asus boot menu key is either Esc or F8. If you are not sure which model your computer is, you can try the two keys one by one.
To get into Asus BIOS, you can press the key F2, Delete, or F9 while booting your computer. If this method doesn’t work, you can continuously power on and off your computer 3 times to enter Windows Recovery Environment and then navigate to UEFI Firmware Settings. In this way, you can also boot into BIOS.
About The Author
Author Linda has been working as an editor at MiniTool for 1 year. As a fresh man in IT field, she is curious about computer knowledge and learns it crazily. Maybe due to this point, her articles are simple and easy to understand. Even people who do not understand computer can gain something.
By the way, her special focuses are data recovery, partition management, disk clone, and OS migration.
Copyright © 2023 MiniTool Software Limited, All Rights Reserved.
BIOS Basics: How to Configure Your PC’s Firmware for First Use
Just built out a new desktop PC, or upgraded some key components? Getting to know these four key UEFI BIOS features will help you make sure everything’s running up to snuff.
Years back, when a small website called out for product-review editors. I leapt at the opportunity: I’d just wrapped up a four-year stint as a systems supplier. That experience provided the credentials I’d need for the transition from industry supplier to industry observer. For one thing, I’d been the first source for an exposé on capacitor plague (“Got Juice”) at EDN.
If you bought a pre-built desktop PC, it’s a safe bet that the manufacturer optimized the basic input/output system (BIOS) settings for the hardware in the box—though it never hurts to check them out and “trust but verify.” But if you’ve built your own desktop PC (whether it’s your first, or the latest in your life), or upgraded a key component, you’ll want to get at least a little down and dirty with your BIOS. Indeed, you may have no choice.
Maybe the acronym “BIOS” is new to you, or you know what a BIOS is, but the many menus of a typical one intimidate you. Fear not—there are only a few places in the BIOS that most PC users ever need to tread. The BIOS chip is a hunk of silicon on your PC’s motherboard that stores the low-level settings for starting up and operating the hardware attached to your PC, code commonly referred to as “firmware.” New firmware versions can be overwritten to the chip, and BIOS contents are retained when the PC is powered off or unplugged with the help of a coin-cell battery on the motherboard. The firmware operates outside the operating system; at the simplest level, it’s what tells your PC, as it boots, where to look for the drive with the OS to load, exactly how fast to run your RAM and CPU, and much more.
We should start with a bit more about the term “BIOS.” These days, modern boards actually run an evolution of what many users think of the classic BIOS firmware, called Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). UEFI is an update of recent years that removes some of the limitations of classic BIOSes, such as the ability to boot from multi-terabyte drives, and allows for graphical, clickable menus. We’ll use the terms “BIOS” and “UEFI” interchangeably here, as BIOS is the generic, legacy term that most PC users know. But know that your system, if it’s of the last few years, is probably running a form of UEFI. Indeed, some motherboard makers still call their UEFI-based firmware a BIOS, like MSI with its Click BIOS or Asus with its UEFI BIOS Utility.
A BIOS can contain dozens of sub-settings, often on an “Advanced mode” menu, with an “EZ mode” menu showing summaries of basic system info and giving you access to the most common BIOS chores. Overclockers and system tweakers are the folks who will dig into the esoteric BIOS submenus, and even then, they tend to mess with just a spoonful of the smorgasbord of options.
If you just built your own PC, or upgraded a key part such as the CPU or memory, it pays to revisit your BIOS to check on a few key settings, even if you’re indifferent to squeezing every last iota of performance out of your PC. Indeed, you may have to go BIOS-diving simply to make your PC recognize your Windows-installation flash USB or disc to install an OS.
Ready to gain some basic BIOS savvy? Let’s go through the four key items you should know how to handle in your PC’s BIOS, and how they might differ among board vendors. It’s impossible to factor in every BIOS variation from board to board and maker to maker. But our guide will get you ready to recognize the key stuff on any board BIOS.
How to Check Out and Change the Boot Order in Your BIOS/UEFI
Let’s say you have a new PC build, replete with a new, clean M.2 or 2.5-inch SSD, or a hard drive. And let’s say you have an empty drive and bootable installation media for the OS (say, a Windows 11 thumb drive). In that scenario, modern motherboard firmware should automatically detect that your drive is empty and attempt to boot from the installation media. But for various reasons, some of those things might not apply to your build, and you may have to do it the manual way.
Motherboards are, fortunately, programmed to use function keys to enter a boot drive selection menu: On modern boards, Asus uses F8, ASRock and MSI F11, and Gigabyte F12, any of which can be activated by a timely tap of that F-key on the firmware (BIOS) splash screen that appears at system startup before you can actually load the BIOS utility. Of course, you might want to designate your selection of boot drive to “stick,” and for that, you’ll want to instead use the keyboard’s Delete key to enter the BIOS itself and its graphical user interface (GUI).
First, a note on getting into your PC’s BIOS in the first place. It can take a bit of practice, depending on the board. Shortly after powering on, and just as the first logo screen or RAM-enumeration countdown appears, you’ll want to tap Delete at measured intervals to launch into the system BIOS. (Some boards, especially older ones, may use other keys to launch into the BIOS, such as F8. The initial system splash screen may tell you which key or keys to whack to “enter setup.” That’s what you want.)
We’ve picked three motherboards to represent the breadth of what most users will experience in a modern BIOS. Two support AMD processors, and one supports Intel.
Our first two screenshots below show that in the default EZ mode BIOS interface, to change the boot order, Asus and ASRock have simple click-and-drag arrangements at the right side of the menu. Easy peasy.
MSI’s click-and-drag boot-priority menu, meanwhile, appears above the EZ Menu’s main section as little icons, and shows the two detected drives (highlighted in pink) along with several undetected boot devices. MSI’s strategy is both forward-looking and traditional, allowing users to boot from a portable drive if it’s connected later, or an installed drive when the portable drive isn’t connected.
Many other manufacturers have eliminated non-detected drives from the BIOS boot selection menu to make it easier to navigate. We just point that out to illustrate that different board makers’ BIOSes take different approaches to the angle of undetected drives.
As noted earlier, most manufacturers also offer an Advanced mode GUI with additional features, in addition to the EZ or EZ mode GUI. A keyboard hotkey toggles between these two interface styles, with Asus and MSI typically using the F7 function key and ASRock the F6. Asus’ and ASRock’s Advanced GUI boot menus are found under the Boot tab, and again are simplified to show only detected devices.
Meanwhile, MSI’s Advanced-style user interface requires a user to go through the Settings selection to Boot (the center item of the Settings menu), and bring up a list that can be rearranged using the keyboard’s plus and minus keys. You can see that sequence in the series of screens below.
The firmware interfaces of most other motherboards now follow a format similar to that of Asus or ASRock. In short, though, if you’re in the build stage of your PC, you can use these menus to find the boot device (these days, often a flash drive with the Windows 10/11, or other OS, installer on it) and have the BIOS detect that first to start the Windows install process. Or, if you’re after that point in your PC build or upgrade, you can yank the install key and use this menu to point to your intended final boot drive, if the system isn’t auto-detecting it for whatever reason.
Once you have selected which drive the BIOS should look to first for your boot environment, make sure to “Save and Exit” to lock in the selection. In many BIOSes, this function is reached by the shortcut key F10.
How to Tweak Boot Disk Transfer Modes in Your BIOS/UEFI
The BIOS defaults of most motherboards are optimized to automatically detect the operating system of most recent drives, even if they’re classic Serial ATA (SATA) drives. But older operating systems used older transfer modes such as IDE (remember IDE?), and some users will want to use the built-in RAID capability of their boards. Thus, they need to know where to access disk transfer modes in the BIOS.
While we won’t delve into the complexities of creating a RAID array here, instructions for entering and using the RAID configuration menu are provided with the user manuals of RAID-capable motherboards. But if you have an older system that requires a tweak to the Disk Transfer Mode in the course of the build, or when you’ve installed a different kind of drive, you’ll want to know where to change modes.
Getting to the drive interface settings usually requires the firmware’s Advanced interface, and that can be found under the Advanced tab’s SATA submenu (for Asus), the Advanced tab’s Storage Configuration submenu (for ASRock), and the Settings tab’s Integrated Peripherals submenu (for MSI motherboards). You can see these examples in the screen series below.
Under these “SATA mode” selections, modes may include AHCI to enable modern SATA features, IDE to support legacy modes without AHCI, and RAID.
The correct mode for most SATA system drives is AHCI, particularly if they’re hosting a modern operating system. If you’re running an ancient internal optical drive, ATAPI was an IDE standard for optical drives.
How to Update the BIOS/UEFI Firmware
While some high-end motherboards include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to enable BIOS updates without the installation of compatible hardware, most require a system to be booted before the reprogramming of its firmware ROM(s). While completing this task formerly required placing the new firmware on bootable media, all major manufacturers now include an integrated firmware flashing tool that’s selectable from a bootable PC.
Why would you want to update the firmware on a functioning PC? Reasons include (but are not limited to) expanding support for high-performance memory that was, perhaps, not yet available when the motherboard was manufactured. You also might need to update the firmware prior to a CPU upgrade, if the existing version of the firmware predates the new chip you intend to install.
Rather than using the Delete key to enter your BIOS, ASRock users can tap the F6 function key to enter its Instant Flash interface, and MSI users can try to reach the Ctrl-F5 key combo at the appropriate moment. Both of these shortcuts you’d engage during system startup, when you’d ordinarily try to get into the BIOS.
You can, of course, also execute a BIOS upgrade from within many BIOSes. ASRock and MSI also provide Instant Flash and M-Flash buttons within their firmware’s EZ user interface, as seen in the screenshots of our Boot Order section at the top of this article. For those who are driven enough to use Advanced mode, Asus and ASRock place this function within their “Tool” menus, and MSI provides an M-Flash key directly on its left side buttons. You can see examples of all three here.
ASRock’s firmware automatically scans connected drives and finds the new firmware ROM without requiring any additional menu. Asus and MSI, meanwhile, exit the firmware GUI and take you to a custom BIOS-flashing GUI that requires you to key down to select a drive, and over-then-down to select a specific BIOS update file you’ve downloaded. In these utilities, you’ll see menus like the ones below to navigate to the update file you have downloaded.
Enable or disable Secure Boot via the Asus UEFI BIOS utility
By default, Secure Boot is enabled on Asus motherboards using UEFI BIOS. However, if you want to install dual-boot, you will have to disable Secure Boot.
Enabling Memory in an ASUS bios (enabling RAM/DDR4)
By default, Secure Boot is enabled on Asus motherboards using UEFI BIOS. However, if you want to install dual-boot, you will have to disable Secure Boot. In the following article, Network Administrator will guide you through steps to disable Secure Boot on UEFI BIOS on Asus X99-Deluxe motherboard.
In addition, readers can refer to the steps to disable Secure Boot on the BIOS here. Or if you want to have Secure Boot check enabled on your computer, can you read here?
Prerequisites for Windows UEFI Mode: GPT partition
Installing Windows on UEFI. the system platform requires the hard drive partition type to support UEFI Mode or at least Legacy BIOS mode. compatible mode.
And if the following error message is displayed on the screen, it means your computer is started in UEFI mode but the hard drive does not support UEFI mode:
‘ Windows không thể được cài đặt để đĩa này. Máy ảnh đã chọn không phải là kiểu kiểu GPT
GPT partitions on hard drives are required for UEFI Mode. Also the advantage of GPT partition is that users can set up drives larger than 4 GB and have more partitions.
The easiest way to apply GPT partitions on your hard drive is through Command Prompt using the installation drive or tool on Widows.
Use Command Prompt to convert hard drive into GPT partition
select disk
convert gpt
Use Windows Partition Manager Tool to convert hard drive into GPT partition
You can also convert to GPT without having to use Command Prompt using the Windows partition manager tool from EaseUS.
EaseUS partition master can help you convert hard drive to GPT. Also you can create, merge, delete partition or wipe partion. In addition the tool also assists you in recovering data in case if the data is deleted or the partition is lost.
Restore the key and activate Secure Boot
Refer to some of the following articles:
- How to check Secure Boot has been enabled on your computer or not?
- How to turn off Secure Boot mode and open Boot Legacy mode
- How to fix the screen error of Windows 7/8 / 8.1 / 10 is black
How to enable Secure Boot in BIOS settings
When we try to install Windows 11 or run Microsoft PC Health Check, or other third-party tools to check whether the current computer can run Windows 11, we may get such a result, “This PC cannot run Windows 11. The PC must support Secure Boot.” What is Secure Boot? How do I fix the problem of “The PC must support Secure Boot”?
About Secure Boot?
UEFI has a firmware verification process (called “Secure Boot”), which is defined in chapter 27 of UEFI Specification Version 2.3.1 Errata C. Secure boot defines how the platform firmware manages security certificates, how to perform firmware verification, and defines the interface (protocol) between the firmware and the operating system. To put it plainly is to verify the hardware through the onboard TPM chip, and then start.
Should I enable or disable the Secure Boot?
If you want to newly install Windows 11 operating system (not to upgrade from Windows 10 through the Insider Program), then the secure boot needs to be turned on, otherwise, the prompt “This computer must support secure boot” will appear.
If your computer is running Windows 7, the Safe Boot should be disabled.
How to enable Secure Boot?
We can enable the Secure Boot in the BIOS settings of the motherboard. For different brands of motherboards and computers, the way to activate the Secure Boot is slightly different. We will show how to turn on the Secure Boot of MSI, Asus motherboards, and Lenovo, Dell, and HP notebooks. If your motherboard or computer is of other brands, please refer to the motherboard manual, or contact the motherboard manufacturer, or search through Google or Bing.
How to enable Secure Boot on MSI motherboard?
Press the power button to turn on the computer, and then immediately press the Delete key or F2 continuously until you enter the BIOS setup.
Select Settings, then select Security
Change Secure Boot to Enabled
Press F10 to save the settings, and then restart the system.
For earlier models, the location of the Secure Boot will be slightly different, it may be in Advanced. Windows OS Configuration. Secure Boot. Secure Boot. Enable.
How to enable Secure Boot on Asus motherboard?
Before the laptop power on, press and hold the F2 button, then click the power button. (Do not release the F2 button until the BIOS screen display.)
go to the Advanced Mode by using Hot Key F7
Select Secure Boot, then select Enabled
How to enable Secure Boot on Lenovo laptops?
Press the power button to turn on the computer, and then immediately press F2 or FnF2 to enter the BIOS.
Select Security. Secure Boot, then select Enabled
If it is a Think brand (ThinkPad, ThinkStation, ThinkCentre), please click the link below. https://support.Lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht509044/
How to enable Secure Boot on Dell laptops?
Press the power button to turn on the computer, and then immediately press F2 or F12 to enter BIOS.
Select Boot. Secure Boot, then select Enabled
Press F10 to save and exit
How to enable Secure Boot on HP laptops?
Press the power button to turn on the computer, and then immediately press the Esc key repeatedly until the Startup Menu opens.
Select the option BIOS Setup (F10)
Enable TPM and Secure Boot. ASUS Tuf Gaming BIOS (AMD)
Then select Advanced – Secure Boot Configuration
Click Configure Legacy Support and Secure Boot，then select Legacy Support Disable and Secure Boot Enable.
