How I changed the boot order of my computer

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brymway
Posts: 407
Joined: Sun 09 Dec 2007, 01:08

How I changed the boot order of my computer

#1 Post by brymway »

Well I searched and I couldn't find just what I was looking for, so I am posting to help out some other newbie who is as clueless as I am. I figured out how to do what I was looking for, but only after trial and error. Here's the deal. All the web pages say about changing your bios to boot from cd and boot from usb is something like: press f2 or del during boot up, the go to the boot menu and "set" the menu so that it will boot from cd first, then from hard disk. Well, lol, I couldn't figure out how to "set" anything. Do I delete, type in, press return? Nothing worked. So:
  • 1. I restarted the computer, and during the black screen when it says f2 to boot, f10 to configure,

    2. I pressed and held f2.

    3. Once the 'boot' screen came up I

    4. pressed the right arrow till the 'boot' was highlighted.

    5. One of the options was "boot from" or something along those lines. Without the usb in the slot the only choice was the hard drive, but with the usb in I had two choices; the hard drive and the usb drive. So how to SET it so the computer boots from the usb 1st?

    6. move arrow so that hard drive and usb drive are highlighted.

    7. Press return/enter

    8. The first line will be highlighted

    9. If you want that one to be first. Leave it alone. But if you want that to be second, press the - key over on the keypad. Alternatively, if you want to second one to be first, press + on the keypad. Basically, on my computer, pressing the - key on the keypad on the right, moves the highlighted selection down on the list until it's at the end. The + key does the opposite.
So that's the way it is on my windows computer. I hope this helps a newbie that feels as helpless as me sometimes.

Next!

Bruce B

#2 Post by Bruce B »

Sometimes during initial boot it flashes on screen which key to enter BIOS setup.

I find the most common key is the Delete key. Timing is crucial as to when to hit this key.

Once you are in the BIOS setup you will know it. Generally there is a colorful screen. It is hard for me to explain how to navigate the BIOS, because there are different ways.

It's sort of like an old DOS program, using tab, space, arrow keys, enter keys, page up and page down. You get feed back when you make your changes.

The best advice I can give is know why you are there and what you intend to do. If you intend to only change the boot sequence, then only do that. If you fear you changed something you should not have, quit and don't save changes.

If you don't know how to quit and not save changes, then give it the three finger salute - Alt+Ctrl+Del (changes don't get saved)

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Flash
Official Dog Handler
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Joined: Wed 04 May 2005, 16:04
Location: Arizona USA

#3 Post by Flash »

Brymway, you need to specify what computer this applies to. Each computer's BIOS works different so what worked for you may only apply to that brand and model of computer.

Bruce B

#4 Post by Bruce B »

Flash,

In this case, I'm not convinced that brymway ever entered the BIOS setup program. That's why I made my follow up post. I consider this HOWTO as a 'how I did it' kind of howto, meaning it has sort of an implied disclaimer.

Nevertheless, how to change boot order is vital information for people who want Puppy and don't have the CD-ROM as prior to HDD in their boot sequence.

For purpose of enhancing to this howto, I've linked to information which will help users determine which key or key-combinations they might need to try for their particular computer.

How to access/enter Motherboard BIOS

Getting into the BIOS

How to enter the BIOS or CMOS setup

Regards,

Bruce

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Crash
Posts: 453
Joined: Fri 09 Dec 2005, 06:34
Location: Melbourne, FL

#5 Post by Crash »

Also, lot of computers allow you to do a one-time selection of the boot device. During boot-up, pressing Esc, F10, or F12, depending on the computer, may launch a screen that provides a menu of all available boot devices. I find this handy sometimes, as it requires fewer key strokes, is easier to navigate, and doesn't change any permanent settings in the BIOS.

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