What is UEFI boot mode? How to create a UEFI bootable USB? How do I boot from USB in UEFI mode? If you are also troubled by these questions, this post of MiniTool is what you need. It will provide you with detailed steps and clear screenshots.
About UEFI Boot
Why do so many people want to create a UEFI boot USB? In order to create a UEFI bootable USB successfully, it is necessary to figure out the following 2 questions first.
What Is UEFI
UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is known as a motherboard firmware interface for computers. It serves as a “middleman” between your computer’s firmware and the operating system. With UEFI boot mode, your computer can initialize the hardware components and boot the OS stored on the hard disk.
In recent years, UEFI boot mode seems to be the successor to the BIOS. More and more users tend to boot their computer in UEFI mode. This is because the UEFI mode breaks many limitations of BIOS mode, including the restrictions on the size of hard drive, booting process, number of partitions, and security.
In a word, UEFI boasts more advanced features compared with BIOS. Here we summarize them as follows:
Tip: If you want to know more details about UEFI vs BIOS, you can read this post “UEFI vs. BIOS – What’s the Differences and Which One Is Better”.
- UEFI allows users to handle a storage device that is larger than 2TB, while the old legacy BIOS cannot handle so large d
- With UEFI boot mode, you can create more than 4 primary partitions on a GPT disk.
- UEFI supports secure startup. It is capable of checking the validity of the operating system to prevent malware from tampering the startup process.
- UEFI firmware supports various optimization and enhancement, which can help your system boot more quickly than it could before.
- UEFI supports both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, which helps the computer use more RAM to handle a more complicated process than BIOS.
- Under the UEFI mode, the computer supports networking function that can help remote troubleshooting and UEFI configuration.
- UEFI has much more setup menus and simpler graphical user interface than legacy BIOS.
What Support UEFI Boot Mode
UEFI has lots of advantages over BIOS, but not all computers and devices are supported. In order to boot from USB in UEFI mode successfully, the hardware on your hard disk must support UEFI. One of the most important things is to make sure that your system disk is GPT form. If not, you have to convert MBR to GPT disk first.
If your hardware doesn’t support the UEFI firmware, you need to purchase a new one that supports and includes UEFI.
Now, you may have an overall understanding of UEFI boot mode. Let’s see how to create a Windows 10 UEFI boot stick. Please keep reading the following part carefully.
How to Create a UEFI Bootable USB
How to create a UEFI boot USB? Before starting the following steps, you need to prepare a USB flash drive with 8GB space at least.
Method 1. Use Windows Media Creation Tool
Windows Media Creation Tool is one of the most common ways to create a bootable USB drive. Similarly, you can use it to create a UEFI boot USB.
Tip: This method is suitable for those computers that are using UEFI firmware. To create a UEFI boot USB, you can perform a clean installation or in-place upgrade of the OS.
Now, let’s see how to create a Windows 10 UEFI USB via Windows Media Creation Tool.
Step 1. Make sure the USB flash drive is connected to your computer.
Step 2. Click here to download the Windows Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's official website and save it on your computer.
Step 3. Run this program as an administrator and click on Accept to agree with the license terms.
Step 4. In the pop-up window, click the second option Create installation media USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PCand clickon theNext button.
Step 5. Then check the boxUse the recommended options for this PC and click on Next to go on, which will automatically select the language, edition, and architecture that match with your computer.
Tip: You can also select the Language, Windows Edition, and Architecture that you want to create for the Windows 10 UEFI USB.
Step 6. Select the USB flash drive option and click on Next to go on.
Step 7. Then select the USB flash drive from the Removable drives list and click on Next to go on. If you don’t find the USB drive, click on the Refresh drive list option.
Step 8. Now, this tool will download the latest Windows 10 installation files that you select above on your device. Once the download is completed, click on Next to start creating the Windows 10 bootable USB.
Step 9. Once you see the screen Your USB flash drive is ready, click on theFinish button.
Now, the Windows 10 UEFI boot stick has been created. You can use it to boot your computer and install Windows 10.
In addition to using the tool of Microsoft, here are another 2 effective utilities that can help you create a UEFI boot USB.
Method 2. Use Rufus
Rufus is an open-source program that can create a UEFI bootable USB by using an existing ISO file. Connect your USB flash drive to the computer and then follow the steps below:
Step 1. Click here to download Rufus and install the program on your PC.
Step 2. Launch this program to open its main interface, and then select the USB flash drive from the Device menu.
Step 3. Click on the Select button under the Boot selection tab, and then select the Windows 10 ISO file from its folder path.
Step 4. Select the Standard Windows installationoption from the Image option drop-down menu.
Step 5. Select the GPT option from the Partition scheme drop-down menu.
Step 6. Select the UEFI (non-CSM) option from the Target system drop-down menu
Step 7. Then you can click on Show advanced drive properties section and keep the default settings.
Step 8. Enter a name for the USB drive in the Volume label field, and then you can select a File system and cluster size from the drop-down menu.
Step 9. After the Format Options are confirmed, click on theStart button.
Step 10. Click on theOK button to confirm this process and click theClose button.
After finishing the above steps, this tool will create a UEFI bootable USB drive automatically.
Method 3. Use MiniTool Partition Wizard
MiniTool Partition Wizard is another effective tool that can help you create a UEFI boot stick. It is a reliable partition manager that boasts many powerful features such as resize partition, convert FAT to NTFS without data loss, convert MBR to GPT disk, migrate OS to SSD, etc.
As mentioned above, the UEFI mode requires a GPT disk. If your USB is the MBR partition table, you need to convert it to GPT first. MiniTool Partition Wizard can help you convert MBR to GPT without data loss. It is very simple to operate. Here’s how:
Free DownloadBuy Now
Step 1. Connect the USB flash drive to your computer and launch this program to get its main interface.
Step 2. Select the USB drive and click on Convert MBR Disk to GPT Disk feature from the left pane.
Step 3. Click on Apply to execute the pending operation.
After your USB flash drive is converted to GPT, you can move your Windows 10 to this drive. To do so, continue the following steps.
Buy Now
Step 1. In the main interface, select the Migrate OS to SSD/HD Wizard feature from the left pane.
Step 2. SelectOption B to copy the system required partitions only and click on Next to go on.
Step 3. Select the USB drive and click on Next. Then you will see a warning message saying that all the data on the target disk will be destroyed. Click on Yes to confirm this operation.
Note: Please back up all important data on the USB drive in advance.
Step 4. Select a copy option based on your needs and click on Next to continue.
Step 5. Click on theFinish button. At last, click on Apply to execute the pending operations.
After that, Windows 10 will be migrated to the USB drive. You can set the USB as the first boot order and use it to boot your computer.
Now, another question comes into being. How do I boot from USB in UEFI mode? Please keep reading the following part.
How Do I Boot From USB in UEFI Mode
In this part, we mainly focus on how to boot from USB in UEFI mode. You need to enable the UEFI mode first and then use the UEFI boot USB to start your computer.
Step 1. Power on your computer, and then press the F2 keys or other function keys (F1, F3, F10, or F12) and the ESC or Delete keys to open the Setup utility window.
Step 2. Navigate to theBoot tab by pressing the right arrow key.
Step 3. Select theUEFI/BIOS Boot Mode, and pressEnter.
Step 4. In the pop-up window, select the UEFI Boot Mode by pressing the up and down arrow keys, and then press Enter.
Step 5. Press the F10 key and Enter to save the change and exit the window. Here the key depends on your specific computer manufacturer. After that, you can try using the bootable USB to start your computer in UEFI mode.
Wrapping Up
How to create a UEFI bootable USB on Windows 10? Now, I believe that you already have known the answer. Bear in mind that you need to make sure the drive is GPT partition table so that you can use it to boot your computer in UEFI mode successfully.
If you have any questions about this software, you can send us an e-mail via [emailprotected]. We also appreciate any ideas about this topic in the comment area.
UEFI Boot USB FAQ
What is UEFI boot mode?
UEFI boot mode is a type of boot mode that can run on the top of PC’s advanced firmware. Compared with the old legacy BIOS, UEFI has many distinct advantages such as faster booting process, more primary partition, and more secure startup.
How to enable UEFI boot mode?
To enable the UEFI boot mode, you need to access the BIOS Setup utility and then operate further. Here’s how:
- Press F10 and ESC (or Delete) keys when booting your computer to open the BIOS Setup utility.
- Go to the Boot tab and select the UEFI/BIOS Boot Mode by using the arrow keys, and pressEnter.
- Select the UEFI Boot Mode by pressing the up and down arrow keys and pressEnter.
- Press F10 keys to save the changes.
How to delete EFI partition on Windows 10?
Since the EFI partition is a system and protective part on your hard drive, you can’t delete it in Disk Management. You need to convert it to a basic data partition using Diskpart and delete it. Alternatively, you can use professional software to delete EFI partition.
How to boot Windows 10 from USB?
You need to prepare a Windows 10 bootable USB and follow the steps:
- Connect the USB drive to your computer.
- Press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS menu.
- Select the USB drive as the first boot order and save the change.
- Restart your computer.
FAQs
How do I boot Windows from USB UEFI? ›
- Double-click the Rufus-x. ...
- Under the "Device" section, select the USB flash drive.
- Under the "Boot selection" section, click the Select button on the right.
- Select the Windows 10 ISO file from the folder location.
- Click the Open button.
Rufus is a utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives, such as USB keys/pendrives, memory sticks, etc. It can be especially useful for cases where: you need to create USB installation media from bootable ISOs (Windows, Linux, UEFI, etc.) you need to work on a system that doesn't have an OS installed.
Should I use UEFI or legacy to boot from USB? ›Newer computers models with UEFI/EFI need to have the legacy mode enabled (or disabling the secure boot). If you have computer with UEFI/EFI, go to UEFI/EFI configuration. Your USB flash drive won't boot if the USB flash drive isn't bootable. Go to How to boot from a USB flash drive to see the steps you need to do.
How do I know if my USB is UEFI bootable? ›The key to finding out if the installation USB drive is UEFI bootable is to check whether the disk's partition style is GPT, as it's required for booting Windows system in UEFI mode.
Can I boot UEFI USB in legacy mode? ›After completion boot the USB on any PC and you will see that it provides option to boot through LEGACY and also through UEFI. (NOTE: Ensure that your BIOS settings have been set to allow Legacy Boot options and not strictly UEFI.)
How do I force BIOS to boot from USB? ›- Press the Power button for your computer.
- During the initial startup screen, press ESC, F1, F2, F8 or F10. ...
- When you choose to enter BIOS Setup, the setup utility page will appear.
- Using the arrow keys on your keyboard, select the BOOT tab. ...
- Move USB to be first in the boot sequence.
- From the System Utilities screen, select System Configuration > BIOS/Platform Configuration (RBSU) > System Options > USB Options > USB Boot Support.
- Select a setting. Enabled—The system can boot from USB devices connected to the server. ...
- Save your setting.
- Click Start and then select Settings.
- Click Update and Security.
- On the left side, click Recovery.
- Under Advanced start-up, click Restart Now.
- Click Troubleshoot.
- Click Advanced options.
- Select UEFI Firmware Settings.
Step 1: Open up Rufus and plug your clean USB stick into your computer. Step 2: Rufus will automatically detect your USB. Click on Device and choose the USB you want to use from the drop-down menu. Step 3: Make sure the Boot Selection option is set to Disk or ISO image then click Select.
How do I install UEFI on Windows 10? ›- Connect a USB Windows 10 UEFI install key.
- Boot the system into the BIOS (for example, using F2 or the Delete key)
- Locate the Boot Options Menu.
- Set Launch CSM to Enabled. ...
- Set Boot Device Control to UEFI Only.
- Set Boot from Storage Devices to UEFI driver first.
- Save your changes and restart the system.
How do I boot from UEFI shell? ›
...
Accessing the Embedded UEFI Shell
- Ensure that the embedded UEFI Shell is enabled. ...
- Optional: Add the Embedded UEFI Shell to the UEFI Boot Order list.
UEFI stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. It does the same job as a BIOS, but with one basic difference: it stores all data about initialization and startup in an . efi file, instead of storing it on the firmware.
What is the UEFI boot mode? ›UEFI defines a new method by which OSes and platform firmware communicate, providing a lightweight BIOS alternative that uses only the information needed to launch the OS boot process. In addition, UEFI provides enhanced computer security features and supports most existing BIOS systems with backward compatibility.
Why is my bootable USB not booting? ›When Windows can't boot from USB, you need to make sure your bootable USB drive is formatted in the FAT32 file system if your computer supports UEFI and you are attempting to install Windows in UEFI mode. That is, you cannot use a USB drive with the NTFS file system to boot and install Windows in UEFI mode.
Is UEFI boot enabled by default? ›UEFI Optimized Boot is enabled by default. You disable UEFI Optimized Boot only if you are using Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows 7. When UEFI Optimized Boot is enabled, Boot Mode must be set to UEFI Mode. UEFI Mode is the default Boot Mode.
What does UEFI USB mean? ›The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a publicly available specification that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware.
How do I fix UEFI no bootable device? ›No bootable devices found error
If the operating system is installed in Legacy mode, the error message appears when you reboot/restart the system. The failure cannot be recovered by changing the BIOS setting back to UEFI. The operating system should be reinstalled.
- Access the BIOS Setup Utility. ...
- From the BIOS Main menu screen, select Boot.
- From the Boot screen, select UEFI/BIOS Boot Mode, and press Enter. ...
- Use the up and down arrows to select Legacy BIOS Boot Mode or UEFI Boot Mode, and then press Enter.
UEFI or Unified Extensible Firmware Interface is a modern way of handling the boot process. UEFI is similar to Legacy, however, it stores the boot data in a . efi file rather than the firmware. You will often find UEFI boot mode in modern motherboards with very intuitive and user-friendly Interfaces.
Is UEFI faster than Legacy? ›Nowadays, UEFI gradually replaces the traditional BIOS on most modern PCs as it includes more security features than the legacy BIOS mode and also boots faster than Legacy systems.
How do I make a USB bootable manually? ›
- Insert a USB flash drive into a running computer.
- Open a Command Prompt window as an administrator.
- Type diskpart .
- In the new command line window that opens, to determine the USB flash drive number or drive letter, at the command prompt, type list disk , and then click ENTER.
- Update & Security settings in Windows 10. ...
- Advanced startup recovery options in Windows 10. ...
- Choosing to use a device to start the PC. ...
- Selecting the USB flash drive from which the PC should boot. ...
- Access the Recovery settings in Windows 11.
In order to access BIOS on a Windows PC, you must press your BIOS key set by your manufacturer which could be F10, F2, F12, F1, or DEL. If your PC goes through its power on self-test startup too quickly, you can also enter BIOS through Windows 10's advanced start menu recovery settings.
Can any USB be used to boot? ›Yes, all USB flash drives can be made bootable. However, its the computers BIOS the provides the ability to boot from them. With this approach you can say one can boot from a card of paper -- if only BIOS provides the ability to communicate with a scanner and chainload the result.
Does a USB need to be bootable to update BIOS? ›To update your BIOS via DOS, you will need a bootable USB. Creating one is easy enough. We're using Rufus, but you can use any of the options listed above. Rufus formats your USB into a FAT32 file format by default, targeting UEFI or DOS system types.
Which is better UEFI or BIOS? ›UEFI has a detailed setting menu, more useful than traditional BIOS. UEFI supports secure boot, preventing PC from being damaged by malware. UEFI runs in 32-bit or 64-bit mode, and the addressable address space is increased based upon BIOS, the boot process is much faster.
How do I get UEFI BIOS with boot key option? ›Method 1: Use F2/F10 or F12 keys at boot time to access UEFi settings. This is the classic method of accessing UEFI or the BIOS system. Turn on your system. At the screen that shows the logo of your system manufacturer, press the F2 or F10 or F12 key.
What is the most common boot drive used to load the operating system? ›The most commonly used boot device or boot drive is the hard drive. When an operating system (e.g., Microsoft Windows) is installed on the hard drive, it copies the boot files and drivers required to load Windows on the computer.
How do you make a bootable USB drive for Windows 10? ›To create a Windows 10 bootable USB, download the Media Creation Tool. Then run the tool and select Create installation for another PC. Finally, select USB flash drive and wait for the installer to finish. Connect a USB to your Windows 10 PC.
Should I select NTFS or FAT32 in Rufus? ›NTFS on a USB stick only makes sense anyway if you intend to configure permissions on files and folders. If you intend to install Windows To Go and use Rufus just to format the flash drive, NTFS is the right choice. Rufus also supports exFAT, which you can use if you think you will hit the file size limit of FAT32.
How do I create a bootable UEFI USB in Windows 10 setup? ›
- Install it according to prompts and run it. Click Make Bootable Media under Wizards and click Next.
- On this page, choose USB Boot Device and select USB drive.
- Click Yes to continue.
Under the “System Summary” section, find the BIOS Mode. If it says BIOS or Legacy, then your device is using BIOS. If it reads UEFI, then you're running UEFI.
Does Windows 10 64 Bit require UEFI BIOS? ›No, Windows 10 will continue to support legacy BIOS. For new devices that are launched a year after the release of Windows 10, they must have UEFI and Secure Boot enabled at the factory. This does not affect existing systems.
Can UEFI work without BIOS? ›UEFI can support remote diagnostics and repair of computers, even with no operating system installed.
Is Windows booting using UEFI? ›Windows 10 utilizes the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) to support the handoff of system control from the SoC firmware boot loader to the OS. The UEFI environment is a minimal boot OS upon which devices are booted and the Windows 10 OS runs. For more information, see UEFI in Windows.
What happens if I change BIOS to UEFI? ›If you just change from CSM/BIOS to UEFI then your computer will simply not boot. Windows does not support booting from GPT disks when in BIOS mode, meaning you must have an MBR disk, and it does not support booting from MBR disks when in UEFI mode, meaning you must have a GPT disk.
What does a USB need to be bootable? ›In order for us to boot to a flash drive, it must have a master boot record, volume boot record, and contain an operating system or a program that can be executed. This might sound like a daunting task but has been made easy in most cases by programs that help us create this.
How do I make a bootable ISO USB? ›- Open the program with a double-click.
- Select your USB drive in “Device”
- Select “Create a bootable disk using” and the option “ISO Image”
- Right-click on the CD-ROM symbol and select the ISO file.
- Under “New volume label”, you can enter whatever name you like for your USB drive.
- Restart the computer and tap Esc to enter the BIOS interface.
- Press the right arrow key on your keyboard until the Boot tab is opened. Move “Hard Drive” to the top of the boot order list by pressing “+” or “-”.
- Press F10 to save the changes and restart the computer.
Navigate to Boot Maintenance Manager -> Advanced Boot Options -> Boot Mode. Select the desired mode: UEFI or Legacy. If UEFI option was selected, a new option named Video BIOS appears, select UEFI. Press F10 then press Y to Save Changes and Exit, the system will save the changes and reboot.
What is UEFI BIOS boot mode? ›
UEFI Mode (default)—Configures the system to boot to a UEFI compatible operating system. Legacy BIOS Mode—Configures the system to boot to a traditional operating system in Legacy BIOS compatibility mode.
What is the UEFI boot process? ›Windows 10 utilizes the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) to support the handoff of system control from the SoC firmware boot loader to the OS. The UEFI environment is a minimal boot OS upon which devices are booted and the Windows 10 OS runs.
Can I install UEFI on BIOS? ›Should I upgrade my chip on my motherboard? Also, you cannot "install" a UEFI system, neither will a BIOS upgrade help. If you need UEFI, you'll need to replace your motherboard which means replacing your entire system - RAM, GPU, CPU etc.
How do I enable UEFI in Windows 10 without reinstalling? ›- First, download and run AOMEI Partition Assistant Pro.
- Right-click on the system disk and select Convert to GPT Disk.
- Click "Yes" to confirm your operation.
- Click “Apply” to apply the change.