Normally a PC starts from its own internal drive. To run something from a USB stick, such as an Ubuntu live stick or a recovery tool, you have to ask it to start from the stick instead, just this once. Nothing here changes your PC permanently. Pull the stick out and restart, and it’s back to normal.
There are two ways in. Try the first; if you can’t catch the key, the second works from inside Windows 11.
Before you start
- Make sure the stick really is bootable. If you made it with DiskSnap, it should have finished with Verify: passed. See Make a bootable Ubuntu USB.
- Plug it into a USB port directly on the PC, not a hub or a monitor’s USB port.
- Save your work and close your programs. The PC is going to restart.
Way 1: the boot menu key
Most PCs have a one-time boot menu: a list of everything the PC could start from, shown when you press a particular key right at power-on. Choosing from it affects that one start-up only.
- With the stick plugged in, choose Restart in Windows. Restart does a full restart, which gives you the best chance of catching the key. On many PCs Shut down doesn’t fully power them down.
- As soon as the screen goes dark, tap the boot menu key repeatedly, about twice a second, until a menu appears.
- Use the arrow keys to pick the USB stick and press Enter. It’s usually listed by its brand name. If it appears twice, pick the one marked UEFI.
The key depends on who made the PC, and sometimes on the model. These are common, but your PC’s manual or support page has the final word:
| Make | Usual boot menu key |
|---|---|
| Dell | F12 |
| HP | Esc, then F9 |
| Lenovo | F12 (on some models, a small “Novo” button instead) |
| Acer | F12 |
| ASUS | Esc or F8 |
| MSI | F11 |
On laptops, you may need to hold Fn while pressing the F-key.
Way 2: from Windows 11 (“Use a device”)
Can’t catch the key? Windows can do the asking for you.
- With the stick plugged in, open Settings → System → Recovery.
- Next to Advanced startup, click Restart now, and confirm.
- On the blue Choose an option screen, choose Use a device, then pick the USB stick.
Use a device only appears on PCs that support it, and only when Windows can see something to start from. If it isn’t there, use the boot menu key instead.
UEFI, BIOS and the “listed twice” stick
UEFI is the modern start-up system on almost every PC from the last decade or so. It replaced the old BIOS, and people still use both words for the settings screen. Many PCs can start a stick either the UEFI way or the old “legacy” way, which is why a stick can appear twice. Pick UEFI: it’s what current Ubuntu and Windows installers are made for.
Troubleshooting
Windows starts as usual
The key press was missed, or the stick wasn’t chosen. Try again, tapping the key from the moment you restart, or use Way 2.
The stick isn’t in the boot menu
- Try another USB port directly on the PC.
- Check the stick was written successfully and verified.
- Some PCs have booting from USB turned off in their firmware settings. Look for a setting such as USB Boot in the Boot section. If you change anything there, write down what you changed.
The stick is listed, but it’s refused, or you see a security or signature message
That’s usually Secure Boot. Read Secure Boot: why won’t my USB boot? before changing any settings.
Getting back to Windows
Shut down whatever you started from the stick, remove the stick, and turn the PC on. It starts from its own drive as usual. The boot menu doesn’t change the normal start-up order.
