Fix BIOS Not Detecting USB [Complete Tutorial]

To keep your pc up-to-date, sometimes you need to install a new OS for your PC.

But sometimes you have to face some problems.USB not detection is the most common one.

BIOS sometimes cannot recognize your bootable USB.

Don’t get frustrated, I will tell you about the reason behind this problem and the solution to this problem.

BIOS does not detect USB because of USB settings Disabled. Sometimes this problem is caused for the Imcopatible USB version.

Now let’s jump into the cause of this problem and try to fix this issue.

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Why does BIOS not recognize USB for the boot?

Nowadays, most users use a USB device as a bootable device to install their OS because it is an easy process to install OS.

Sometimes, BIOS is not able to detect the USB. There are various reasons for causing this problem.

Before you know the reason, first you have to know about the BIOS and its relation with USB.

What is BIOS?

BIOS means Basic Input/Output System. It is the firmware for the booting process and hardware initialization. It also provides runtime services to the Operating System and other programs. In a word, BIOS is pre-installed software on the board for running the PC’s program perfectly.

BIOS basically is an instructor that instructs the basic programs of computers.BIOS also compiles booting and hardware control.

You also need BIOS to configure hardware like Mouse, Keyboard, RAM, etc.

BIOS is pre-installed software. It is installed in motherboard after in manufacture.BIOS set-up utility depends on the motherboard.

Other softwares like OS are installed via BIOS. You need a bootable disc or USB device for installing OS on your PC.

But sometimes, BIOS does not detect the USB to boot the system. There is some reason behind it.

Here I describe the primary reasons for unrecognized USB in BIOS:

BIOS does not detect a corrupt USB device. If your USB device is Corrupt or Unbootable, it is never detected by the BIOS.
The incorrect boot order is another reason for BIOS not recognizing the USB. Your PC always chooses the first boot option from BIOS.
The USB does not detect by BIOS if the USB port is broken-out or loose. If you connect your USB to a damaged port, it doesn’t connect to BIOS.
The old USB version is another reason BIOS does not detect the USB. If you have an old USB like the 1.0,2.0 version, it doesn’t support the recent BIOS of Windows 10 or 11.

These are the main reasons for BIOS not detecting a USB. Now Let’s write about the solution to this problem.

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How do you fix the BIOS not detecting the USB issue?

Once you detect all the reasons for this issue, you will fix this issue very quickly. Just follow a few BIOS settings steps and promptly find a quick solution to this issue.

Here I describe the methods that can help you to fix this issue:

1. Select the ‘Use a Device’ option for boot

Here are the steps for the ‘Use a device’ option for booting your computer:

First of all, press the Restart button and also hold the Shift key at the same time.

After rebooting, Some options will be appearing on your screen. One of them will

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Use a device.

Now click on this option and select a device to boot.
If your computer is compatible, it will select the bootable device automatically.

2. Set a Boot Priority for Your USB device

If your computer’s BIOS doesn’t recognize the USB device automatically, then you have to select a boot priority for your USB device manually.

Here are the steps to set a boot priority to a USB device:

First, shut down your PC
Then press the power button to start it.
Press the specific key for entering the boot menu in BIOS. In general, you have to press the Esc key most of the time to enter the boot option. You don’t have to press any key if your computer has a fast boot option.
Now find the BOOT tab in BIOS and enter into it.
Go to the options and select your USB device as the first boot option.
Now press the F10 key for the save changes.
Restart the computer and see the changes.

These steps are for manual methods for detecting a USB device for BIOS. By using these methods, you can solve your USB issue in BIOS. But for recent OS like Windows 10,11, there are other methods to solve the USB and BIOS issue.

How do you configure a USB that the BIOS does not detect

Recent Operating systems need compatible USB for boot. Otherwise, your BIOS will not detect your USB to boot.

Here are some methods for configuring your USB for BBOT:

1. Format your USB drive to FAT32 NTFS

Format your USB drive to NTFS FAT32. If your Boot mood is UEFI, you need to format your USB device as FAT32 NTFS.

Here are the steps for formatting your USB device as FAT32:

Press this pc tab and go to the USB device. You will also go there by clicking Windows+E.
Now right-click on the USB device.
Select the format option
A tab will appear.
Now select ‘FAT32(Default) in file system.
Click the Start button to start the formatting.

After finishing the format, your USB device will convert as FAT32 NTFS format.

2. Make a bootable USB drive by Windows media creation tool

Boot your Device with the windows media creation tool. That will be a great solution.

Here are steps on how you create a bootable USB via the windows media creation tool:

Download the ‘Windows media creation tool.’
Install it on your PC.
A windows setup tab will appear.
Now select ‘Create Installation media’ and click on the Next button.
Select the proper Language, Edition, and Architecture that is suitable for your PC.
Now select the USB flash drive option.