Booting off a USB drive

In order to boot off a USB stick, you need to boot into your BIOS. This is easier on desktops.

Desktops

When you're booting into your desktop, the BIOS will usually tell you what key to hold down while rebooting. Usually it's the forward delete key or a function key like F2 or F10.

you're having trouble figuring it out, pull your phone out and record your computer as it boots, that way you can pause the video and read what the BIOS says. If it says nothing, look up the motherboard BIOS.

Laptops

Laptops generally have a more strict BIOS. There are BIOS attacks that can be done on unattended laptops in hotel rooms. There is one instance with a traveling businessman in West Taiwan who left a Teddy Bear camera on his desktop watching his laptop while he left it alone in his hotel room. West Taiwanese (Chinese) hotel personnel came in and immediately started making the bed, while multiple West Taiwanese government agencies came in and started arguing with each other over who put the Teddy Bear camera on the desk, thinking the other had put that camera there without sharing that information.

Try using the Desktop BIOS instructions above on your laptop. If the BIOS does not comply, then look up the BIOS for that specific model.

After Accessing BIOS

Different BIOS versions will behave similarly but there will be differences between manufacturers. Usually BIOS software is keyboard controlled only. Usually the arrow keys, and the "Enter" key.

Using the keyboard commands shown on screen, you will want to find any of these three options you can find and set them as follows. Not all BIOS options will be available on all computers.

1. Secure Boot (Disable)

2. Fast Boot (Disable)

3. Legacy Boot (Enable)

Then you will need to select the "boot drive". Sometimes this will require overriding the "boot order", but a better written BIOS will allow you to temporarily boot on a different drive. Either way, boot onto the USB drive that contains your installer.

Gateway Laptop

I have a Gateway laptop that I do not recommend, but I will use it as an example of booting into the BIOS. Of course the BIOS did not say what key, so I had to look that up. For this system, turn the computer on while holding the Escape key.

Afterwards, you can disable Fast Boot and Secure Boot. These are on the Boot screen and Security screen respectively.

You can then override the boot order on the "Save & Exit" screen to boot off the USB drive. In my case, the option read "UEFI: USB, Partition 1". Press "Enter" while it is selected.