Heres what that meansand how to do it.
But sometimes you gotta boot into something different.
You may simply want to run a different operating system on your rig.
On a Windows PC
Every Windows PC is different.
Press that key now.
Highlight your preferred CD or USB drive and press Enter.
To set this up, follow these instructions.
reset your rig and watch for the first screen that shows up when you boot.
Press the noted key on your keyboard and wait for setup to start.
Select Boot machine
You should see a new screen pop up, called your BIOS.
This is where you set a lot of low-level options for your setup.
If youre trying to boot from a USB drive, choose that option.
It might be listed on its own or under a sub-menu like Removable Devices.
Again, use the directions listed on your specific machine.
Exit the BIOS
Reboot
your machine should restart automatically.
ensure your CD or USB drive is in your gear.
If youre prompted to Press any key to boot from external gadget, do so.
your rig should boot into the CD or USB drive instead of your normal operating system.
On a Mac
Booting from a USB or CD is very, very easy on a Mac.
To do a one-off boot from a USB, youll use the Startup Manager instead.
Heres how it works:
Reboot your rig
Reboot your rig.
Press and hold the Option key as soon as your machine restarts.
Release when the Startup Manager window opens (or when youre asked to put in your firmware password).
You should see icons for your available drives.
On the right, youll find your external (CD or USB) drive with its name listed underneath.
This story was originally published on 3/22/13 and was updated on 9/27/19 to provide more thorough and current information.
