Boot menu doesn't show up when installing Windows 7 on a Toshiba Laptop using a bootable USB drive.

[kh241736]

So I have an old Toshiba Laptop (model: Satellite A205-S5841) that is running Windows 10. I want to install Windows 7 and I created a bootable USB drive using Rufus. When I plug in the USB and mash F12 after switching on the system, all I hear is a beep sound. There's no boot menu. I did the same (mashing F12) without the bootable USB plugged in and the boot menu does show up. What's the problem? What's the fix to it?

My BIOS - Pheonix Trustedcore Setup Utility.

There are some strange things that I encountered which I would like to list:

1. At first, I was using Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool to create the bootable disk. It gave the error "Status: we were unable to copy your files. Please check your USB device and the selected ISO file and try again."

To resolve this issue I did what is mentioned over here -- https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/unable-to-copy-files-using-windows-7-usbdvd/bd21e76d-5174-4f76-8db5-36df105a12c5

But it didn't work for me.

So I decided to use Rufus.

2. In Rufus, I could only find MBR in Partition Scheme. GPT was missing. Thus File System couldn't be changed to FAT32 from NTFS.
***EDIT: Mine is a 32 bit system which (I think) might be the reason there's no GPT.***

3. Some solutions suggest changing certain settings in the BIOS. I looked up for these settings and they were absolutely missing (Boot speed, Boot mode).

Please help! It's really frustrating to me.

 

[rscheetah30]

Try simply copying the Windows 7 ISO file contents directly onto your USB drive and then try booting through it again.
You don't need any special software to prepare a USB dongle to boot up, all you need is to copy the ISO file contents straight onto the USB drive then boot using it.

It's what I've been doing for the past 5 years or so.

Good Luck and don't forget to report back to us with your progress! ;-)

EDIT: Don't forget to try and select your USB key as your primary boot option on the boot tab in your BIOS. If you can't do that, then mash the F12 key until that menu appears.

 

[kh241736]

Try simply copying the Windows 7 ISO file contents directly onto your USB drive and then try booting through it again.
You don't need any special software to prepare a USB dongle to boot up, all you need is to copy the ISO file contents straight onto the USB drive then boot using it.

It's what I've been doing for the past 5 years or so.

Good Luck and don't forget to report back to us with your progress! ;-)

EDIT: Don't forget to try and select your USB key as your primary boot option on the boot tab in your BIOS. If you can't do that, then mash the F12 key until that menu appears.

I did what you told me. Copied the contents of Win 7 ISO file into the USB drive and mashed F12 upon startup. There was a continuous beep sound and the windows started normally. There was no boot menu.

 

[rscheetah30]

Try simply copying the Windows 7 ISO file contents directly onto your USB drive and then try booting through it again.
You don't need any special software to prepare a USB dongle to boot up, all you need is to copy the ISO file contents straight onto the USB drive then boot using it.

It's what I've been doing for the past 5 years or so.

Good Luck and don't forget to report back to us with your progress! ;-)

EDIT: Don't forget to try and select your USB key as your primary boot option on the boot tab in your BIOS. If you can't do that, then mash the F12 key until that menu appears.

I did what you told me. Copied the contents of Win 7 ISO file into the USB drive and mashed F12 upon startup. There was a continuous beep sound and the windows started normally. There was no boot menu.

Have you managed to make the windows usb drive? Is it working? F12 may not be the right key, it depends on your pc.