Reboot from USB port

[Jsmithoregon]

I got a new desktop hard drive but before loosing everything, I backed up computer to portable 1 TB drive. Installed new hard drive SATA....now how do I instruct it to use the external drive to boot and transfer all to new desktop hard drive?

 

[forestman11]

If I'm getting your question correctly, you wish to change which drive the computer is booting from, correct? In that case, it should be pretty simple. You'll have to have your computer off, turn it on and it should prompt you to press a certain key to go into your computer's BIOS. I'd guess what the key is but I've seen so many you'll just have to check (Mine is the DEL key). After you get into your BIOS you'll need to look for something called something along the lines of "Boot Order." All you have to do is edit the boot order to put the drive you want to boot with on top. Restart the computer and voila!

 

[Jsmithoregon]

If I'm getting your question correctly, you wish to change which drive the computer is booting from, correct? In that case, it should be pretty simple. You'll have to have your computer off, turn it on and it should prompt you to press a certain key to go into your computer's BIOS. I'd guess what the key is but I've seen so many you'll just have to check (Mine is the DEL key). After you get into your BIOS you'll need to look for something called something along the lines of "Boot Order." All you have to do is edit the boot order to put the drive you want to boot with on top. Restart the computer and voila!

What do I want to type for boot order? I am unsure if it gives me option to push DEL which I think it did previously. I put old drive back in but I will try your advice see what happens if I am able to choose USB port. Maybe I should have bought a hard drive with OS ?

 

[Jsmithoregon]

No doesn't give any options just starts booting then says reboot or select proper device or insert media and press any key

 

[forestman11]

If I'm getting your question correctly, you wish to change which drive the computer is booting from, correct? In that case, it should be pretty simple. You'll have to have your computer off, turn it on and it should prompt you to press a certain key to go into your computer's BIOS. I'd guess what the key is but I've seen so many you'll just have to check (Mine is the DEL key). After you get into your BIOS you'll need to look for something called something along the lines of "Boot Order." All you have to do is edit the boot order to put the drive you want to boot with on top. Restart the computer and voila!

What do I want to type for boot order? I am unsure if it gives me option to push DEL which I think it did previously. I put old drive back in but I will try your advice see what happens if I am able to choose USB port. Maybe I should have bought a hard drive with OS ?

You shouldn't have to type anything, it should give you a list. I'm not sure of the specifics of booting with a USB device but I'm pretty sure it should work. If you can't identify which drive is the one you are trying to boot from, it should tell you how much total storage it has and that should allow you to identify it. You said "Maybe I should have bought a hard drive with OS?" Does the drive you are trying to use not have an OS on it? Because, if not, you can't boot from it as there is nothing to boot.

 

[Jsmithoregon]

Oh wait ok now I got to boot order now out of four external drives I have to find right one. Trying first now

 

[forestman11]

Oh wait ok now I got to boot order now out of four external drives I have to find right one. Trying first now

Yes, if one can't boot, it will go to the next one and continue. If only one is bootable then it should work the first time.