Boot from USB or CD-ROM Issue

[RealisticDave]

I'm trying to install a fresh copy of Win 10 onto an SSD. I have the media creation tool downloaded onto both a USB flash drive, and burned to a DVD. By hitting ESC, then F9, I can bring up the screen I have attached below, but I can't figure out how to boot from either of these (USB or DVD). In the past, on other computers I've installed Windows (onto a new drive) with no issues. BUT, there used to be a choice of USB and DVD drive to choose from, and those choices aren't shown?

I've rebooted numerous times, trying Boot Manager & Legacy Sources, & always receive an error message that there isn't a drive with an OS present. I understand that because that's why I want to boot from either the USB or DVD, so that I can install a fresh Win 10 on my new SSD. I just can't find the path to one of those options.

Any helpful suggestions about what I'm obviously doing wrong or missing here? I'd appreciate assistance. Thanks!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

First try making a bootable W10 installation flash drive with Rufus.

Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

Set up Rufus the way you see it in the illustration for Windows installations (GPT partition scheme)< target system UEFI (non-CSM).

Setting Rufus up that way loads some EFI boot files, so hopefully the USB flash drive will show up under the UEFI boot sources list in your screenshot.

Use the media creation tool to download the W10 ISO file instead of having it make a USB flash drive.

Download Windows 10

If that doesn't get the drive to show up, go into the BIOS (Esc then F10), disable secure boot and see if other UEFI boot sources show up.

If not, go back into the BIOS and enable Legacy Mode.

With Legacy mode enabled you should get two sets of boot devices--Legacy and UEFI.

If you can choose a UEFI boot source, select that source to install W10.

After W10 has completed installing, you can disable Legacy mode and enable secure boot.

If your only option with Legacy mode enabled, you will have to select one of the Legacy boot sources.

After you install W10, if you want to go back to UEFI with secure boot enabled in the BIOS watch this video for how to convert the MBR partition table to GPT like it is now.

When the conversion is successful and you have to restart the PC, you know how to go into the BIOS to disable legacy mode and enable secure boot.

How To Convert MBR To GPT For Free In Windows 10

[RealisticDave]

Hello Paul,

Thanks for your reply and guidance. I've spent the last 2 days, many hours, trying and retrying all you suggested, and more: 

• I installed Rufus, downloaded the ISO for W10, and had Rufus attempt to create a USB flash drive; tried this 3 or 4 times. I received an error message when it was partially completed every time (0x80070002-0xA001B). Error points to USB drive or USB port, but I tried 3 different drives and multiple USB ports, same result. I cleaned and reformatted each USB, to no avail.
• So, I exited Rufus, verified that my USB was set to GPT (did one drive in disk management, another using CMD), and used Media Creation Tool to create an ISO on a USB. Went into BIOS and looked everything over, toggled Secure Boot, exited and brought up BIOS again, and USB was shown. I disconnected my HDD, plugged in my new SSD, and booted into USB to start procedure.  I followed instructions, everything seemed to go through great, watched the numbers rise to 100%, saw the green arrows come up as it continued, finally cleaned up, completed, and said "Windows need to restart." And that was it...as far as progress,
• I tried everything I could think of to get it to boot into the new SSD. I tried changing anything in the Settings that I thought might help, then setting them back, but no joy. (Last night I reset everything to Default, in case I had changed something I shouldn't have, but made no difference.) 
• I discovered as I was doing all this that I needed to have my HDD plugged in to bring up any BIOS screens (F10, F9). If I either had my new SSD plugged (or no drive at all), ESC + F key did nothing. As I was trying to get the SSD (supposedly completed with no issues) to work, I would boot up into BIOS, look at or change a setting, then unplug the HDD & and plug in the SSD, hit ESC and have it try and boot---which it wouldn't do, of course. I thought back to years ago when I was building a new computer and remembered that I could bring up BIOS with no functioning drive installed yet (and I 'verified' my old memories with a search online). So-I don't know if this condition would mean anything, or would have nothing to do with my problem?

Not really certain what to try next, most YouTube videos or online posts cover the same info. So thank you for your information. I'm sure you have a busy life (I'm retired, so mine is less so), but if you would have any insight about what a SSD that seems to have successfully completed having W10 installed is looking for to boot, I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks again!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Unfortunately, I don't have any other suggestions for you to try.

I've never encountered any issues with making a bootable USB drive with Rufus and I have done so at least a couple of dozen times.