I'm having a tough time with my ASUS motherboard while trying to perform a completely clean install of Windows via USB, as I suspect my system is infected with malware that a normal reset won't get rid of. The issue is that the USB drive doesn't show up as a boot option in the BIOS or boot menu. I've already created the USB with the Windows Media Creation Tool and also made it bootable using Rufus after downloading the Windows ISO from Microsoft. I've tried both UEFI and Legacy/CSM settings, along with enabling/disabling Secure Boot and Fast Boot. I've tested multiple USB ports, and the USB works fine on another PC so it appears to be set up correctly. Is there any ASUS-specific setting I might be missing? Has anyone else run into this issue and know how to force USB boot on ASUS boards? Any advice would be appreciated!
1 Answer
Have you tried completely disconnecting the power cable from your hard drive before starting? This could potentially force the motherboard to prioritize the USB drive for booting.
No, I haven't tried that yet. I actually have both an HDD and an SSD; should I disconnect both before booting from the USB?