How to boot chromebook from usb

Chromebooks are known for their simplicity and ease of use, but sometimes you may need to boot from a USB drive for various reasons. Whether you want to install a different operating system or run a diagnostic tool, booting from a USB drive on your Chromebook is a simple process. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to boot your Chromebook from a USB drive.

Preparing Your USB Drive

Before you can boot from a USB drive, you need to make sure it is properly prepared. First, you will need a USB drive with at least 4GB of storage space. Then, you will need to format the drive to a compatible file system. Chromebooks use the Linux file system, so you will need to format your USB drive to FAT32 or ext4. You can use a tool like Rufus or Etcher to format your drive.

Enabling Developer Mode

In order to boot from a USB drive, you will need to enable Developer Mode on your Chromebook. This will allow you to access the Chromebook’s BIOS and change the boot settings. To enable Developer Mode, follow these steps:

1. Turn off your Chromebook.
2. Press and hold the Esc and Refresh keys, then press the Power button.
3. When the Chromebook boots up, release the Power button but continue holding the Esc and Refresh keys.
4. A screen will appear with a warning message. Press Ctrl + D to continue.
5. Another screen will appear with another warning message. Press Enter to continue.
6. Your Chromebook will reboot and enter Developer Mode.

Changing Boot Settings

Now that you have enabled Developer Mode, you can change the boot settings on your Chromebook. Follow these steps:

1. Turn off your Chromebook.
2. Press and hold the Esc and Refresh keys, then press the Power button.
3. When the Chromebook boots up, release the Power button but continue holding the Esc and Refresh keys.
4. A screen will appear with a warning message. Press Ctrl + D to continue.
5. Another screen will appear with another warning message. Press Enter to continue.
6. Your Chromebook will reboot and enter Developer Mode.
7. Press Ctrl + D to bypass the warning screen.
8. Your Chromebook will reboot again and enter Developer Mode.
9. Press Ctrl + D to bypass the warning screen again.
10. Your Chromebook will reboot and enter the BIOS screen.
11. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Boot” tab.
12. Use the arrow keys to select your USB drive as the first boot option.
13. Press F10 to save and exit.

Booting from USB

Now that you have changed the boot settings, you can boot from your USB drive. Follow these steps:

1. Turn off your Chromebook.
2. Insert your prepared USB drive.
3. Press and hold the Esc and Refresh keys, then press the Power button.
4. When the Chromebook boots up, release the Power button but continue holding the Esc and Refresh keys.
5. A screen will appear with a warning message. Press Ctrl + D to continue.
6. Your Chromebook will boot from the USB drive.

Conclusion

Booting from a USB drive on your Chromebook is a simple process that can be useful for a variety of reasons. By following these steps, you can easily boot from a USB drive and access different operating systems or diagnostic tools. Have you ever needed to boot from a USB drive on your Chromebook? Let us know in the comments.