How To

How To Adjust Boot Priority on MSI Motherboards

February 11, 2026 4 分で読む Updated: February 11, 2026

Figuring out the boot order on an MSI motherboard is kinda straightforward, but it can get tricky—especially if you’re dealing with dual-boot setups, multiple identical drives, or even trying to boot from a USB stick you just made. Sometimes the BIOS gets wonky—fast Boot in particular can block you from entering it smoothly, and other times, it just refuses to recognize certain devices unless you tweak a few extra settings. So, this guide is about showing a few reliable ways to set things up without pulling your hair out. Once you’ve sorted the boot priorities, restarting with the right drive should be a breeze, saving time and frustration.

How to Change Boot Order on an MSI Motherboard

Accessing the BIOS — The First Step

This step is where all the magic starts. Power on or restart the PC, and keep tapping Del or F2 repeatedly. Sometimes, if Fast Boot is enabled, the keyboard doesn’t register quick enough, so on some setups, it’s better to do a hard reset—just press restart several times (like hitting that reset button three times in a row, if possible).If the BIOS still won’t load, there’s a fallback: turn off the PC, turn it back on, then hold the power button down for about 10 seconds to force shutdown, then try again. Alternatively, you can get into Windows recovery options: power off, then power on thrice, which will trigger Windows to go into recovery mode. From there, pick See advanced repair options > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware Settings. That’ll reboot you directly into BIOS. Some BIOS versions hide the key altogether, so this trick can save some headache.

Set Boot Priority in EZ Mode — Mouse-and-Keyboard Friendly

Once inside the MSI BIOS, most folks start in EZ Mode, which is mouse-friendly. Basically, in EZ Mode, there’s a section called Boot Priority where you simply drag and drop entries or use your mouse to select the device order. This is the fastest way if you’re not messing with deep settings. On one setup, moving devices up or down in the list did the trick; on another, I had to disable Fast Boot first because it sometimes skips the BIOS screen altogether. So, if your system skips the option to change boot order, try disabling Fast Boot first. This tweak helps BIOS recognize your drives properly during boot.

Here’s a sample order many use: USB Drive > Hard Disk (usually the SSD) > USB Hard Disk > CD/DVD > Network Boot. If I want to boot from a USB stick, I just move that to the top, hit F10 to save, and reboot. Worked nearly every time—but again, sometimes Fast Boot or other quick boot options block this, so turning those off can help.

Fine-Tuning in Advanced Mode — More Control

If EZ Mode doesn’t give enough control, or you’re doing something more complex like dual-booting, then switch to Advanced Mode. Press F7 at the BIOS start screen, which gets you into a more detailed setup. Here, navigate to Settings > Boot. You’ll see options like Boot Option #1, #2, etc., which you can assign to specific devices one-by-one.

Select Boot Option #1 and pick the drive or device that should take priority for booting.
Repeat for #2 and others if needed.
Once done, hit F10 to save your changes and exit.

Note: If you’re trying to boot from an older MBR/pDNA drive on UEFI, you might need to enable Compatibility Support Module (CSM). Sometimes, UEFI settings block legacy drives unless you do this.

Adjusting the HDD BBS Priorities — For Dual Boots

If you’re juggling Windows and Linux, or multiple drives, it’s helpful to set the Hard Disk Boot Priority. This allows for a more exact OS choice at boot without messing with the main boot order every time. Head into the BIOS, find the HDD BBS Priorities menu, and select which drive gets precedence when the system boots. This is especially important when drives are similar—like two SSDs or multiple HDDs.

Using the Boot Menu for Quick Changes

Last tip: press F11 at the POST screen to bring up the Boot Menu. This isn’t changing the *permanent* boot order, but it’s perfect for temporarily choosing a device for this one boot—like if you need to boot from USB to reinstall or troubleshoot. It’s much faster than going into BIOS and changing settings, then rebooting. Real-world use: I do this all the time to quickly switch between Windows and a bootable rescue disk, without messing up my default boot order.

Just messing around a bit with these options can make life a lot easier when you have multiple OSes or devices. The BIOS isn’t always super transparent, but once you get the hang of these menus, it’s not so bad.