What’s the Best Way to Select Boot Order on ThinkPad T-460?

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3 Answers

Weston · Answer 1 · 2025-08-31T20:16:43+00:00

Here’s how you can change the boot order on a Lenovo ThinkPad T-460 without all the technical talk:

First things first, make sure your ThinkPad is off. Then, when you hit the power button to start it back up, keep tapping the F1 key—for some ThinkPads, it works best if you don’t hold it down, just give it a good tap-tap-tap right after hitting power. This should get you into that BIOS Setup screen you’re aiming for.

Once you’re hanging out in the BIOS menu, slide over to the Boot tab using the arrow keys. It’s a bit like navigating those old school text games, right? When you find the list of devices, use your arrows to pick the one you need, then press F5 or F6 to shuffle it up or down. We’re talking about actually picking which device gets dibs when your computer is trying to start up.

Don’t forget the crucial part—saving your changes! That’s your F10 key (then give it a nod with “Yes” if a pop-up asks to confirm those changes).

Planning on booting from a USB? Make sure that USB stick is plugged in where your ThinkPad can see it before you start changing anything around. If you run into trouble, sometimes it’s something as simple as the USB not being recognized as bootable—so maybe check that out or swap to another port.

Poking around online on Lenovo’s support page or forums can give you a hand if you’re stuck, too. There’s a world of shared wisdom out there!

Griffin · Answer 2 · 2025-08-31T18:55:02+00:00

If you\’re trying to figure out how to change the boot order on your trusty ThinkPad T460p, it’s a bit tricky but totally doable. Here’s the rundown to make it happen without a hitch:

Steps to Tweak the Boot Order

Hop into the BIOS/UEFI Settings
- Start with your laptop turned off.
- Hit the power button to fire up your T460p.
- Quickly press the F1 key a couple of times until you see the BIOS screen. If you get a screen asking you to hit Enter first, do that, then tap F1. You usually don’t need to mess with the Fn key unless you’ve got the “FnLk” light on.
Find the Boot Setup
- Use the right arrow to mosey over to the Startup tab. Sometimes it\’s labelled \”Boot.\”
- Look for Boot Priority Order and press Enter to see what\’s on the list.
Switch Up the Boot Lineup
- You can move devices up or down with the +/– keys, or sometimes F5/F6 does the trick, depending on your BIOS.
- The top device here is the first one your laptop will try to use for booting.
- You’ll see terms like:
  - ATA HDD0/1: Your internal drives
  - USB HDD: Things like your USB stick
  - CD/DVD: If you’re still using those
  - Network (PXE): For booting over a network connection
Lock It In
- Smash that F10 key to save your changes. Confirm with “Yes.”
- Your computer is now ready to boot up with this new order in place.

Why Boot Order Makes a Difference

So, here’s the scoop. The BIOS/UEFI rummages through your hardware for a bootloader based on the order you set. If the first device says, “Sorry, no OS here,” it moves on down the line. Mess this up, and you might find your laptop stuck or booting from the USB when you don’t want it to.

Troubleshooting the Usual Snags

Device Isn’t Showing Up

What’s happening:

You might have a loose connection on external devices.
Could be time for a BIOS update.
The device format doesn\’t gel with your BIOS mode (like GPT in Legacy mode).

How to fix it:

Check the connections. Firm up any loose plugs.
Update your BIOS—grab the new file from Lenovo’s site and flash it from a USB.
Ensure the BIOS mode matches your drive’s partition in Startup > UEFI/Legacy Boot.

Boot Order Isn’t Sticking

Here’s why:

Settings might not have been saved properly.
Feisty CMOS battery might be resetting everything.

Solutions:

Head back into BIOS, redo the steps, and save it with F10.
If this keeps happening, swap out the old CMOS battery.

Accidentally Booting from Network (PXE)

Cause:

Your network boot might be higher up the priority list than you’d like.

Way Forward:

Bump the network boot lower in the BIOS, or disable PXE Boot altogether if you aren’t using it.

How to Temporarily Boot from a Different Device

If you want to boot from something like a USB just this one time, restart and start tapping F12 during startup to pull up the Boot Menu. Choose your device from there without changing your long-term boot order.

Getting this sorted out can really simplify juggling between OS installations, recovery work, or running tools. Just double-check the BIOS\’s description matches with what you actually have plugged in – no one likes surprises, right?

Lotus · Answer 3 · 2025-08-31T17:17:02+00:00

Alright, so you\’re trying to change the boot order on your ThinkPad T460, huh? Here\’s how you can get that done:

First things first, have your laptop turned off. When you\’re ready, hit the power button and as soon as it starts booting, keep tapping the F1 key. This should get you into the BIOS Setup Utility. If you\’re just looking to change the boot device once, you might want to try pressing F12 instead—this gives you a one-time boot menu. But we\’re going for more permanent changes here, so let\’s stick with BIOS.
Once you\’re in BIOS, look around for a section labeled something like “Startup” or “Boot.” That\’s your golden ticket for tweaking the boot order.
You\’ll see a list of bootable devices, like your internal drive, any USB you\’ve got plugged in, and maybe a DVD drive. Use the arrow keys to move around, and to shift items up or down, you\’ll probably need the plus (+) or minus (–) keys. Sometimes it\’s the function keys—just keep an eye on the on-screen tips. So, if you\’re planning to boot from a USB, make sure that\’s at the top.
After you’ve got everything lined up the way you want, head over to the “Exit” section. Choose “Save Changes and Exit”—and boom, the new boot order will kick in next time you restart.
And if you’re just trying out a different boot device for one go, that F12 key is your quick ticket. It kind of temporarily overrides the settings without you having to go through the BIOS hassle again.

By following these steps, you should be good to go with changing the boot order on your ThinkPad T460. Just remember, the exact words and key commands might change a little depending on the BIOS version, so keep your eyes peeled for any on-screen messages. Go ahead and give it a try!