The process of reinstalling the operating system on brand devices Lenovo has its own specific nuances, which often cause difficulties for users who do not have deep technical knowledge. Unlike mass-produced models from other manufacturers, the critical step here is to correctly configure the boot priority and work with the interface BIOS/UEFI. Failure to do this correctly can result in the laptop simply ignoring the boot media and booting from the old hard drive.
For successful installation, you must not only have a working media with the system image on hand, but also understand the architecture of the boot menu of a particular device. Modern models ThinkPad, IdeaPad and Legion may have different key combinations to enter settings. It is important to prepare a flash drive with the version in advance Windows 10 or Windows 11, checking it for recording errors and compatibility with your equipment.
Preparing boot media and checking compatibility
The first and most important step is to create or check an existing bootable USB flash drive. Simply copying the ISO image file to a USB drive is not enough; it is necessary to use special utilities that will correctly mark the disk structure. For most modern laptops Lenovo requires formatting to file system NTFS or FAT32 depending on the boot mode.
Make sure that the size of the flash drive is at least 8 GB, although for comfortable work with new builds it is better to use 16 GB or more. Using the utility Media Creation Tool from Microsoft or third party software such as Rufus, guarantees the correct creation of the boot sector. Errors at this stage often cause the system not to see the media when trying to boot.
Please note the following critical preparation parameters:
- 💾 Use only high-quality USB drives from reputable brands to avoid data recording failures.
- 🔌 Check the integrity of the downloaded system image using checksums (SHA-256) before recording.
- ⚙️ In the program Rufus be sure to select a partition scheme GPT for UEFI and MBR for Legacy if you have an older laptop.
If you are using a laptop with a new generation processor, make sure that the bootable USB flash drive supports Secure Boot. This is an important security aspect that can block the installation of unlicensed or modified software if the settings are not consistent.
⚠️ Attention: Before you start recording, be sure to save all important data from the flash drive to external media, since the process of creating a boot disk completely deletes all information from it irrevocably.
Entering BIOS and setting boot priority
As soon as the flash drive is ready, you need to restart the laptop and get into the setup system BIOS or UEFI. On devices Lenovo there are several ways to do this. The most common is to hold down the key F2 immediately after turning on the power. However, on some models of the series IdeaPad a special button is used Novo Button, located on the side of the case or next to the power button.
If you press keys but end up in the operating system, try using the combination Fn + F2 or turn on the mode Fast Boot in the settings to slow down the startup process and have time to press the desired key. In some cases, it helps to completely turn off the laptop, turn off the power and start it with the Novo button held down.
Inside the BIOS interface you need to find the section Boot or Startup. Here you will see a list of devices from which the laptop is trying to boot. Your job is to move your USB drive to the top of your priority list. Keys are usually used for this F5 and F6 or arrows on the keyboard, depending on the firmware version.
Also check your boot mode settings: if your image is built for UEFI, make sure that in the options Boot Mode value selected UEFI, not Legacy. The mismatch of these settings is one of the most common reasons why booting from a flash drive does not occur.
Basic actions in the BIOS menu:
- 🔍 Go to the tab
Bootusing the arrow keys. - 🔄 Highlight the line with the name of your flash drive (often indicated as USB HDD or UEFI: [Flash drive name]).
- ⬆️ Move it to the first position in the list using the keys
F5/F6.
- Once a year
- Once every 2-3 years
- Almost never
- Only during failures
Using the Novo button to quickly access the boot menu
Many users ignore the button Novo, preferring to “pull” the key F12, but it is the Novo button that is the signature feature Lenovo, providing the most reliable entry into the boot menu. It is activated when the laptop is completely turned off and allows you to select a device to boot once without changing global BIOS settings.
After clicking the Novo button, you will see a menu with several options: Normal Startup, BIOS Setup, Boot Menu and System Recovery. For our purpose, we need to select the item Boot Menu. In the window that appears, you will see a list of available drives, among which should be your flash drive.
This method is especially useful if the BIOS option is enabled Fast Boot, which does not give the user time to press keys during standard startup. The Novo button bypasses this blocking because initialization begins with a physical signal from the button.
If you can't find the Novo button on the case, try looking for it next to the power indicator or on the side. It usually has a curved arrow icon. If the laptop does not respond to pressure, make sure that it is completely unplugged and try pressing it with a paperclip or toothpick, as this is often a recessed button.
☑️ Checking readiness for downloading
⚠️ Attention: If the system displays an error or black screen when you press the Novo button, try disconnecting all peripheral devices except the flash drive and mouse and try again.
Installation process and disk partitioning
After selecting the flash drive in the Boot Menu or BIOS, the Windows Installer will begin loading. You will be asked to select your language, time, and keyboard input format. After pressing the button Install An activation window will appear where you can enter the key or select I don't have a product keyif you plan to activate the system later.
The most difficult stage is choosing the type of installation. Select Custom: Windows installation only (for advanced users). Here you will see a list of partitions on your hard drive or SSD. If you want to completely reinstall the system, it is recommended to delete all partitions of the disk on which the OS is installed until Unallocated space.
Attention to detail in markup is critical: removing a section System Reserved (System Reserved) or recovery partition may cause boot problems in the future. However, for a clean installation this is often necessary. Be extremely careful not to delete data from other drives, if any.
Creating a new partition will automatically create service partitions: EFI, MSR and the main system partition. Do not try to manually create partitions in EFI for older versions of Windows, as this may cause conflicts with the bootloader.
Key points when working with disks:
- 🗑️ Delete old partitions only if the data on them is not needed or is saved.
- 💿 Choose a disk with a capacity that matches your requirements (usually a disk C:).
- 🛑 Don't interrupt the process of copying files, even if the screen seems frozen for a few minutes.