Boot menu

Boot menuWhen a computer is starting up, the user can access the boot menu by pressing one of several keyboard keys. Common keys for accessing the boot menu are Esc, F2, F10 or F12, depending on the manufacturer of the computer or motherboard. The specific key to press is usually specified on the computer's startup screen. The boot menu allows a user to select what device to load an operating system or application from as the computer is booting.

The boot menu can contain a number of different device options to boot to, including CD, DVD, Flash or hard drives, and a LAN (network). The boot menu allows a user to load up other operating systems or applications, even if the computer itself already has an operating system on it. Boot menu is also useful when trying to install a new operating system on a computer, and the user needs to load the installation application from a CD or DVD.

Related pages

Also see: Boot, Hardware terms, Hidden partition