PRESS ANY KEY TO BOOT | Booting from external media

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Canonical

/systems/bios-uefi/error-codes/press-any-key-to-boot-from-cd/

Last Updated

Feb 27, 2026

Summary

The system detected bootable external media and is asking whether to boot from it.

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What This Code Means

This prompt is not an error by itself. It indicates the firmware detected bootable media (USB/DVD) and is giving you a chance to boot from it instead of the internal drive.

Where Users Usually See This Code

When a bootable USB/DVD is inserted
During OS installation or recovery

Why This Code Appears

Boot order prioritizes removable media
User selected a temporary boot device

What Typically Happens Next

Pressing a key boots from the external media; not pressing continues normal boot

What This Code Is Not

It is not a failure message
It is not a disk corruption indicator

Troubleshooting Checklist

□ If you did not intend to boot from external media, remove the USB/DVD and reboot
□ Adjust boot order if the prompt appears unexpectedly

Notes And Edge Cases

On some systems, secure boot settings determine whether external media is bootable.

Related Codes

8 links

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