Aspire ES1-512 Boot from USB - USB Boot Option Never Appears in Boot Manager

@stanleymanly21

1. Go in to your UEFI settings and load the defaults (F9) and then save/exit (F10)
2. Go back in to your UEFI settings and enable the F12 boot menu and then save/exit (F10)
3. Use rufus to create your Windows 10 media using the settings on the rufus home page. Be sure to check the quick format box too.
4. Boot the Windows 10 USB by tapping the F12 key at the Acer post logo.

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209

1) download a windows 10 iso using Microsof tool:

select the proper windows 10 version (the same installed on your laptop) and choose to save it as iso file when prompted

2) download Rufus:

http://rufus.akeo.ie/?locale=en_US

plug your USB flash drive, run Rufus then:

select ISO image from the dropdown menu near "Create a bootable disk"

click on the little icon on the right and browse to the windows 10 downloaded iso file

as Partitions scheme select "GPT partition scheme for UEFI"

as File system select "FAT32"

click on Start

wait until it finish, then uplug your USB flash drive

3) backup all your personal data

4) Reboot to BIOS, pressing F2 at boot, then press F9 to load default and F10 to save and exit

5) plug your USB flash drive and at boot press F12 (if F12 doesn't work, see if it auto-recognise the USB flash drive or press F2 to enter BIOS and enable F12 boot menu under BOOT tab), choose the USB flash drive as bootable device

@stanleymanly21

If you still can't get it to work after following my or @IronFly suggestion, then possibly you need to update BIOS.

To check your current BIOS version, you can look in the BIOS settings or.....

1. Right click on the Windows Start button
2. Click on Run
3. Type msinfo32
4. Click ok

https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/support-product/5611?b=1

JordanB said:

@stanleymanly21

1. Go in to your UEFI settings and load the defaults (F9) and then save/exit (F10)
2. Go back in to your UEFI settings and enable the F12 boot menu and then save/exit (F10)
3. Use rufus to create your Windows 10 media using the settings on the rufus home page. Be sure to check the quick format box too.
4. Boot the Windows 10 USB by tapping the F12 key at the Acer post logo.

What's the benefit of "Quick format"? I've done everything else you all have suggested including updating the BIOS from the Acer support page to latest version.

if your laptop has USB2.0 ports, please use them instead of USB3.0

when you press F12 key at boot with the USB flash drive plugged, do you have Windows boot manager only?
no other entries?
is windows 10 x64 version?

What is the benefit of the Quick Format? Why don't you want to quick format it as FAT32 ? Are you trying to preserve other files on your USB flash drive?

The photo below shows my Windows 10 USB flash drive plugged in to my USB port when I tap the F12 key to bring up the F12 boot menu.
3. USB HDD: USB DISK 2.0

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/nh/5t6q5zhkp0b8.jpg

IronFly said:

if your laptop has USB2.0 ports, please use them instead of USB3.0

when you press F12 key at boot with the USB flash drive plugged, do you have Windows boot manager only?
no other entries?
is windows 10 x64 version?

Responding to @IronFly's points:

if your laptop has USB2.0 ports, please use them instead of USB3.0 - I've tried using all three USB ports, some 3.0 and the rest 2.0, and I got the same result.
when you press F12 key at boot with the USB flash drive plugged, do you have Windows boot manager only? no other entries? - Yes, when I press F12 the "Windows boot manager" is the only available option, there are no other entries.
is windows 10 x64 version? - yes, it's Windows 10 x64

JordanB said:

What is the benefit of the Quick Format? Why don't you want to quick format it as FAT32 ? Are you trying to preserve other files on your USB flash drive?

The photo below shows my Windows 10 USB flash drive plugged in to my USB port when I tap the F12 key to bring up the F12 boot menu.
3. USB HDD: USB DISK 2.0

<picture removed>

Responding to @JordanB: I don't know the benefits of quick format over regular formatting, however I did format the USB stick with FAT32 and it presents the same result as formatting with NTFS. I am not trying to preserve other files on the thumbdrive. The only option I see in my Boot manager is the "Windows boot manager" option, option 1 in your screenshot. There is nothing else for me to choose.

@stanleymanly21

What happens when you create a USB recovery drive with Acer Recovery Management software or Microsoft's builtin software?
Can you create it?
Can you boot it?

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026852/windows-create-a-recovery-drive

https://uk.answers.acer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/26226/~/creating-a-usb-recovery-drive-with-acer-erecovery-management

is your BIOS 1.15 version?

@JordanB Both of those require a USB drive to work. I can't get Windows to recognize the ports either.

IronFly said:

is your BIOS 1.15 version?

Yes, it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQMYtUZVuao

@stanleymanly21

Ok. It makes sense now. You were creating the Windows 10 media on different PC. @IronFly might have some suggestions on how to get your USB ports working again.

I recently messed up my USB ports and HDMI port on my Acer laptop. Please don't ask what I did to kill them, as I'd rather not admit to it on it public forum (but it wasn't real bright on my part). To fix everything, I did a battery reset. On some Acer models, there's a little pinhole to reset. Some models don't have a pinhole so you have to remove or disconnect the battery.

Wait for @IronFly to give suggestions before taking your laptop apart. If you have any more info on when the USB ports were last working, please share.

https://us.answers.acer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/34843/~/acer-internal-battery-reset

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOuoEchsrNc

Apart trying a battery reset, as mentioned by @JordanB, i don't have other ideas.

If they don't come alive, there is, probably, an hardware issue.

If you are under warranty call Acer support service.

If you want to double check the USB ports, you can create a live lubuntu CD, boot from it and check if it recognises the ports.