UEFI not detecting Windows 11 Bootable USB on Acer Aspire A314-22

Hi, I am an Acer Aspire laptop user with model number A314-22. My laptop experienced a blue screen (it started when I uninstalled Norton Ultra, then when I restarted, it stopped at acer logo and the suspended loading motion) and I wanted to reinstall Windows 11 via bootable USB. I did successfully create a bootable usb using rufus however my problem is that UEFI does not seem to detect my flash drive even after I followed the tips from those videos I've watched on how to fix it so that my usb is detected. I'd like to ask for advice.

P.S. Windows Recovery Environment is inaccessible due to multiple failed repair that I did. So the only feasible way is to fix it via bootable USB.

[Edited the thread to add model name to the title]

Accepted answers

Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/728558/uefi-not-detecting-windows-11-bootable-usb-on-acer-aspire-a314-22

Hi jerrymie007,

Given your Aspire A314‑22 (2021 AMD, last BIOS v1.21 from Dec 2022) and the likely presence of Windows 11 24H2, the ISO install failure can be caused by a combination of firmware limits and boot media settings. Please try the following:

1. Re‑create the USB installer

Use the official Windows 11 Media Creation Tool or Rufus with:
- Partition scheme: GPT
- Target system: UEFI (no CSM)
- File system: FAT32 (split install.wim if >4 GB)
Verify the ISO checksum before writing.

2. Adjust BIOS settings

Load Setup Defaults.
Disable Secure Boot temporarily.
Enable F12 Boot Menu.
Ensure Boot Mode is set to UEFI only.

3. Test with an older build

If 24H2 still fails, create a 23H2 USB installer, complete setup, then update in‑place. (ISO file is at UUPdump.net, not Microsoft)

4. Clean residual Norton components

If Norton was partly removed via Windows, the Norton Remove and Reinstall Tool may report “Not detected” and skip cleanup.
In that case reinstall Norton fully, then run the removal tool offline to ensure all components are purged.

These steps should allow the system to detect and boot from the USB, bypassing firmware/driver conflicts and ensuring a clean Windows setup.

Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1353088#Comment_1353088

Hi jerrymie007,

Your Aspire A314‑22 is UEFI‑only, so the reason your USB is not detected is because it is formatted as NTFS. UEFI will only boot the Windows installer from FAT32. The problem is that the file at https://install.wim in Windows 11 24H2 is over 4 GB, which is why Rufus forces NTFS.

To keep FAT32, you need to split https://install.wim into smaller .swm files. On another PC, mount the ISO, copy all files to a folder on your desktop, open Command Prompt as Administrator, and type:

dism /Split-Image /ImageFile:"D:\sources\install.wim" /SWMFile:"D:\sources\install.swm" /FileSize:3800

Replace D: with the drive letter of your mounted ISO. Delete the original https://install.wim and keep the new .swm files. Then create the USB with FAT32 and copy the modified files over.

Also, update your BIOS from v1.14 to v1.21 (December 2022) from Acer’s support page for the A314‑22 before retrying. The newer BIOS includes boot compatibility fixes.

With BIOS updated, USB in FAT32 (with split https://install.wim), and Secure Boot temporarily disabled, your UEFI should detect the stick and boot the installer.

All comments

Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/728558/uefi-not-detecting-windows-11-bootable-usb-on-acer-aspire-a314-22

Hi jerrymie007,

Given your Aspire A314‑22 (2021 AMD, last BIOS v1.21 from Dec 2022) and the likely presence of Windows 11 24H2, the ISO install failure can be caused by a combination of firmware limits and boot media settings. Please try the following:

1. Re‑create the USB installer

Use the official Windows 11 Media Creation Tool or Rufus with:
- Partition scheme: GPT
- Target system: UEFI (no CSM)
- File system: FAT32 (split install.wim if >4 GB)
Verify the ISO checksum before writing.

2. Adjust BIOS settings

Load Setup Defaults.
Disable Secure Boot temporarily.
Enable F12 Boot Menu.
Ensure Boot Mode is set to UEFI only.

3. Test with an older build

If 24H2 still fails, create a 23H2 USB installer, complete setup, then update in‑place. (ISO file is at UUPdump.net, not Microsoft)

4. Clean residual Norton components

If Norton was partly removed via Windows, the Norton Remove and Reinstall Tool may report “Not detected” and skip cleanup.
In that case reinstall Norton fully, then run the removal tool offline to ensure all components are purged.

These steps should allow the system to detect and boot from the USB, bypassing firmware/driver conflicts and ensuring a clean Windows setup.

jerrymie007

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1353086#Comment_1353086

Regarding file system, since windows 11 (24H2 version) is 5.4gb, whenever I select the ISO file on Rufus, it automatically changes to NTFS file system with no other option available to choose. How to split the install.wim so that the FS remains at FAT32? The partition scheme and target system are all correct based on how I created the bootable usb. Only the file system is different coz it's NTFS.

As for the boot mode, it's greyed out(?) so the only choice is UEFI. There's no legacy option. One thing, my UEFI/BIOS version is not updated. It's still at V1.14 18/02/2021

Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1353088#Comment_1353088

Hi jerrymie007,

Your Aspire A314‑22 is UEFI‑only, so the reason your USB is not detected is because it is formatted as NTFS. UEFI will only boot the Windows installer from FAT32. The problem is that the file at https://install.wim in Windows 11 24H2 is over 4 GB, which is why Rufus forces NTFS.

To keep FAT32, you need to split https://install.wim into smaller .swm files. On another PC, mount the ISO, copy all files to a folder on your desktop, open Command Prompt as Administrator, and type:

dism /Split-Image /ImageFile:"D:\sources\install.wim" /SWMFile:"D:\sources\install.swm" /FileSize:3800

Replace D: with the drive letter of your mounted ISO. Delete the original https://install.wim and keep the new .swm files. Then create the USB with FAT32 and copy the modified files over.

Also, update your BIOS from v1.14 to v1.21 (December 2022) from Acer’s support page for the A314‑22 before retrying. The newer BIOS includes boot compatibility fixes.

With BIOS updated, USB in FAT32 (with split https://install.wim), and Secure Boot temporarily disabled, your UEFI should detect the stick and boot the installer.

jerrymie007

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1353092#Comment_1353092

Thank you for this information. One last question. How should I update the bios system to the latest version? I already downloaded the exe file of the v.1.21. However, I don't know how I should go about it. I did a research and it seems to be similar on reinstalling windows where you need bootable USB as well. Thank you for your advice.

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