Last Updated on April 3, 2021 by Dave Farquhar
If you need to boot a Lenovo Ideapad 100 from USB, there’s an easy way to do it. Here’s how.
The Lenovo boot menu appears when you hit the Novo button on the side of the machine. Here’s how to find the Novo button and how to push it, since it’s usually recessed.
The hidden way to boot a Lenovo Ideapad 100 from USB
The Ideapad 100 hides the USB boot option more deeply than some other machines do. But once you know the trick, you can do it.
First, shut down the computer. Plug a USB drive into one of the USB ports. Next, press the Novo Button. On my friend’s Ideapad 100 it’s a small recessed button between the power jack and the vent, toward the back of the machine. You have to press it with a paper clip. This makes it hard to press it accidentally, but it’s also confusing if you’re used to other makes of PCs, where you usually use a key on the keyboard.
After you press the button, the Ideapad will start up and present you with a menu of options. Use the arrow keys to select the third option, which reads Boot Menu. Press the enter key. The computer will then present you a list of possible boot devices. You’ll likely see the internal hard drive, the optical drive, and USB. Choose USB. The computer will boot off USB this time, then boot off the hard drive the next.
Getting any computer to boot off USB is almost always different from the next, but on this model of Lenovo, it’s pretty easy. There’s no messing around in the BIOS or anything like that. You just have to know what that Novo button does, and where to find it.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.