Everything You Need to Know About the Sony VAIO Startup Menu

Updated by

Linda 

Authored by

Cici 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

# Sony Vaio Boot Menu and Sony Vaio Hotkeys

The Boot Menu allows you to select the drive to boot Windows from and quickly change the priority order for devices to load. For instance, you can use the BIOS key to enter the firmware and navigate to the Boot tab to change the boot sequence when you want to alter the boot device order. You can also access the BIOS via the Boot Menu key for troubleshooting and system recovery. What is the Sony VAIO Boot Menu key?

The hotkeys may vary depending on the model of your computer. First, check your specific model of Sony VAIO.

1. To launch the **DirectX Diagnostic Tool**, turn on your computer, open the "Run" window, type in " **dxdiag** ", and press Enter. 2. From there, you can view the specific model of your Sony PC under the "System" tab.

Then, depending on your model, you can enter the boot menu and use one of the following hotkeys:

If the above hotkeys don't work on your Sony computer, or don't function properly, try restarting your computer and looking for the BIOS or Boot Menu key on the brief startup screen. Once you know the Boot Menu key, you can enter the BIOS.

• Turn on your computer and press the boot menu key while the logo is displayed.
• If the boot menu key is a secondary function, press it when the computer is off, not when it's starting up.

Then, in your BIOS, change the boot order to boot from USB. If you found this guide useful, don't forget to share it with others who might need it.

How to Boot a Sony VAIO from a USB Drive

To boot a Sony computer from USB, you'll first need to make a bootable USB. You can use a bootable USB to install Windows or fix certain boot issues.

Step 1: Create a Bootable USB Drive

AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a comprehensive software that lets you create Windows 11/10 installation media from an ISO file; it also allows you to make a data recovery USB and perform PC rescue tasks when your computer fails to boot. Below is a detailed guide on how to make a AOMEI Partition Assistant Rescue USB:

Step 1. To create the bootable Partition Master tool disk, you need to have a storage media such as a USB drive, a flash drive, or a CD/DVD disc. Connect the drive properly to your computer.

Step 2: Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, and then click "Create Bootable Media" on the left.

Step 3. When the drive is detected, you can choose between USB or CD/DVD. However, if you don't have a blank media at hand, you can also save the ISO file to your hard drive and burn it to a medium later. After making your choice, click on Create to start the process.

• Read the warning and click Yes.

When it's done, a prompt will ask you if you want to restart your computer from the bootable USB.

• Reboot now: means that you want to restart your current computer and boot into the live media tool without involving the operating system to manage partitions on the disk.
• Finish: means that you do not want to restart your current computer but instead want to use the bootable USB device on a different computer.

Note: To use the bootable disk on a new computer, you need to restart the target computer and press F2/F8/Delete to enter BIOS, then set the USB bootable disk as the first boot device.

Wait patiently, and the computer will automatically boot from the USB boot media and enter the WinPE tool desktop.

If you want to create installation media for other operating systems, choose the "Burn ISO" feature. You can refer to the article and install Windows from ISO for details.

Step 2: Change the BIOS to boot the Sony VAIO from a USB drive

After creating the correct bootable media, you can use the BIOS feature to start your VAIO computer from an external device:

Step 1. Connect the external device-bootable installation media-to your Windows computer.

Step 2 To enter BIOS, use the boot menu, BIOS key, or UEFI feature, depending on your computer model. Or, on a VAIO computer, press the ASSIST button while the computer is off and go to the VAIO Care screen.

Step 3. On the VAIO Care screen, select Boot from media.

Note: This guide is derived from the official Sony User Manual. You can trust this information and refer to it with confidence.

Please read:

Additional tip: The Sony VAIO boot menu key is not working

Users have reported issues with the Boot Menu button on Sony VAIO laptops. You might get stuck in the Boot Menu. Try these quick fixes:

1. Enter BIOS through another menu

Microsoft provides an option to access the BIOS through WinRE; if your BIOS key isn't working, you can try this:

Step 1: On the Windows screen, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced startup, and then restart your computer.

Step 2. Hold down the Shift key while restarting your computer, and then use the command line "exe/r/o."

Step 3: In the WinRE window, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings. Restart to enter the BIOS screen.

2. Disable Fast Startup

Fast Startup may be causing your computer to go into Sleep or Hibernate mode. You can disable Fast Startup and access BIOS as follows:

Step 1: Click on "System and Security" in the Control Panel, then click "Power Options."

Step 2: Click on Choose what the power buttons do.

Step 3: To disable Fast Startup, check the box for it, then click “Change settings that are currently unavailable.”

3. Try using the Startup Repair tool

If the boot menu fails to work properly, the Boot Repair feature provided by Partition Master can be used to fix it. After analyzing various booting issues, it can locate the problem and fix it intelligently.

Download the Partition Master tool for free to easily fix all boot errors.

Conclusions

This article will give you a detailed description of what the Sony VAIO Startup Menu is all about. The startup menu allows you to have control over your device's performance. The Sony VAIO Startup Menu is essential when it comes to booting your Sony computer from a USB.

Additionally, tools like Partition Master provide solutions for boot-related issues. You can use the tool to create a bootable installation media or a recovery USB.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Sony Boot Menu

1. What is the BIOS key for Sony VAIO?

The BIOS key for a Sony VAIO is usually F2. Press F2 on the first Sony screen to enter the BIOS Setup Utility.

2. How do I boot from USB on SONY VAIO?

First, create a bootable USB media using the Partition Master tool. Then, follow these steps to boot your VAIO computer from an external device:

Step 1: Connect the external device to your computer.

Step 2. With the VAIO computer turned off, press and hold the Boot Menu button or press the ASSIST button to enter the VAIO Care (Rescue Mode) screen.

Step 3: On the VAIO Care screen, select Start from media (USB device/CD).

How do I open the Boot Menu on a SONY VAIO?

Make sure that the VAIO is turned off. Turn on the VAIO and press the F8 key repeatedly to display the Windows boot menu.