She restarted again, but this time she tapped a different key: F2 , Delete , or F10 (again, manufacturer-specific). This opened the — the low-level firmware that controls hardware before Windows loads.
By default, most Windows 10 PCs put the hard drive first. Maya needed to change that to give the USB drive top priority.
She learned that the boot order is like a bouncer at a club: it decides who gets in first. And with a few key taps at startup, you can change that bouncer's list anytime.
Inside, she saw a screen that looked like a blast from the 1990s (text-based) or a sleek modern interface with mouse support. She found the tab.
She inserted the drive, restarted the computer... and Windows booted normally again, ignoring the USB stick entirely.
