Boot menu selection doesn't load

Before I put my old PC into the closet for storage, I did a clean install of Win10 from a USB which contained the Media Creation info. It went well. Must have set up a password and filled in the security questions that it requested. Upon returning to this PC some 6 months later to use it as a test bed for projects, it asks me for the password. Every password that I have ever used is rejected. I then try to reset the forgotten password by answering the security questions. I can't remember them either. Yes, I should have written them down. It is hard to change habits at 78.

So, my next method of attack is to re-install Windows from the Media Creation Tool. I checked its contents on my new PC and all files are present. I insert it into a USB port on the old PC, turn on the PC, hit ESC several times, and up pops the Boot Menu. I select the USB option, hit Enter, and the PC promptly boots to Windows, not the USB drive that I selected. I re-booted and went back to the Boot Menu again, and selected the DVD drive. PC booted again to Windows and not the Windows 10 DVD I had in the drive. Anybody know why the PC won't boot to the selected drive in the Boot Menu? It is always booting to Windows.

Thanks

Can your new PC be booted from the USB device or DVD?
Have you tried another USB port?

Matthew Wai said:

Can your new PC be booted from the USB device or DVD?
Have you tried another USB port?

Yes and yes.
It isn't making any difference which selection I make in the Boot Menu. It is only booting to Windows and not the selected device.

If in the bios there is the option of the boot list then put the usb drive in the first position if you want to boot the usb drive or dvd drive and hit esc.
On a laptop I had nothing in the start menu if I didn't put the USB drive in the first position. You have them but test this.

miata54 said:

Every password that I have ever used is rejected. I then try to reset the forgotten password by answering the security questions. I can't remember them either.

If you can boot your old PC from a USB device after disabling Secure Boot, you may create a Windows PE device and use it to change the password.

Help I can’t get windows to installation screen
Why Windows 10 Home in my computer is different from others?

On an old laptop I couldn't disable secure boot, as I was still using rufus I used Media Creation Tool, it worked.

Ztruker said:

@miata54, you use MCT to create the USB flash drive, correct? If so, Rufus is a waste of time.

Replace the CMOS (CR2032) battery in your old PC (Desktop, not Laptop, right?).
Power up and go into BIOS Setup. Load defaults, save and exit. See if you can boot from the flash drive now.

Yes, I used MCT to create a bootable USB drive. I have never used Rufus. I had been wondering about the CMOS battery and seeing that it is the original 11 year old issue, I will replace it and we will see what happens from there.