Embarassing problem: now it is more difficult to boot from USB

[Earth-shine]

1. I tell people with comp problems "Take two reboots and call me in the morning." But for you ...

I have no clue what's wrong here. So, in the absence of real advice, I suggest you do the most drastic form of reboot.

If this were my computer, I'd pull the battery from the mobo and the power cord from the chassis.

I'd let it sit there in the corner for a day totally without electricity. I'd say, "Bad computer!"

Then, I'd put a new battery in and try it all again.

Over the years, I have recovered several seemingly wasted computers in this manner.

Other than a total reset of all chips and capacitors, I'm not sure why it works.

Good luck!