Step-by-step guide — Allow device restart with USB storage connected
1. Confirm the issue and check the USB device
Verify the device is failing to start and note any error messages.
Physically check whether a USB storage device (thumb drive, external HDD/SSD, etc.) is plugged into the machine.
Decide whether that USB device should be present for the restart (for example: required recovery media or installer vs. an accidental/auxiliary drive).
2. If the USB device should not be present
Power down the machine, unplug the USB storage device, and attempt restart again.
If the device boots normally, no policy change is required, consider logging the incident and educating users not to leave removable media plugged in.
3. If the USB device is required for the restart (or cannot be removed)
You can change the Datto RMM patch policy to allow devices to start while a USB storage device is connected.
4. Open Datto RMM and navigate to patch policies
Sign into the Datto RMM console.
From the top navigation, open the Policies dropdown.
Select Patch Management from the Policies menu.
5. Select the patch policy to modify
In the Patch Management list, find and click the patch policy that applies to the affected device(s).
If multiple policies could apply, choose the one that controls the device(s) having the restart issue.
6. Locate the Power section in the policy
Scroll down inside the selected policy editor until you find the Power section.
7. Change the restart settings
In the Power section, find and select Restart (or the restart/sub-options group).
Toggle on Allow devices to start if a USB storage device is connected (or similarly-worded option).
8. Save/apply the policy changes
Click Save, Apply, or Update Policy — whatever your console shows — to commit the change.
Confirm the policy change was applied successfully (look for confirmation message or policy status).
9. Test the restart
With the USB device connected, attempt to restart the affected machine.
Verify the machine boots correctly and that the intended startup behavior occurs.
Video Transcript:
When a device is not starting, the reason could be that a USB storage device is plugged in. Determine if the USB device should be plugged in at restart.
If the device has been cleared or is necessary for the restart, you are able to change the restart options to allow for the device to restart with a USB device plugged in. To turn on this setting, navigate to the Patch Management section under the policies dropdown on the Datto RMM screen. Select the patch policy you would like to change. Then, scroll down to the power section.
Select restart. Then, toggle on the allow devices to start if a USB storage device is connected option.