Your computer might be getting old, and you may be looking for ways to boot it using a USB drive to enhance its functionality. Or you just want to install a different operating system. No matter what reason you have, we are glad to inform you that you can easily learn how to boot from USB on HP Laptop.
This article will give you a step-by-step guide on how to boot from USB on an HP laptop. What are the prerequisites and the solutions to the most common problems that might occur in the process? Read till the end to know exactly what needs to be done.
Booting HP laptop From USB
Things You Need
For this method to work, you will need:
- Your laptop
- An empty USB drive
- And an operating system that you must install on the USB drive.
These requirements are obvious, but for a newbie, they can prove to be important to know.
Below is a list of steps to make your booting from a USB device easy and simple. Have a look at them:
1. Prepare Your USB Drive
For the process to work, you will require a USB drive with at least 16 GB of free storage. 32 GB is optimal. Also, it is recommended that the USB drive you use for this purpose should be empty. This will eradicate any errors occurring because of the present programs.
Now you need to install the operating system of your choice into the USB drive. Make sure you have an active and valid license for the operating system you are willing to use.
Once the operating system is ready, your task is to burn it into the USB drive. There are various methods of booting different operating systems. This method is called burning an ISO file to the USB drive.
It is preferred that you look at the complete guide on the Microsoft official website and learn how different processes work. Many guides will teach you how to boot from USB on an HP laptop.
Remember that you have to burn the ISO file to the USB drive. Do not simply copy the file into the USB. That won’t work. Burning the file into the drive will configure it and make it bootable.
2. Configure Your BIOS Settings
The next step is to change the BIOS settings so that the USB drive would be used as a booting device. The laptop hard drive is normally used as a bootable device because the operating system exists. For this process, you must keep your USB drive plugged into the laptop.
To enable boot options, press the F9 button. Follow the on-screen instructions as described on the screen. You can edit the booting sequence once you are in the BIOS edit. Look for your USB drive and select it so that it boots primarily than any other device.
Finding the USB drive on the given options can be a hassle. Be sure to look at the devices section and drives section as well. This is because a USB drive is also referred to as a device.
3. Boot Your Computer
Once all the changes are saved, you may now restart your laptop. You can restart your laptop by pressing the F10 key or simply restarting from the operating system screen. Both options work just fine.
Once the restart process initiates, you will be booted from your USB drive rather than the hard drive. You might get a prompt about whether booting from an external device is allowed or not. Continue with the process by allowing.
It is no need to worry if you do not get any such prompt. Some devices directly boot under the given settings without confirming with the user. If you have burned the ISO file correctly into the USB drive and have successfully changed the BIOS settings, your laptop will be booted using the USB drive.
That’s all. You have now successfully booted your HP laptop from a USB drive.
Common Problems
If you are not a tech-savvy person, you can encounter some problems while carrying out this process. If so, there is no need to worry as we have addressed all the common problems you might encounter during this process. Have a look at them below:
1. Is Your USB Drive Configured Correctly?
People face problems while burning the ISO file of the operating system into the USB drive. Most people have the misconception that is simply copying the operating system file on the USB drive will work.
Redo the above mentioned process and ensure that you have correctly set up your USB drive as a bootable one. Use a USB drive with ample space and ensure that it is virus-free.
2. Is The USB Drive Plugged In Correctly?
Not all USB ports read bootable USB drives. Only one or two ports read such drives. Flash ports with greater speed than other ports may work for this process. To identify a flash port, look for a lightning sign printed nearby a USB port. Another method is to try the booting process by connecting with all USB ports. Through trial and error, you will make it towards success.
3. Do You Have Any Other Boot Devices Connected?
For the process to work, there mustn’t be any other external bootable devices connected to your computer. It may be a compact disk (CD) or another USB drive.
When editing the BIOS settings, any other device may be chosen as your primary booting device. Identifying devices in the BIOS settings is difficult. Hence, you should unplug any bootable devices other than your chosen USB drive.
4. Are You Booting Correctly?
Done with all the USB problems, now comes the most common issue. You have to ensure that the boot order you configured has taken effect. The BIOS interface is not very user-friendly.
Hence, many people find it difficult to configure. Interrupt the BIOS settings again and change them properly, prioritizing your preferred USB drive on top.
Finding your USB drive can be a task, especially when not found under the corresponding drives section. Sometimes, your USB drive may be listed under the devices section.
This is because a USB is a certain type of device. It is surprising how the BIOS settings of the same company have so many variations.
If you still encounter problems not mentioned above, we recommend you to browse the official Microsoft website and go through the booting guide. It is rare for people to get into any other problems. However, if that is the case, you should refer to a technical support agent.
A Few Last Words
Knowing how to boot from USB on an HP laptop can be useful in an emergency. Your HP laptop might have suffered a crash or just refused to operate properly.
In that case, our guide on how to boot from USB on an HP laptop can be a lifesaver.
Comment down below any of your queries regarding this topic. We would love to address them as soon as possible.