New Laptop - Can't boot from USB for clean W10 install

ShotInTheAss86 · 3 Apr 2018 at 12:42

New laptop has arrived - HP Zbook

Got my usual USB flash drive that I use for running a clean install but on this model of HP it is not booting.

Changed BIOS settings
Legacy & Secure Boot options: Changed from 'Legacy mode disabled and Secure Boot Enabled' to 'Legacy mode enabled and Secure Boot disabled'
Rebooted and entered the verification code to confirm the change

Pressing F9 to enter boot menu I can see the UEFI USB option, select it. Get a single beep and it takes me to the HP Startup Menu screen (options for Continue Boot(HDD) and the various F3/F9/F10/F11 etc other startup options.

I've rebuilt my USB with rufus but get the same thing each time.

Any ideas? Never had this before with a variety of HP laptops. Need to boot with UEFI and not Legacy

ShotInTheAss86 · 3 Apr 2018 at 12:46

Laptop doesn't have DVD drive either so will have to be USB boot. Local disk is working OK and will let me boot and go through the OOBE

40Four · 3 Apr 2018 at 17:42

Did you already have the Windows iso on the USB stick. If so try formatting it and putting the ISO back on it. I use rufus for making bootable USB drives. You can get the ISO from Microsoft website.

If you have Windows 10 preinstalled you can reset it, which is basically the same as a clean install. Just delete the Windows old folder from the C drive afterwards.

brendy · 3 Apr 2018 at 18:23

As you say you need to boot in non uefi, I found that some HP's need a ctrl alt delete while on the boot menu to give the legacy boot devices an extra moment to be detected and they show up second time round.

ShotInTheAss86 · 5 Apr 2018 at 10:20

Did try rebuilding my USB stick, even got a 2nd USB drive that i built, tested both on another laptop - no problem.

Eventually gave up and went and got a USB DVD drive - this worked first time and let me boot. Once clean install of W10 was on I did a quick test and could boot off USB with no further changes to BIOS. still not sure what was causing this but happy I've got a clean install

PiKe · 5 Apr 2018 at 10:26

40Four said:
If you have Windows 10 preinstalled you can reset it, which is basically the same as a clean install. Just delete the Windows old folder from the C drive afterwards.

Just do this, its not worth the hassle of trying to get it to boot from USB for essentially the same outcome.