[Solved] HP Laptop Can't Boot from USB

USB booting has become a common practice for installing or repairing operating systems. However, facing the issue of an HP laptop not being able to boot from a USB can be frustrating and inconvenient. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to troubleshooting and resolving this problem. We will explore various potential causes behind this issue and discuss step-by-step solutions to ensure your HP laptop can successfully boot from a USB drive.

Table of Contents:

1. Common Causes of HP Laptop Not Booting from USB 

2. Basic Troubleshooting Steps 

3. Insufficient Power Supply

4. Incorrect BIOS/UEFI Settings

5. Secure Boot and TPM 

6. Bootable USB Issues 

7. Legacy Boot Support 

1. Common Causes of HP Laptop Not Booting from USB

When encountering difficulties in booting from a USB drive on an HP laptop, several factors may contribute to the issue. Here are some common causes:

a. Insufficient power supply

b. Incorrect BIOS/UEFI settings

c. Secure Boot and TPM settings

d. Bootable USB issues

e. Lack of legacy boot support

2. Basic Troubleshooting Steps

Before proceeding to more advanced solutions, it is always recommended to perform basic troubleshooting steps that can resolve minor issues. These include restarting the laptop, checking USB port functionality, verifying the bootable USB on another device, and ensuring the USB is properly connected.

3. Insufficient Power Supply

An inadequate power supply can affect the functionality of USB ports. To resolve this, connect the laptop to a power outlet directly instead of relying solely on battery power. Additionally, try using different USB ports as some may be better equipped to provide the necessary power.

4. Incorrect BIOS/UEFI Settings

Incorrect BIOS or UEFI settings can prevent the laptop from recognizing bootable USB devices. Access the BIOS or UEFI settings by pressing the specified key during the startup process (usually F10 or F2 for HP laptops). Verify that the USB boot option is enabled and set as the primary boot device.

5. Secure Boot and TPM

Secure Boot and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) settings can interfere with booting from external devices. Disable Secure Boot and ensure TPM is set to Factory Defaults or Disabled in the BIOS/UEFI settings.

Secure boot is a built-in security mechanism in HP laptops that ensures that only trusted operating systems (OS) and software are loaded during the boot process. It prevents malicious software or unauthorized OS from being loaded onto your laptop, enhancing the overall security of the system. However, this security feature can sometimes interfere with the booting process from a USB.

There are a few reasons why this problem may arise. One possibility is that the USB drive you are trying to boot from is not recognized as a trusted hardware device by the secure boot feature. Hence, it fails to start the boot process. Another reason could be the wrong BIOS settings, where the secure boot is enabled but the USB boot option is not selected.

Fortunately, there are a few solutions that can help you overcome this issue. Firstly, ensure that the USB drive you are using is bootable. To do this, you can try plugging it into another computer and see if it boots successfully from that device. If not, you might need to create a bootable USB drive using a reliable tool such as Rufus or UNetbootin.

If the USB drive is confirmed to be bootable, access your laptop's BIOS settings by repeatedly pressing the designated key (typically F2 or Esc) during startup. Once you have entered the BIOS settings, navigate to the "Boot" tab and locate the "Secure Boot" option. Disable secure boot and save the changes before exiting the BIOS.

After disabling secure boot, you should also check if the USB boot option is enabled. If not, locate the "Boot Order" or "Boot Options" section in the BIOS settings and ensure that the USB drive is listed as a bootable device. Save the changes, restart your laptop, and select the USB drive as the boot device during startup.

If these solutions fail to resolve the issue, you may need to update your laptop's BIOS to the latest version. HP regularly releases updates for their BIOS, which often includes bug fixes and improvements. Visit HP's official website, locate the support page for your laptop model, and download the latest BIOS update file. Follow the provided instructions to install the update, which may resolve the USB boot problem caused by secure boot.

6. Bootable USB Issues

Issues with the bootable USB itself may arise due to improper creation or corruption. Create a bootable USB using reliable software and ensure the ISO file or installation media is not corrupt. You can also try using a different USB drive or reformatting the existing one.

7. Legacy Boot Support

Some older HP laptops do not support UEFI booting and require the Legacy Boot mode for USB booting. Check the BIOS/UEFI settings for Legacy Boot Support and enable it if necessary. Remember to change the boot priority to prioritize legacy devices.