I've forgotten the password to an old laptop and want to reinstall Windows 11 using a USB drive that I set up with Rufus. However, when I try to boot from the USB, it just goes straight to the normal startup. I have tried all the USB options available, like USB CD, USB FDD, and USB HDD, but none seem to work. I'm looking for guidance on how to get the laptop to boot from the USB drive. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
Sometimes disconnecting other internal drives can help force the laptop to boot from the USB drive. Even though you won't be able to install, it can confirm whether the USB is bootable.
If all else fails, maybe consider using Windows 10 for installation. It can sometimes bypass issues related to USB booting for Windows 11.
You need to access the BIOS settings on your laptop and ensure that it's set to boot from the USB drive. Also, make sure you're plugging the USB into the correct port—try them all just to be safe!
It could be that your laptop is set to use BIOS boot instead of UEFI. For Windows 11 installation, you need to boot in UEFI mode, so check your BIOS settings to see if you can switch that.
One quick check: does the bootable USB work on other computers? If it does, then at least the USB is set up correctly. If it doesn't, you might need to redo the setup with Rufus.
Yeah but how would I go about that?