Why won’t my laptop boot from a USB stick to install Windows?

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Asked By CuriousTraveler42 On

Hey everyone! I recently got a RedmiBook Pro 14 2025 while in China, but it comes with a single-language version of Windows Home Edition. I've purchased a Windows Home license in my native language and managed to change the language for most things except for the settings and some other bits. Now, I'm trying to install a fresh copy of Windows 11 using a 128GB USB-C stick with either Rufus or the Windows Media Creation Tool. I've disabled secure boot and set my USB as the first boot device in the BIOS, which does recognize it. However, when I save the changes and exit, it just boots straight into Windows without acknowledging the USB drive. I'm at a bit of a loss and I'm not sure if the issue is with the USB stick or something else. Any advice?

2 Answers

Answered By HelpfulHand21 On

Thanks for the tips! I had the same issue, and switching to a smaller USB-A stick did the trick for me. Sometimes those larger USB-C drives just don't play nice with the boot process.

Answered By TechWhisperer99 On

It sounds like you might be dealing with a compatibility issue with the USB-C stick or the port when trying to boot. Some BIOS settings can struggle with USB-C boot drives. I recommend recreating your bootable USB using Rufus again, but this time select the GPT partition scheme and FAT32 file system. If that still doesn't work, try using a regular USB-A stick (like a small 16GB one) plugged into a USB-A port. Also, make sure that in the BIOS settings, UEFI boot mode is enabled and Fast Boot is disabled, as that can sometimes skip over USB boot devices.

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