Installing OS on my hard disk

[Dee3205]

I need help in installing an operating system on my hard disk 

[NonSequitur777]

@Dee3205,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

To install a clean operating system on your HP computer's hard disk, you will need a working computer and a blank USB flash drive (at least 8 GB). This process will erase all data currently on the hard disk.

Follow these step-by-step instructions to create the installation media and set up the operating system.

Step 1: Create a Bootable USB Installer:

You must prepare the installation files using a separate, working computer.

1. Insert a blank USB flash drive (8 GB or larger) into the working computer.
2. Go to the official Microsoft Software Download Page.
3. Select your desired operating system (Windows 11 or Windows 10).
4. Download the Media Creation Tool and run the downloaded file.
5. Accept the terms, choose "Create installation media for another PC", select your USB drive, and wait for the download process to finish.

Step 2: Configure HP Boot Settings:

Next, tell your HP computer to boot from the USB drive instead of its blank or old internal hard disk.

1. Turn off your target HP computer completely.
2. Plug the bootable USB installer into a USB port.
3. Turn the computer on and immediately tap the Esc key repeatedly (about once per second) until the HP Startup Menu appears.
4. Press F9 to open the Boot Options Menu.
5. Use the arrow keys to select your USB Flash Drive from the list and press Enter.

Step 3: Install the Operating System:

Once the computer boots from the USB drive, the Windows setup wizard will guide you through the hard disk configuration.

1. Select your language, time, and keyboard preferences, then click Next and Install Now.
2. If prompted for a product key, click "I don't have a product key" (Windows will automatically reactivate later via your HP motherboard's digital license).
3. Choose your preferred Windows edition (Home or Pro) and accept the license terms.
4. When asked for the installation type, select Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).
5. Select your drive from the list. If it has older data, click Delete on each listed partition until you see a single item named "Drive 0 Unallocated Space".
6. Select that unallocated space and click Next to begin the automated installation.

The computer will restart several times during this process. Do not remove the USB drive until the initial setup screen (asking for your region or country) appears.

To help narrow down the next setup steps, could you share:

• What specific model of HP computer or laptop are you using?
• Which version of Windows (Windows 10 or Windows 11) are you installing?
• Is this a brand new replacement hard disk, or are you wiping an old one?

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777