Cannot enter BIOS, Intel boot agent continues to pop up

[nrvsbrkdwn]

I want to boot from a USB stick with MS Win 7 on it. Screen shows the following message:

Initializing Intel (R) Boot Agent GE v1.3.76

PXE 2.1 Build 090 (WfM 2.0)

It does show a cursor beneath, but does not react to anything. I cannot enter the BIOS. 

Also when starting the computer and hitting F10 (or any other F key or Esc, del) I cannot enter the BIOS and the boot agent message above shows up again.

I do not have an OS on this machine anymore after the HD died and want to boot via that USB stick. Going crazy over this.......

[TheOldMan]

You are seeing that message because it is the last item on the boot order that has a try to give the BIOS a boot choice,  With the hard missing there must not be another choice.  Without a model number for the PC, it is hard to give alternatives.  If the PC is old enough to have Windows 7, it might also be old enough to not have the USB in the boot order.  If you have a DVD drive, try a bootable DVD.  Otherwise but a hard drive in with a bootmanager.

[Hibb1]

I know you said you tried, but regardless of the age of the HP PC, F10 will enter BIOS, F9 will bring up a 'boot from' menu and ESC *may* bring up a menu which you can select items from.

A warm boot (CTRL+ALT+DEL) does not always register you invoking F9/F10.

Also, don't wait until you see a picture on the screen, you can often miss your 'window'

Try and use a WIRED keyboard, not wireless.

When the PC is off, get ready on the Keyboard. Hit the power button and furiously tap F10, F9 or ESC.

Does anything happen then?

[TheOldMan]

Agree with @Hibb1 , that was going to be my next suggestion. If you cannot get into the BIOS in any of the methods described, then the only choices are to give up or make a bootable DVD, or install a hard drive and install an OS on it,  to give the boot sequence something to look at.