How to change which hard drive to boot from

[Rothermel]

Desire to change hard drive system boot from, changing boot order has no impact.

Any suggestion?

[Betty0610]

@Rothermel

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Did you get a new HDD? When was the last time it worked? Please elaborate.

Thanks 🙂

[Rothermel]

I now have three WD 1 TB Blue hard drives, first hard drive would not update to a new version of Win 10.  MS gave assistance and requested I remove the drive, part of the data connector on the drive broke.  Obtain a duplicate drive and started over with Win 10, did not have install disks for all programs.

Recently obtained a connector that combines power and data for connection to the drive but separate cables for power and data.  With only one hard drive connected I both from either drive. 

Goal being to install both drives and select which one to boot from.  Changing boot order has not worked.

Some indications might be a problem with the first hard drive.

 Purchased a third WD  1TB Blue drive, clone from the second drive, yet to be able to select from boot order which to both from.  Seems as if which one I boot from with only one drive connected, shut down and connect second drive will boot from the one connected when only one drive installed.

Hoping from bios if I select config and select each drive perhaps then changing boot order will work, assuming serial number has something to do with it.

If that works will try with the first drive and second drive I obtained.  If that works how to install second drive become issue,

Computer is a HP Pavilion 500 281

[Rothermel]

Have yet to find a way to control which hard drive the system will boot to, without physically disabling the drive not desired.

Tired all that I can think of the bios.

[Cliffko]

I was having the same problem.  Once you get into the bios, I kept selecting the right hard drive but it was the second on the list.  You have to hit F5 or F6 to change the order. then exit and save changes.  That worked for me.

[Rothermel]

Using Win 10 as OS pressing F10 gets to BIOS, I can change boot order, pressing F5 on boot order screen disables the highlighted item, F6 has no impact. 

After changing boot order - as I recall press F10 to save change, return to main menu and select save an exit.

What does work is not powering the undesired drive, booting up, boot up and select desired SATA drive, save changes, than power down, reconnect the second drive, will boot to the desired drive.  To change boot drive disconnect the drive booting to, repeat the steps, can then connect another drive and will boot to what was the drive it was booting to before second drive added.

Can not control drive it will boot from without changing physical connection.