HP Victus 16-s1000 Won’t Boot from USB (Windows 11 Install) – Tried GPT, UEFI, Secure Boot Off/On

[Saburi1]

Hi everyone,
I’m trying to install Windows 11 on my HP Victus laptop but can't get it to boot from USB. The drive simply doesn't appear in the F9 boot menu, even though I’ve tried everything I can think of.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:

• Created the bootable USB using both FAT32 and NTFS, with GPT partition scheme for UEFI (using Rufus).

• Created the bootable USB with windows media creation tool

• Set the USB device as the first option in the UEFI boot order.

• Disabled and re-enabled Secure Boot to test both configurations.

• Verified that UEFI is enabled (Legacy boot is off).

• Tried multiple USB ports (USB 2.0 and 3.0).

• Confirmed the USB boots fine on other computers.

No matter what I try, the USB doesn't appear as a boot option on this laptop. Is there something HP-specific I might be overlooking? Any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[NonSequitur777]

@Saburi1,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Thank you for the detailed summary -you’ve done a great job covering most of the common troubleshooting steps already!

That said, HP systems (especially newer UEFI-based laptops such as the Victus 16-s1000 series) can be particular when it comes to USB booting. Here are a few things to try that often resolve this issue:

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Try This Bootable USB Setup (Using Rufus):

1. Open Rufus.

2. Use a known good USB stick (16–32GB).

3. Select the Windows ISO.

4. Set these options:

   • Partition scheme: GPT

   • Target system: UEFI (non-CSM)

   • File system: FAT32 (not NTFS — HP Secure Boot won’t allow NTFS boot even if Secure Boot is off)

   • Boot selection: Standard Windows Installation

⚠️ Note: If your ISO is too large for FAT32, Rufus may split the install.wim file automatically. That’s okay.

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BIOS Settings to Adjust:

Enter BIOS (F10 on startup), and ensure the following:

• Secure Boot = Disabled

• Legacy Support = Disabled (keep UEFI on)

• USB Boot = Enabled

• UEFI Boot Order → Move "USB Diskette on Key/USB Hard Drive" to the top

Save changes and exit BIOS.

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Extra Tips:

• Use USB-A ports (not USB-C or through a hub).

• Try a slower USB stick (USB 2.0 if possible) — some high-speed drives don’t play well with HP boot firmware.

• Wait ~10 seconds in the F9 menu — USB options sometimes appear after a short delay.

• Double-check the USB drive on another PC — even if it boots there, HP might reject the file system/bootloader unless it’s fully UEFI/FAT32 compliant.

 

Optional: BIOS Update:

Make sure your BIOS is fully up to date — you can get the latest firmware from: Victus by HP 16.1 inch Gaming Laptop PC 16-s1000

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Here is a detailed step-by-step procedure how to build a working bootable USB:

How to Build a Bootable USB for Windows 11 (HP Victus / UEFI):

What You’ll Need:

• A 16GB+ USB stick (preferably USB 2.0 or slower USB 3.0 — not high-speed or encrypted drives)

• A Windows 11 ISO file (can download from Microsoft here)

• Rufus utility (latest version)

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Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Download Rufus

• Go to rufus.ie and download the latest version.

• No install needed — just run the .exe.

2. Plug in the USB stick

• Make sure nothing important is on it — this process will erase all contents.

3. Configure Rufus

• Device: Select your USB drive

• Boot selection: Click “SELECT”, then choose your downloaded Windows 11 ISO

• Image option: Leave as Standard Windows Installation

• Partition scheme: Choose GPT

• Target system: Choose UEFI (non-CSM)

• File system: Select FAT32 (this is critical for HP UEFI + Secure Boot compatibility)

• Cluster size: Leave as default

4. Click “START”

• You may see a message about "install.wim being too large for FAT32."
  → Choose "Split into multiple files" when prompted — Rufus will handle this for you.

5. Wait until it finishes (~5–15 mins)

That’s it! You now have a USB that HP UEFI firmware should recognize.

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Optional: BIOS Settings Recap:

Before booting from the USB:

1. Restart and press F10 to enter BIOS

2. Ensure:

   • Secure Boot = Disabled (you can re-enable after install)

   • Legacy Support = Disabled

   • UEFI Boot Mode = Enabled

   • USB Boot = Enabled

   • Move USB Hard Drive or USB Diskette on Key to top of UEFI boot order

3. Save and Exit

Then hit F9 on next boot to access boot menu → your USB should now appear.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Saburi1]

hey! Thanks for helping me.

I tried everything you said and it still didn't work. Also, I wanna point out other things:

• HP doesn't have a BIOS update for my OS (freeDOS), is there any place where I can find one? my BIOS version is F.13
• My laptop has TPM, maybe this can be a concern also?
• I don't think my laptop has a USB 2.0 port

plz, provide me with any other possible solution.

[NonSequitur777]

@Saburi1,

Thank you for the update -and sorry to hear it’s still giving you trouble! You’ve been really thorough, so let’s dig into some deeper troubleshooting options as I researched your issue using AI tools -disclaimer.

Additional Things to Try:

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1. Try Ventoy (Alternative USB Boot Method):

Update: It looks like the official Ventoy site may be down. You can download the latest release safely from their official GitHub mirror instead: https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy/releases.

Ventoy installs a special bootloader to your USB that many UEFI systems (including HP) recognize even when traditional Rufus setups fail. Once installed, just copy the Windows 11 ISO directly to the USB stick -no need to extract anything.

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2. Try a Different USB Stick (Brand Matters!):

Believe it or not, some USB drives just don’t handshake properly with HP firmware. Even if they work on other PCs, HP UEFI may not recognize them.

Suggestion:

• Avoid SanDisk Ultra/Extreme (users have reported issues on HP).

• Try a basic Kingston, PNY, or even an older USB 2.0 stick if you have one.

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3. BIOS Update from Another PC:

HP’s website may not show BIOS updates for FreeDOS -but there is usually an update available when on the OS “Windows 11” dropdown: https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/victus-by-hp-16.1-inch-gaming-laptop-pc-16-s1000/2101821621.

Steps:

1. On another Windows PC, go to the HP support page for your Victus 16-s1000 model.

2. Set the OS to Windows 11, then download the latest BIOS update utility (EXE).

3. Use HP’s BIOS Update tool to create a recovery USB stick.

4. Plug that into your Victus and restart -the update should auto-launch.

Updating to the latest BIOS can fix USB boot recognition issues on many HP laptops.

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4. F9 Boot Menu Timing — Try This Trick:

Some HP systems are finnicky about when the USB is inserted.

Try this exact sequence:

1. Fully shut down your laptop.

2. Insert the USB stick before powering on.

3. Power on and immediately tap Esc, then F9.

4. Wait 10–15 seconds on the Boot Menu screen -sometimes the USB shows up after a delay.

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5. BIOS Settings Recap (Double Check These):

• Secure Boot = Disabled

• Legacy Support = Disabled

• USB Boot = Enabled

• Fast Boot = Disabled (this one often causes USB detection issues)

• UEFI Boot Order → move “USB Diskette on Key/USB Hard Drive” to the top

Save and exit -then retry the F9 Boot Menu.

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6. TPM Is Not the Problem:

Good question -but no worries here: TPM (Trusted Platform Module) has nothing to do with USB booting. It only affects things inside Windows like encryption or Secure Boot.

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Let me know how it goes -especially with Ventoy or a BIOS update. If you're still stuck after that, there’s one more method (HP Cloud Recovery Tool) we can try.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[Saburi1 · Accepted solution]

Thanks again for the info, but now I got the solution.

You were right about the brand, I got another USB stick with version 3.1 and the boot finally worked!

for anyone seeing this discussion:

• Try a kingston USB 3.1 stick as the bootable device
• file system: NTFS
• partition style: GPT

[NonSequitur777]

@Saburi1,

Outstanding news: glad this issue has been resolved to your satisfaction!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777