Trying to install Windows 8 via USB on HP Folio 13. No boot from usb key option.

[natea]

Am I missing something. I have the Hp folio 13 wal-mart edition. I am trying to boot from a usb which I thought every computer could do but I'm having my doubts with this one. I went into the bios and there is no boot option for booting from cd key. I also booted into the boot options screen directly from the start of the computer via f10...still no option. Is there no way of booting from a usb key with this laptop? If not that is a huge design flaw on HP's part since it's an ultrabook and has no optical drive.

[HaggisCat]

You may have to insert the USB flash drive first before booting into the BIOS for it to show up in order to boot from it.

 So, plug the USB drive in, boot up and start tapping the f10 key (or on most models it's f9) and the option should show up in the BIOS to boot to the USB drive.

[natea]

Trust me I tried that. That didn't work either. There is no option anywhere to boot from usb even when the usb is already inserted.

[HaggisCat]

I came across this tool from Microsoft to make a USB flash drive bootable to install W7. I got to this page by following the links to install W8 with a flash drive, so I am going to assume that the tool will work with W8.

 I am going to try this myself, but I don't have a 4GB flash drive right now.

 http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

 Ounce the tool is installed you mount the ISO files of W8 with in the tool and follow the prompts.

 I am also going to assume that you have already went to your support page where you may find instructions on how to create a bootable flash drive.

 In theory ounce the flash drive is made bootable, the BIOS should see it, the operative word being "should".

 Here is the page here, but I don't think it will be of much help.

 http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01867124

 Your best bet will be the tool from Microsoft.

 Here is the direct link to the tool.

 http://images2.store.microsoft.com/prod/clustera/framework/w7udt/1.0/en-us/Windows7-USB-DVD-tool.exe

[natea]

And I have also already used that tool and installed windows 8 to a bootable usb. There is no option to boot from usb regardless of a bootable flash drive being plugged in or not. 

[HaggisCat]

I am just grasping at straws here, but maybe it wants a USB external CD/DVD drive to boot  from in which case a regular DVD disc of W8 will work (should work).

 I am saying this after looking at your models BIOS simulator.

 

 

 Ounce you enter the boot order you should be able to change it to USB CD/DVD ROM Drive.

 This is all just theory though.

[natea]

Yeah I was thinking at this point that might be the only option. I actually installed windows 8 by just mounting the dvd image in a virtual drive and starting the installation in windows. Worked fine that way and now I'm running windows 8. But I still would like to figure this out for future situations where I might need to do this.

[HaggisCat]

That's one way of doing it. I should have thought of that. :smileyembarrassed:

 What was the virtual drive you used, I use Virtual Clone Drive for my Blu-ray ISO's ?

 Just curious...

 There was a time when you couldn't install another OS with in a given one while it was running.

 I don't think you could have done that with in XP...