HP OMEN Transcend 14: Install Windows from USB Guide

Preparing for Windows Installation

• 💡 Installing Windows from a USB drive is necessary if your system is locked, corrupted, or needs a fresh start. Be aware that this process will erase all data on your disk.
• 💻 You'll need another Windows device to create a bootable USB if you can't access your current laptop. Ensure your HP OMEN Transcend 14 is plugged into power throughout the process to prevent discharge.
• 💾 A USB drive of at least 16GB is required, though 32GB is recommended. You'll also need to download the Windows 11 ISO and Rufus.

Downloading and Creating Bootable Media

• 🌐 Download the Windows 11 ISO from the official Microsoft website, selecting the correct language.
• 🛠️ Use Rufus (downloaded from rufus.ie) to create the bootable USB drive from the Windows 11 ISO.
• 🚫 You can optionally uncheck options in Rufus to remove requirements for a Microsoft account, Secure Boot, or TPM 2.0, but this may not be possible if using a USB drive directly from Microsoft.

Driver Preparation and USB Creation

• 💻 Navigate to the HP support website, select your laptop model (OMEN Transcend 14), and choose Windows 11.
• 🔌 Download the latest wireless driver (network driver) and save the executable file.
• 📁 After Rufus creates the bootable USB, copy the downloaded driver file onto the USB drive.

Booting and Installing Windows

• 🔌 Shut down your HP OMEN Transcend 14, ensure it's plugged in, and insert the bootable USB drive.
• 🚀 Press the power button, then immediately and repeatedly press the Escape key to access the boot menu.
• 🖱️ Select the USB hard drive from the boot menu using keyboard navigation (Tab, Shift+Tab, arrow keys, Spacebar, Enter).
• ⌨️ The touchpad may not work initially; use keyboard shortcuts (Tab, Shift+Tab, Alt+letter for underlined options) to navigate the Windows setup.

Partition Management and Driver Installation

• 🎯 Identify your internal disk (Disk 0) by summing partition sizes. Delete all partitions on the internal disk, but do not touch the USB drive (e.g., Disk 1).
• ✅ Select the internal disk and proceed with the installation by clicking 'Next' or 'Install'. The PC may restart multiple times.
• 🌐 During the Windows setup, if Wi-Fi drivers are missing, press Shift+F10 to open a command prompt.
• 💻 Navigate to your USB drive (e.g., D: or E:), locate the driver file, and run the executable to install the Wi-Fi driver.
• 📶 Once Wi-Fi is functional, you can connect to the internet, and the touchpad should start working after updates.