Booting from USB stick

[Michael F. Stemper]

Somebody loaned me a computer. Unfortunately, it has Windows, with
no applications other than a browser.

I just tried booting to Ubuntu from a USB stick, but it goes directly
from blank screen to the Windows background image and a Windows login
prompt. I am never asked if I want to boot from the stick.

The stick is definitely recognized, because after logging in to the
box, I can see it, and can even see the two EFI files on it.

Is there some magic moment where I can push the right key and make it
boot from the stick? When is that moment, and which key is right?

Or, if somebody here is familiar with Windows, is there a way once
I'm logged in to say "reboot from this"?

Thanks for any help.

[Adrian Caspersz]

Post by Michael F. Stemper
Somebody loaned me a computer. Unfortunately, it has Windows, with
no applications other than a browser.

What color is it?

Do you fire it up when the screen is pointing east, or west?

[jjb]

Post by Adrian Caspersz

Post by Michael F. Stemper
Somebody loaned me a computer. Unfortunately, it has Windows, with
no applications other than a browser.

What color is it?
Do you fire it up when the screen is pointing east, or west?

To start with, you have to really shutdown windows. Normally it just
hibernates.
Secondly, in Control Panel is (under Advanced Options) the possibility
to boot into BIOS. From there you should be able to boot the USB stick.

[Michael F. Stemper]

Post by jjb

Post by Adrian Caspersz

Post by Michael F. Stemper
Somebody loaned me a computer. Unfortunately, it has Windows, with
no applications other than a browser.

What color is it?
Do you fire it up when the screen is pointing east, or west?

To start with, you have to really shutdown windows. Normally it just
hibernates.

Pulling the plug will fix that problem, right?

Post by jjb
Secondly, in Control Panel is (under Advanced Options) the possibility
to boot into BIOS. From there you should be able to boot the USB stick.

Sounded like just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, when I found
"Control Panel", the menu went from "Administrative Tools" to"AutoPlay".
I assume that this is because my identity doesn't have the Windows
equivalent of sudo privileges.

[Paul]

Post by Michael F. Stemper
Somebody loaned me a computer. Unfortunately, it has Windows, with
no applications other than a browser.
I just tried booting to Ubuntu from a USB stick, but it goes directly
from blank screen to the Windows background image and a Windows login
prompt. I am never asked if I want to boot from the stick.
The stick is definitely recognized, because after logging in to the
box, I can see it, and can even see the two EFI files on it.
Is there some magic moment where I can push the right key and make it
boot from the stick? When is that moment, and which key is right?
Or, if somebody here is familiar with Windows, is there a way once
I'm logged in to say "reboot from this"?
Thanks for any help.

In Windows 10, disable Fast Startup.

What is happening, is the machine is in a hibernate
kind of state, and hibernation recovery takes priority
over boot choice. There are state bits in the Southbridge
that track what is going on. (Removal of all power
will clear these, which is another way to try to fix it.
But it's not necessarily all that easy to do, either.
Don't waste time on trying to do it this way.)

Once Fast Startup is disabled, the machine enters normal
shutdown (S5) state and reboot gives access to BIOS
functions again (<Del> or F8 on Asus, F2 or F12 on some
other machines).

None of the following is particularly easy for a person who has
no interest in Windows 10. A power user could do these.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4189-turn-off-fast-startup-windows-10-a.html

OPTION ONE
To Turn On or Off Fast Startup in System Settings

OPTION TWO
To Turn On or Off Fast Startup using a BAT file

OPTION THREE
Enable or Disable to Require Fast Startup in Local Group Policy Editor

OPTION FOUR
Enable or Disable to Require Fast Startup using a REG file

*******

My way to do that, is right-click Start, then Run, then

powercfg /h off

and that kills two birds at once. What that does, is disable
hibernation and removes hiberfil.sys (the hiberfile). With no
space to store a warm Windows 10 kernel, Fast Startup it then thwarted.

If you want to know the OS release, it's Start : Run : then

winver

Paul

[Bobbie Sellers]

Post by Paul

Post by Michael F. Stemper
Somebody loaned me a computer. Unfortunately, it has Windows, with
no applications other than a browser.
I just tried booting to Ubuntu from a USB stick, but it goes directly
from blank screen to the Windows background image and a Windows login
prompt. I am never asked if I want to boot from the stick.
The stick is definitely recognized, because after logging in to the
box, I can see it, and can even see the two EFI files on it.
Is there some magic moment where I can push the right key and make it
boot from the stick? When is that moment, and which key is right?
Or, if somebody here is familiar with Windows, is there a way once
I'm logged in to say "reboot from this"?
Thanks for any help.

In Windows 10, disable Fast Startup.
What is happening, is the machine is in a hibernate
kind of state, and hibernation recovery takes priority
over boot choice. There are state bits in the Southbridge
that track what is going on. (Removal of all power
will clear these, which is another way to try to fix it.
But it's not necessarily all that easy to do, either.
Don't waste time on trying to do it this way.)
Once Fast Startup is disabled, the machine enters normal
shutdown (S5) state and reboot gives access to BIOS
functions again (<Del> or F8 on Asus, F2 or F12 on some
other machines).
None of the following is particularly easy for a person who has
no interest in Windows 10. A power user could do these.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4189-turn-off-fast-startup-windows-10-a.html
OPTION ONE
To Turn On or Off Fast Startup in System Settings
OPTION TWO
To Turn On or Off Fast Startup using a BAT file
OPTION THREE
Enable or Disable to Require Fast Startup in Local Group Policy Editor
OPTION FOUR
Enable or Disable to Require Fast Startup using a REG file
*******
My way to do that, is right-click Start, then Run, then
   powercfg /h off
and that kills two birds at once. What that does, is disable
hibernation and removes hiberfil.sys (the hiberfile). With no
space to store a warm Windows 10 kernel, Fast Startup it then thwarted.
If you want to know the OS release, it's Start : Run : then
   winver
     Paul

And while you are in BIOS turn off Secure Boot!
You can look around and probably find a Boot Order and
a one time Boot menu setting. These let you prioritize
whether it tries to boot from Hard Disk, DVD/CD or Flash
Drive.

bliss

[Mike Easter]

Post by Michael F. Stemper
Somebody loaned me a computer. Unfortunately, it has Windows, with
no applications other than a browser.

You didn't give us enough info for guidance; for example, we don't know
what kind (brand, model no) of computer it is nor what v. of Windows.
Those matter because it helps to guide how to get it to boot from USB.

I will assume Win10 for starters.

Start/ (type in System Information)/ Click that app/ select System Summary

Find system manufacturer and system model.

[Mike Easter]

Post by Mike Easter

Post by Michael F. Stemper
Somebody loaned me a computer. Unfortunately, it has Windows, with
no applications other than a browser.

You didn't give us enough info for guidance; for example, we don't know
what kind (brand, model no) of computer it is nor what v. of Windows.
Those matter because it helps to guide how to get it to boot from USB.
I will assume Win10 for starters.

If Win7:

Start/ type dxdiag/ click dxdiag.exe

On the page of the system tab, there are lines for system manufacturer
and for system model.

The info you get this way isn't 'perfect'.

For examples: on my Win10 Thinkpad x131e, I get Lenovo 3374A14 and on a
system I built starting from a MSI mobo I get MSI MS-7891.

I like the info I get from inxi under linux better, but that will have
to wait until you get the Ub booted :-)

[Paul]

Post by Mike Easter

Post by Mike Easter

Post by Michael F. Stemper
Somebody loaned me a computer. Unfortunately, it has Windows, with
no applications other than a browser.

You didn't give us enough info for guidance; for example, we don't
know what kind (brand, model no) of computer it is nor what v. of
Windows. Those matter because it helps to guide how to get it to boot
from USB.
I will assume Win10 for starters.

Start/ type dxdiag/ click dxdiag.exe
On the page of the system tab, there are lines for system manufacturer
and for system model.
The info you get this way isn't 'perfect'.
For examples: on my Win10 Thinkpad x131e, I get Lenovo 3374A14 and on a
system I built starting from a MSI mobo I get MSI MS-7891.
I like the info I get from inxi under linux better, but that will have
to wait until you get the Ub booted :-)

If you're held hostage, according to description,
that's all we need to know.

Winver can give some release info (similar to /etc/lsb-release in a way).

Win7 doesn't have Fast Startup (Windows kernel hibernation).

Win8 and Win10 could do it.

The problem with the "Settings Panel" GUI approach
to doing the necessary change, is at least on Windows 10,
it's a rolling release, and the panel may no longer
look like the pictures.

Whereas

powercfg /? # See the available powercfg options

powercfg /h off # disable hibernation, remove hiberfil.sys

that ensures there is no place to put a hibernated kernel,
and the "No choice for you at BIOS level" behavior will stop.

You can check the root of C: and see that the hiberfil.sys is gone.
This sort of thing. The reason for command line again, is the
stupid default settings are not conducive to forensic purpose.

dir c: # list regular items

dir /ah c: # list hidden items

dir /? # more info

Interacting at the registry level with the ACPI system
can be pretty daunting, as there are a couple hundred registry
entries that use GUIDs for identification, and it's not
a good place to learn registry stuff particularly. Even if an
alternate method isn't as good, I'd sooner do it that alternate
way, then mess with that particular section of registry.
But there is detailed control, if you have the time and
energy to look up that topic.

And as far as Microsoft goes, in design, powercfg is
an unusually useful utility for them.

Paul

[Michael F. Stemper]

Post by Mike Easter

Post by Michael F. Stemper
Somebody loaned me a computer. Unfortunately, it has Windows, with
no applications other than a browser.

You didn't give us enough info for guidance; for example, we don't know
what kind (brand, model no) of computer it is nor what v. of Windows.
Those matter because it helps to guide how to get it to boot from USB.

I did not know that.

Post by Mike Easter
I will assume Win10 for starters.

Yup.

Post by Mike Easter
Start/ (type in System Information)/ Click that app/ select System Summary
Find system manufacturer and system model.

HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-0xxx

AMD Ryzen
(There's more after Ryzen. Is that also needed?)

[Mike Easter]

Post by Michael F. Stemper
HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-0xxx

This is a series of articles which take you to the BIOS where you can
solve the problems about the type of bootup which have been described by
others here., that is, getting rid of fast start, secure boot, and I
also like legacy instead of UEFI, but that change isn't necessary for
all linux booting.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00364979 HP PCs - Configuring
the Boot Order in the System BIOS

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/bph07110 HP Desktop PCs - BIOS
Setup Utility Information and Menu Options

Then open the section on Storage menu where the boot options are.

Some BIOS give you the option to provide a boot menu with an F key on
startup.

[myname]

Post by Mike Easter

Post by Michael F. Stemper
HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-0xxx

This is a series of articles which take you to the BIOS where you can
solve the problems about the type of bootup which have been described by
others here., that is, getting rid of fast start, secure boot, and I
also like legacy instead of UEFI, but that change isn't necessary for
all linux booting.
https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00364979 HP PCs - Configuring
the Boot Order in the System BIOS
https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/bph07110 HP Desktop PCs - BIOS
Setup Utility Information and Menu Options
Then open the section on Storage menu where the boot options are.
Some BIOS give you the option to provide a boot menu with an F key on
startup.

Vote up!

[Michael F. Stemper]

Post by Mike Easter

Post by Michael F. Stemper
HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-0xxx

This is a series of articles which take you to the BIOS where you can
solve the problems about the type of bootup which have been described by
others here., that is, getting rid of fast start, secure boot, and I
also like legacy instead of UEFI, but that change isn't necessary for
all linux booting.
https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00364979  HP PCs - Configuring
the Boot Order in the System BIOS

Well, it took some poking and prodding, but I eventually got to the
orange-brown screen. I just hope that I remember to undo the changes to
boot order before I return it.

Thanks for your help.