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jenniferb245's avatar
jenniferb245
Copper Contributor
Aug 20, 2026

Windows 11 USB boot issue

So I have a computer that I had to restart in the sense of redownloading windows 11 to it with a USB. I've done it several times and have never had an issue. It's on a HP laptop. I downloaded windows...
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device management
Jamony's avatar
Jamony
MCT
Aug 21, 2026

Because Windows Setup started and you deleted the partitions before the failure, first determine whether “boot failed” now refers to the USB or the newly installed disk. Recreate the installer with Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool on another 8 GB USB drive. In firmware, use UEFI mode and select the UEFI entry for that USB. Start Setup, delete partitions only after confirming your backup, and install to the resulting unallocated space. When Setup performs its first restart, remove the USB or select Windows Boot Manager; booting the USB again can restart installation or produce errors. If the USB itself fails before Setup appears, try another USB port and drive, then recreate the media. If Setup fails again, do not wipe everything. From recovery Command Prompt, copy Setuperr.log and Setupact.log from the Panther folder; Microsoft recommends reviewing Setuperr first, then Setupact, because those logs identify the failed setup phase or driver.