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I have a Windows 10 HP laptop. I want to access the files on the hard drive without actually booting the OS. Now the most common answer to this I have seen is booting from a Live CD or USB.
However, my problem with using a Live CD is, in order to configure my computer BIOS to boot from external media, I actually have to boot into the pre-installed OS in the first place! Which is exactly what I am trying to avoid at this point.
Someone suggested pulling out the hard drive and connecting it to another computer via a USB to SATA adapter, but another person told me that wouldn't work because by connecting the hard disk to another laptop, I was essentially booting up the hard disk. Is this true though? I definitely don't want to boot up any of my OS components in any way, so I need to understand if running a Live CD and connecting the disk to another machine actually serves the same purpose.
Will appreciate if someone explained this a little in detail.
1"Another person told me that wouldn't work because by connecting the hard disk to another laptop, I was essentially booting up the hard disk. Is this true though?" => NO., your HDD will be considered as a removable media. – Soufiane Tahiri – 2018-12-19T13:43:24.597
1I have never had to boot to the OS to gain access to the BIOS. You also need to verify this claim. – schroeder – 2018-12-19T13:48:21.263
Hello @schroeder I actually tried to access the BIOS settings on my computer during startup before when I was still okay with booting it. Followed internet instructions specific to Windows 10, pressed F1, F2 etc keys but it would always still load up. The only way I could do it was after the computer had started, I could press restart holding shift key and then next time it booted I would get advanced options from where I could change settings. I think my computer uses newer UEFI firmware that's why maybe? In that case, is it still possible to access the UEFI settings without booting to OS? – None – 2018-12-19T14:01:15.017
Thank you for your response @Soufiane Tahiri That makes it easier for me. – None – 2018-12-19T14:03:48.670
1My Internet says to use F10 for HP laptops ... Anyway, what you can do is to simply pull the drive, then you can try out different options without the OS being booted up. – schroeder – 2018-12-19T14:22:27.340
" in order to configure my computer BIOS to boot from external media, I actually have to boot into the pre-installed OS in the first place" - oh, no, you don't – Mawg says reinstate Monica – 2018-12-19T15:27:32.427
"another person told me that wouldn't work because by connecting the hard disk to another laptop, I was essentially booting up the hard disk" - stop listening to that person; you do not "boot" a hard drive - you boot an operating system. – Mawg says reinstate Monica – 2018-12-19T15:28:40.690