How to Disable Secure Boot in HP Tower Workstation?

Summary: Secure Boot is a feature in HP workstations that ensures that the computer only boots from software that is trusted by the manufacturer. However, sometimes you might need to disable secure boot in HP server. This blog will guide you through the process to disable secure boot in HP tower workstation, for instance, when you wish to wipe data using BitRaser Drive Eraser.

Imagine you want to install a Linux operating system on your HP workstation. That’s a perfectly normal requirement. However, when you’ll try it, you’ll most probably fail.

Why?

Because when you try to install the operating system, you find that it will not boot.

And why is that so?

Well, there is nothing wrong with your system. Or Linux! It is just that the Linux operating system is not digitally signed by Microsoft.

So?

Your HP workstation has secure boot enabled by default. And that prevents it from booting with software that is not trusted by the manufacturers (in your case, HP).

The solution?

Disable secure boot in order to install and use Linux on your HP workstation.

• Is it safe?
• What is Secure Boot in the first place?
• And how can you disable Secure Boot in the HP tower workstation?
• Do you need to enable Secure Boot later on or you can keep it disabled?
• If it needs to be enabled, what’s the process for doing that?

Find answers to all these questions and more in this blog right here.

This blog will walk you through the following:

• What is Secure Boot?
• Disable Secure Boot in HP Tower Workstation
• Disable Secure Boot in HP Server
• FAQs

What is Secure Boot?

Secure Boot only allows operating systems and software that are digitally signed to boot on the computer.

Simply speaking, it is a standard security feature found on modern computers, including HP workstations. It is designed to ensure that only digitally signed operating systems and software can boot on the computer.

The main aim of Secure Boot is to prevent malware and other malicious software from loading during the boot process. Secure Boot was introduced with Windows 8 and comes automatically enabled in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Disabling Secure Boot in HP Server – What, Why, and How?

The Secure Boot feature is designed to keep your PC safe. And it might sound foolhardy to want to disable it. But there are a few scenarios where you might need to disable secure boot in the HP workstation.

For instance,

• If you want to install an operating system that is not digitally signed by Microsoft or,
• If you want to use legacy hardware that does not have UEFI-compatible firmware.
• If you want to bypass Secure Boot’s blocking of software you trust (software that can potentially overwrite your data, format a partition, replace the OS, or make major changes to the OS)

Note: BitRaser Drive Eraser requires Secure Boot to be turned off. Keep reading to learn how to do it.

The steps to disable Secure Boot in HP Tower Workstation are explained below.

How to disable Secure Boot in HP Tower Workstation?

Step 1 – Turn off your server.

Step 2 – While turning on the workstation press the Esc” key repeatedly until the Startup Menu opens.

Step 3 – Select “BIOS Setup (F10)” and press enter.

Step 4 – Select the “Advanced” tab, then select “Secure Boot Configuration”.

Step 5 – Click the “Configure Legacy Support and Secure Boot” drop-down menu.

Step 6 – Select “Legacy Support Enable and Secure Boot Disable” to disable it.

Step 7 – Select the “Main” tab, and select “Save Changes and Exit”.

Step 8 – Click “Yes”. An option to enter a PIN will appear.

Step 9 – Enter the PIN and press enter.

Step 10 – Turn off the computer.

Re-enabling Secure Boot

Once you have performed the specific tasks that required disabling Secure Boot, you should enable it back again. Now to boot the device with the required software/operating system, follow the steps below:

Step 1 – Turn on the workstation and press the “esc” key repeatedly until the Startup Menu opens.

Step 2 – Select “BIOS Setup (F10)” and press enter.

Step 3 – Select the “Advanced” tab, then select “Boot Options”.

Step 4 – Under “Legacy Boot Order”, select a boot device, then press enter.

Step 5 – Select the “Main” tab, select “Save Changes and Exit”, and then click “Yes” to confirm. The computer will start from the bootable device you selected.

Step 6 – Select “Legacy Support Disable and Secure Boot Enable” to enable Secure Boot.

Step 7 – Select the “Main” tab, select “Save Changes and Exit”

Step 8 – Click “Yes” to confirm the change.

With that, you have now the Secure Boot enabled on your HP device.

FAQs

1. Does disabling Secure Boot in HP Tower Workstation affect the overall security of the system?

Disabling a secure boot in an HP tower workstation does not significantly impact the overall security of your system.

However, note that it may slightly increase the risk of malware or other malicious software being able to load during the boot process. Thus, it is important that you should re-enable Secure Boot in your HP device later on once the task that required disabling it has been completed.

2. Is it possible to re-enable secure boot on my HP workstation after disabling it once?  

Yes, it is possible to re-enable secure boot on your HP workstation after you have disabled it. The steps to enable Secure Boot have been explained in this section.

Note: Remember that you should only disable secure boot if it is absolutely necessary for the specific task you are trying to perform.

3. Can I still use my computer normally after disabling secure boot?

Yes. Your computer will function and can be used normally after disabling the secure boot. The only difference is that you will be able to load and use operating systems or software that are not digitally signed by Microsoft.

4. What should I do if I encounter any issues after disabling secure boot on my HP workstation?

If (in the rare circumstance) that you encounter issues after you disable secure boot in HP workstation start by trying to re-enable secure boot.

If that does not solve your problem, you might need to troubleshoot the issue.

Assistance from a professional might be required in that case.