HP makes makes a little utility that will format and make a USB Flash drive bootable. Note you have to reformat the flash drive first. You can move the files off the flash drive, reformat, run the utility then move the files back.
The Machine has to be capable of booting from a USB port (look at the boot order in the BIOS) and the USB has to be ahead of the hard drive in the boot order. If the flash drive is connected when booted, it will boot from the USB drive, if not, it does a normal boot.
http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=197
Answered Sep 24, 2011
Edited Sep 24, 2011