Cannot get my HP Probook 470 G4 to factory reset or system restore

[DGeekMeister]

Following a Win 10 Pro update earlier this week (which Win 10 did all by itself) my HP Probook 470 G4 had been suffering the blue screen of death at least once a day, which caused it to either restart or just freeze which meant I had to restart it.

Yesterday I spoke to HP Support who recommended I reinstall Win 10 Pro again.

I have tried to reinstall Win 10 Pro again using the system recovery tools and a USB flash drive I made when I first got the laptop.

The laptop won't restore itself to it's original factory state, neither will it system restore.

I keep getting an error message "0xc0000001" (I think).

I have tried many times to system restore or factory reset and it will not do so. It just keeps going round and round back to the Recòvery Manager.

I have run diagnostic tests and as far as I can tell there is nothing wrong with the hard disc or the cpu.

Any ideas how I can get out of this virtual seventh circle of Hell and restore my laptop back to working order would be very welcome.

Thank you.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Since none of the recovery options you used are working, there is one other thing you can do to get your notebook operational again.

Clean install W10.

Since your notebook is having issues with version 2004, I am going to give you a link that will be good for 24 hours to the previous version of W10 (v1909).

https://software-download.microsoft.com/pr/Win10_1909_EnglishInternational_x64.iso?t=0aa5c55d-fc53-4...

You do not need to know the product key as the W10 Pro product key is in your notebook's BIOS and Windows will detect it, install and activate.

Use the Microsoft tool that I zipped up and attached below to transfer the ISO file to a DVD or USB flash drive so that it is bootable.

After W10 has completed installing, you can install the drivers and available software from your PC's support page.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-probook-470-g4-notebook-pc/10477368

I can give you links to older versions of W10, but try that one first.

I don't know what version of W10 your PC originally shipped with.

[DGeekMeister]

Thanks Paul

I will try what you suggest and let you know.

My laptop had Windows 10 Professional Edition installed on it

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

The file will automatically install W10 Pro for you.

[DGeekMeister]

Hello Paul

I have transferred the file you sent me to a USB drive.

I put the USB in my Probook and it started to install fine. But then I got a message saying it couldn't continue because an install.swm file was missing.

It then gives me the option to repair my laptop, but there are so many options that follow this, I have no idea.

There are about 45 install.swm files on the original recovery USB that I made when I first got the HP Probook. If I copy those to the USB that I transferred the software you sent me, might that solve the problem?

I hope the above makes sense.

Many thanks for your help with this.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I doubt that will work because you won't be able to inject those drivers into the flash drive.

See if this works...make a bootable USB flash drive using the free Rufus utility instead of the tool I attached earlier today.

https://rufus.ie/

It is possible the ISO file transfer didn't go well.

If that doesn't work either, download the file again.  Maybe it was incomplete.

That has happened to me before when I download ISO files from Microsoft.

[DGeekMeister]

Thank you very much indeed Paul. The bootable USB worked.

I am heartily sick of MSoft pushing out updates to their operating system which render my computer unusable. When is government or a regulator going to stop them doing this?

Many thanks once again for your help

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Glad to have been of assistance.