Many problems trying to upgrade z440 to Windows 10 from Windows 7 Pro

[cellsee6]

I have a z440 workstation running Windows 7 Pro. I have tried several times to follow the instructions in

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04740515

I have downloaded the iso file and unpacked it to a flash drive. I boot from the flash drive. The Windows 10 installation process examined my C (shows as drive 0) drive and stated it had the wrong partition type. I used the features in the Media tool to delete the partitions and create new partitions and then format the drive. After formatting, drive 0 disappeared. I don’t know why.

Question:

- Where can I purchase an HP Windows 10 installation media which would install onto my z440?

Thank you for your help.

[savvy2]

use the MS,  usb w10 install builder do not download the ISO the do that all wrong, that.

the correct steps are

1 test the old HDD for smart failures first.  No OS on earth loads to a bad or weak HDD, ever.

2: use the MS stick builder only.

3: then erase the old HDD, vast ways ask.

4: install w10;.

windows 10 installer does not install to any hdd with any kind if alien format (disk 0 not there) this is to not let you  wreck data on those say Linux or Apple formatted disks. and are not supported at all.

any of 100 alien formats are show the disks is missing. by DESIGN.

w7 is not problem  if HDD is not encrypted, or locked as a secure disk.

Id upgrade any hdd boot to SSD ,  old HDD are not fun ever, they fail, and at the wrong moments.... avoid HDD boots.

here is the cure.

boot linux demo desk, on usb stick and find disktest. run that if it bleeds red ink it is a bad hdd, all in 1minutes work.

Ubuntu failing here,  hdd is NO GOOD. end story.

lets say disktest passes and some old HDD has this wild corrupted or alien format, (happens)

we then erased any HDD that is passed smart test.

using this free app and drive plugged in any GOOD PC

• recap,
• test the hdd.
• erase the HDD
• install w10 easy.

backwards is endless cycle of failure.  or get  SSD new, and end this HDD rust pain.

it now installs W10 with zero problems.

[DGroves]

make sure only the drive you wish to boot from (disconnect all others) is in SATA port 0 or 1

reset the bios to factory defaults

if the drive was previously used, remove existing partitions during the initial windows setup, then allow windows installer to create new partitions (do not manually create any)

if no install drive is shown, check data/power to drive reboot and if still no drive shown for os install visit the HP website and download the Intel RSTe driver for OS install use, then during setup, use the (add driver  button to load RSTe driver)

a much easier method is to simply visit the "HP Cloud Recovery" website for workstations and download the win 10 restore ISO which includes the drivers (do not get the plain ISO without drivers) create a install key/disk and install

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c05115630

[SDH]

Just created the HP cloud recovery USB drive last evening for a Z440 project.  There may be some benefit to you updating BIOS from within BIOS to the latest, just recently released, first.

If you are not going to create the USB drive on your Z440 you need to note down the serial number of your workstation because the process will not allow you to proceed without that.  If you're loading the build onto the USB drive while it is in your Z440 the process will detect its serial number automatically.  And, your download will not work if your motherboard's serial number is not "branded" for Windows installs.  You can see if yours is a Windows-branded box by seeing if there is a Windows decal on the rear of the workstation.  If you happen to have any Windows-branded Z440 serial number that will work if you download onto another computer.

HP now states you need a 32GB thumb drive but my load worked fine on a 30GB USB stick I had.  An older cloud recovery tool said 16GB but things have gotten larger.

I'm not to the point in my project to see if that cloud recovery installer will work on my Z440.  Mine has a Linux-branded motherboard and yet I have already upgraded it from a spare single-use W7 HP installer license build to W10.  So, it is registered with the MS W10 license servers.  I just don't know yet whether the licensing protection built into this HP cloud recovery installer will let the install proceed and then check in with the MS W10 activation servers to allow the new HP install to then work.

I'll let you know...

[SDH]

Your opening statement:  "I have downloaded the iso file and unpacked it to a flash drive" is not a description of the HP Cloud Recovery Client/Cloud Recovery Tool process.  I'll shortly update this thread with a few PDFs that give you links and the latest HP instructions.  In short, you download the latest Cloud Recovery Client, install that on your current Z440 (or on another computer) and then run it.  If you are running it on your Z440 it will detect that and the serial number of your workstation, and automatically check if your serial number is licensed to use Windows 10 Pro 64-bit.  If you are running that "Client" software on another computer all you have to do is check a box and enter your Z440's serial number on the same page.  Or, you can enter another Windows "branded" Z440's valid serial number.

You plug in a USB drive that is at least 30GB big, and do a couple more small steps, and then the process formats that USB properly and then creates you a HP W10Pro64 bootable USB drive that you can install from.

My project Z440 has a Linux "branded" motherboard.  The process did allow me to use the installer but it was a bit kludgy, and did not automatically place on the included HP drivers.  I'm guessing that was because it was not a Windows "branded" motherboard.  It loads W10 version 1809 from the USB.  That allows update to 1909, but that would not update to 20H2.  Once I figured out how to launch the included HP drivers from the USB thereafter it would allow update to 20H2.

Remember that this Z440 had been W10Pro64 updated from a W7Pro64 install years earlier, and so its UUID was registered on the Microsoft W10 registration servers.  That is probably why my first attempt worked at all.

[SDH]

Well, final opinion:  This method is way too fiddly and time consuming.  The best way to do a Z440 clean install is to simply do a licensed W7Pro64-to-W10Pro64 upgrade.  Then because the box has had its W10Pro64 licensed status locked into the Microsoft W10 servers via its motherboard's UUID it will thereafter be able to do clean W10Pro64 clean installs from the latest Microsoft thumb drive W10 installer creator program.

MS and HP work together closely.  By now almost all of the bugs have been worked out between the two so that the latest MS install will included all of the latest HP best drivers for a Z440.  Just get it W10Pro64 registered, and then do a straight 20H2 install.

I do a few special things thereafter, such as turning off the horrible W10 Fast Startup, but it is pretty much personal preference from that point on.

The tricky stuff has to do with Z440 BIOS settings... it is very much more complex than the ZX20 generation BIOS.