Locked into safe mode

[BillyFalcon]

I am locked out of my computer, I had to do a factory reset, and now I’m locked into safe mode and can’t finish. Can someone please help. It says I need an admin password which I do not have

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I can't help you with that issue, but if you want to clean install W10, you can do so as follows...

To reinstall W10...Use the Media Creation Tool.  Make the 64 bit installation media.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

You can make a W10 USB flash drive installer using an 8 GB flash drive using another Windows PC, since your PC is not working.

If you are asked to enter a product key during the installation process, select the 'I don't have a product key' option,' and W10 will install and will automatically activate once you are connected to the internet.

Here are the steps to create the W10 USB flash drive installer...

1. Select Download tool now, and select Run.
2. If you agree to the license terms, select Accept.
3. On the What do you want to do? page, select Create installation media for another PC, and then select Next.

4. Select the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) for Windows 10. You want 64 bit.

5. Select which media you want to use:
6. USB flash drive.  Plug in a blank USB flash drive with at least 8GB of space. Any content on the flash drive will be deleted.

Then you can install the drivers and available software from the PC's support page.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/HP-Pavilion-20-All-in-One-Desktop-PC-series/5395624...

If you don't want W10 and you want to clean install W8.1, you can do that too...

Install W8.1 by creating the Microsoft installation media, using another Windows PC, since yours is not working...You want W8.1 64 bit. 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8ISO

Only if you are asked to enter a product key during the installation process, use this generic key.

This is the generic key for W8.1 'standard.'

 334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT

If you had to enter the generic key, manually change the generic product key to the W8 'standard' key in your PC's BIOS in the PC settings menu.

After you get W8.1 installed, and you had to manually enter the generic product key, you will need to run the free utility I zipped up and attached below, that will show you show the W8 product key in your PC's BIOS.

I have also zipped up and attached below, the Microsoft tool which hopefully will transfer the ISO file to a DVD or usb flash drive so it is bootable.

Then you can install the available drivers and software from your PC's support page.

[BillyFalcon]

Still not working since I don’t have an “admin” password to get off safe mode

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You have to use another Windows PC to make the installation media.

Then you boot from the media and you do not even need to be in Windows on your PC, and no P/W would be required to clean install W10 or W8.1.

[BillyFalcon]

So if I put it on the flash drive how does the computer load it up?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Put the flash drive in the USB port.

Turn on the PC, tap the ESC key at the beginning of the HP welcome screen, to get the menu of options.

Select the F9 boot options menu, and from that, select the USB flash drive and press the Enter key.

[BillyFalcon]

This is the options it’s giving me 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Go into the BIOS, enable legacy mode and disable Secure Boot.

See this link for the way to do this.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03659945

Then the flash drive should show up under the legacy boot sources section in your screen shot.

[BillyFalcon]

Thank you for the help so far, I keep getting the same error I will try again tomorrow

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Sorry I wasn't able to help you get Windows reinstalled.

I have no idea why you would be getting any kind of Windows admin error when booting from the installation media.