Erased Windows 10 and now cannot reinstall

[BrianHarr]

Hi all

This is a long shot...

I have an old HP ProDesk 400 GI SFF Product No: F4R03ES#ABU Model 18E9

It has both a Windows 8 pro and a Windows 10 sticker but no numbers to ID version

I was installing a 2nd sdd drive to increase speed but somehow - I'm not a tech - erased Windows

I have installed Linux Mint 22 to allow me to use the system but now need to reinstall windows for work and study purposes.

How would I go about this when i have no DVD, paperwork or Microsoft product numbers. I do have HP serial No for machine though

Thanks

Brian

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, Brian:

The long shot would be to try this:

If the PC was previously running W10, Microsoft has a record of that.

Make a bootable USB installation flash drive with the W10 Media creation tool from the link below.

Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com)

You will need another PC running Windows to do this.

Make the 64-Bit installation media.  

Boot from the installation media and when you are asked what version of W10 you want to install, select W10 Pro.

Then you will be asked to enter a product key.

Select the 'I don't have a product key' option and W10 should install and if the PC had previously been running W10 Pro, it will be activated after you are connected to the internet.

The Windows 8 product key is encrypted in your PC's BIOS which is why there are not product key stickers on the case.

[BrianHarr]

Hi Paul

Many thanks

Unfortunately, i don't have another Windows machine, only Linux Mint 22 on desktop and Android on phone and tablet

The file won't d/l to Linux. It shows as an unconfirmed download and type: archive with 0 bytes

Any ideas?

Regards

Brian

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Brian.

The only suggestion I can offer is to ask a relative, friend or neighbor if they would create the bootable W10 installation flash drive for you. 

An 8 GB USB flash drive is needed to create the installation media. 

[BrianHarr]

Thanks Paul

Could i use a virtual machine on Linux and use that?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome. 

I don't know a thing about Linux. 

If you can install W10 in a virtual machine, that might work to create the installation media. 

[BrianHarr]

Thanks Paul

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.