My Pavilion PC won't let me re-install Windows from 3FO error message screen

[dailingual]

System Recovery won't work, did try it but it failed. Now I can't use that, I have been advised by retailer (John Lewis tech team) to reinstall Windows (that currently won't start) from a USB stick by changing the boot order. However, the PC stick I've loaded Windows onto is still not being recognised by the desktop PC so at the moment can't do anything more than access the usual menus by pressing esc, F2, F10.  How do I get from this situation to being able to reload Windows from the data stick? thanks

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Assuming you have already run the hard drive diagnostics test (F2) and it passed...

See if this works:

Go into the BIOS (F10) and disable secure boot.

Then with the W10 installation flash drive in the PC turn it on or restart it.

Press the ESC key to get the menu of options.

Select the F9 boot options menu and from that select the (U)EFI USB flash drive and press the Enter key.

The PC should boot from the flash drive.

Also, your PC is supported by the HP cloud recovery tool.

You can use the HP cloud recovery tool on another PC running W7 64 bit or newer (if your notebook is not working) and a 32 GB USB flash drive to create a bootable USB recovery drive that will reinstall W10, the drivers and the software that originally came with your notebook.

Here is an info link for how to use the utility.

HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool (Windows 10, 7) | HP® Customer Support

After you get W10 reinstalled by either method, you can go into the BIOS and enable Secure Boot again.

[dailingual]

thanks for this, however it looks like my Pavilion Desktop PC is freezing at the UEFI Boot Sources page and am unable to select that as an option - the cursor keys are able to get to it, but doesn't "return" properly...

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

You're very welcome.

With Secure boot disabled, try enabling Legacy mode in the BIOS (F10), and see if you get two sets of boot options when you go back to the F9 boot options menu.

UEFI and Legacy.

Try the UEFI USB flash drive option first and if it just won't work, I guess you will have to select the Legacy USB flash drive and install Windows that way.

The problem is if you install Windows in Legacy mode you will not be able to reenable Secure Boot again.

That only works if you can install Windows from a UEFI boot source.

[dailingual]

am back in the game! 

Many thanks for the help, am typing from the pesky desktop now.

I think it may have been because I was only trying to load the 32 bit version, not 64 bit, may be an amateurish error but there was nothing on the PC itself to say which was better.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Glad to have been of assistance.