Windows 7 Reinstall

[Patsyanne11]

I have a unique issue.  I purchased my HP from a private party with Windows 10 installed. About 2 months ago (I am assuming because of a Windows upgrade attempt), my Windows 10 became "deactivated". Windows still runs, but personalizing and other options are no longer functioning.  There is a constant "gray" message on my desktop that says"Activate Windows; Go to Settings to activate Windows." I tried that.  Turns out the Windows 10 license is an enterprise license and needs Administrator availability to activate.  However, the PC does have a Microsoft Windows product key on the sticker.  Windows 7 Home Pro, which I assume was originally installed at point of sale.  I am also guessing this computer was used at work and he simply used the Enterprise License to upgrade his personal computer.  I called Microsoft and although they tried for an hour to help me remotely, they were unable to do so.  They couldn't even figure out how Windows 10 became deactivated.  They suggested I call HP for help in getting the original Windows 7 reinstalled.  I certainly don't want to spend $$ to buy another copy of Windows. Any help would be appreciated.

[WAWood · Accepted solution]

@Patsyanne11

Hello;

Allow me to welcome you to the HP forums!

Technically, it's not "legal" to install an Enterprise version of Win10 on a personal device unless that is done as part of a Home Use Program sponsored by the company that has the actual Enterprise license.  So, that basically means that it is not "legal" for you to be using that version -- presuming you are not part of that Program.

The person who sold you that PC should have known that and should have been decent enough to restore the original HP OEM version of Win7 on it.  But clearly, they did not do that.

What you need, in order to restore the original setup, is something known as HP Recovery Media.

HP Recovery Media is a set of DVDs and a CD, or USB stick, that will erase the hard drive (removing all data, settings, and applications, reinstall the original OS, drivers, and some HP Utilities. In some cases, you may be able to order a USB stick instead of disks. You have to order these from HP; they can not be downloaded.

You can look online for Recovery Media starting with the linked paged: http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers

Once there, input your Product name or number. On your Software and Drivers Download page, select your Operating System and and Version. Click "Update". If HP Recovery Media is available for your machine, down near the bottom of the page, you will see an entry for Order Recovery Media-CD/DVD/USB. Click the "+" symbol to expand that entry and click on Order Media for details.

Or, if you prefer, you can do the same by contacting HP Customer Service:

If you live in the US or Canada, contact information is on this page: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/phone-assist.html#section1

If you live elsewhere, contact information is on this page: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/ww-contact-us.html

NOTE: After you get through, stay on the line until you are finally able to talk to some one -- it can take a while!

If you have trouble finding a phone number, then try: 1 (800) 474-6836
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However, HP Customer Support is generally not available on the weekends, so you might have to wait until Monday to contact them.
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If HP no longer provides Recovery Media for your model, a couple of other sites you can check are: http://www.computersurgeons.com/ and http://www.restoredisks.com/

Good Luck

[Patsyanne11]

Thank you for responding.  I do know it is technically "illegal" to use Windows 10 that was part of an Enterprise license - that's why I am trying to get my computer to it's original state.  Seems this is not easy.  I will contact support about Recovery Media, but I certainly don't want to spend $$ on a computer I already spent $$ on.  Microsoft wanted me to buy a new Windows 10 disk.  Again $$$$.   Thanks again.

[daveopar]

Did you ever find a solution. I'm in the same boat sort of. Are you able to make a media recovery part from your pc rather than buying one?

[Patsyanne11]

I was able to purchase the media recovery disk(s) from HP for about $50.00.  I now have Windows 7 again, but I had to make sure all my data was backed up on an exterior storage device.  The recovery disk is like a hard format of your hard drive.  It's a pain in the butt and takes some time, but now I have a fully functioning Windows OS that I can upgrade to 10 later.

[daveopar]

Darn, you still had to pay $ for it. Alright well I'm still looking for work arounds but struggling haha.