restoring HP recovery

[Mbzou]

Hello, 

I recently purchased a Prodesk 400 G4,  with Win 10 pro installed on it , 

since I still prefer Win 7, I asked a friend to Install Win 7,   Now faced the issue that Microsoft stopped security and some other Win updates for newer processor , I would like to go wo Win 10 again  , and prefer restorin the recovery image which came with the computer , please note the following , 

The Win 7 was installed on an additional SSD that I added to the PC, 

I have a fresh Win7 without HP recovery software or utility, 

I still have recover drive of 450MB but cannot access it from Windows , 

So I woul like to restore the original Win10 with all driver as came from HP, to the SSD, 

Thanks in advance ,. 

[mdklassen]

> Now faced the issue that Microsoft stopped security and some other Win updates for newer processor ,

Microsoft will terminate all support for Windows 7 after January 2020 -- just over 2 years away.

Microsoft terminated all support for Windows Vista in April 2017 -- a few months ago.

See: https://support.hp.com/gb-en/product/hp-prodesk-400-g4-microtower-pc/15292287/document/c05338054/

which states:

"HP does not support or provide drivers for Windows 8 or Windows 7 on products configured with Intel or AMD 7th generation and forward processors".

Such products were manufactured by HP in 2016 and this year, and beyond.

>  The Win 7 was installed on an additional SSD that I added to the PC, 

What happened to the original SSD?  Is it still "untouched", i.e., does it still contain Windows 10 ?

What happens if you remove the additional SSD, and try to boot your computer?

> I would like to restore the original Win10 with all driver as came from HP, to the SSD, 

See: https://support.hp.com/gb-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-prodesk-400-g4-microtower-pc/15292287

for:

Software-Restore CD

Cloud Recovery Client
 1.0.10

Rev.1

3.4 MB

Oct 31, 2017

i.e., you can download the original Windows 10 software from the "cloud", and then install it,

If you launch this program on a non-HP computer, then to start the download, you will need the serial-number of your HP computer -- take it from the decal on the HP system.

See: https://support.hp.com/gb-en/drivers/selfservice/swdetails/hp-prodesk-400-g4-microtower-pc/15292287/...

It creates a bootable system on a USB memory-stick with a capacity of at least 16 GB.

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[Mbzou]

Thank you for your reply : 

I am getting this message everytime I try to update:

Your PC uses a processor that is designed for the latest version of Windows. Because the processor is not supported together with the Windows version that you are currently using, your system will miss the important security updates.

>What happened to the original SSD?  Is it still "untouched", i.e., does it still contain Windows 10 ?

It was installed on a 2TB hard drive that was formated ,  so now I have the SSD with Win 7, and an empty 2TB hard drive for data.

>What happens if you remove the additional SSD, and try to boot your computer?

Did not ry that , since I want SSD to host the Win10.

I have an original Win10 DVD,  I beleive activation will be automated as PC came with Win 10....

I wonder if the 450MB recover drive has recovery files, if yes how can I recover from It , 

?

[mdklassen]

>>  See: https://support.hp.com/gb-en/product/hp-prodesk-400-g4-microtower-pc/15292287/document/c05338054/

>> which states:

>> "HP does not support or provide drivers for Windows 8 or Windows 7 on products configured with Intel or AMD 7th generation and forward processors".

>>  Such products were manufactured by HP in 2016 and this year, and beyond.

The above addresses your quote:

> Your PC uses a processor that is designed for the latest version of Windows. Because the processor is not supported

> together with the Windows version that you are currently using, your system will miss the important security updates.

>> What happened to the original SSD?  Is it still "untouched", i.e., does it still contain Windows 10 ?

> It was installed on a 2TB hard drive that was formated , 

By "it", I presume that you mean the original Windows 10 installation.  Correct?

> so now I have the SSD with Win 7, and an empty 2TB hard drive for data.

OK. I understand that the original Windows 10 was installed on a 2 TB disk-drive, and that you have "formatted" that drive, thus deleting everything, includng Windows 10, that was resident on the disk-drive.

But, just a minute ...

To be used by Windows 10, that 2TB was "partitioned" into 4 partitions:

* hidden "Windows boot-loader",

* 'C:',

* hidden "System Recovery",

* hidden "HP Hardware Diagnostics",

When you "formatted", did you delete all 4 partitions, and create one new partition that "spans" the entire disk-drive, or did you just "format" only the 'C:' partition ???

That 'C:' partition is probably 90% to 95% of the size of the entire disk-drive -- you may not notice that it is "slightly smaller" than the whole disk-drive.

>>> What happens if you remove the additional SSD, and try to boot your computer?

> Did not try that, since I want SSD to host the Win10.

Experiment: disconnect the SSD, and give it a try - boot from the 2TB disk-drive.

If that "boot-loader" partition and the "System Recovery" partition are intact, then you have something to work with.

You can use "disk-cloning" software, to copy all 4 partitions onto the SSD.

The "trick" here is that this software can "resize" the partitions, as it copies, if you choose "manual" cloning.

Tell the cloning software to keep the "boot-loader" partition at its current size (probably under 1GB).

Tell the cloning software to keep the "HP Utilities" partition at its current size (probably under 10 GB),

Tell the cloning software to keep the "System Recovery" partition at its current size (probably under 20 GB),

Tell the cloning software to size the (empty) partition to fill all the remaining space on the SSD (probably 90 GB out of the 120 GB available on the SSD).

Disconnect the 2TB disk-drive.

Boot from the "boot-loader" partition, and tell it to continue to boot from the "System Recovery" partition, and direct it to install on that "remaining space" partition (that 90 GB area).

Good luck.

[Mbzou]

How about installing Win 10, on the SSD  from the WIn DVD, and downloading drivers fromm HP website ?!

will I face anny issue by doing that  interms of booting ?

[CF4]

---

@Mbzou wrote:

Hello, 

I recently purchased a Prodesk 400 G4,  with Win 10 pro installed on it , 

since I still prefer Win 7, I asked a friend to Install Win 7,   Now faced the issue that Microsoft stopped security and some other Win updates for newer processor , I would like to go wo Win 10 again  , and prefer restorin the recovery image which came with the computer , please note the following , 

The Win 7 was installed on an additional SSD that I added to the PC, 

I have a fresh Win7 without HP recovery software or utility, 

I still have recover drive of 450MB but cannot access it from Windows , 

So I woul like to restore the original Win10 with all driver as came from HP, to the SSD, 

Thanks in advance ,. 

---

Hi

To distill that down...

You have a PC with 2 HDD's, original and SSD?  YES/NO

The original has been formatted or changed?  Y/N

If you remove the SSD does the PC boot at all? Y/N

The recovery partition may be accessed via ESC key and then F11 (I think) at power up time.

If in doubt please ask.

[mdklassen · Accepted solution]

>  How about installing Win 10, on the SSD  from the WIn DVD, and downloading drivers from HP website ?!

Yes, if you have the "Win DVD", then you may use it -- do not need to download Windows 10 via that "cloud recovery" method.

Yes, if Windows Update does not automatically download/install some device-drivers, then use the HP website.

> Will I face any issue by doing that,  in terms of booting ?

No.  You have suggested the recommended path -- install from DVD, allow Windows Update to work, use HP website.

[Mbzou]

Looks like the old HDD was swiped including boot , ( I did not know since It was formated by our tech guy at the comoany)

I installed Win 10 from the DVD, 

now all ok ,