Windows recovery stuck and keeps looping

[sofnet2000]

Hi all,

I tried recovering my HP laptop, after running recovery it got stuck and come up with recovery failed after few retry, I got it to get to dark blue screen with administrator and welcome message, then it restarts to light blue screen running Wpeinit and then powercfg and then Diskpart at which it restarts again and goes back on an endless loop of welcome screen with administrator screen restarting to Diskpart.

Any ideas please?

Thanks

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

What is the full model number or product number of your notebook?

How to Find Your HP Laptop Model Number (Video) | HP® Tech Takes

[sofnet2000]

hello

Hp laptop 321C5EA

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You can use the HP cloud recovery tool to create a bootable USB recovery drive that will reinstall Windows, the drivers and the software that originally came with your PC.

Here is an info link for how to use the utility.  You will need a 32 GB USB flash drive to create the recovery media with.

HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool in Windows 11 and 10 | HP® Customer Support

You can download the software from the Microsoft Store.

HP Cloud Recovery Tool - Microsoft Store Apps

Since you have to use the utility on another PC, you will need to enter your notebook's product number in the tool's search window in order to proceed to make the recovery media. 

Your PC's product number is: 321C5EA#ABU

If that fails to work either, you can make a plain W10 installation flash drive with the Media creation tool from the link below.

Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com)

After W10 has completed installing you can install the drivers and available software from your notebook's support page.

HP Laptop PC 15s-fq2000 Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Support

You will most likely have to install the Intel rapid storage controller drivers if you get to the screen that asks 'where do you want to install Windows,' and it can't find any drives.

I have zipped up and attached below, the Intel storage controller drivers that I hope work for Windows to find the hard drive.

Copy the 5 files from the F6/VMD/f6vmdflpy-x64 folder to a USB flash drive.

iastorvd.cat

iastorvd.inf

iastorvd.sys

rstmweventlogmsg.dll

rstmwservice.exe

Have the flash drive and your W10 installation media plugged into USB ports.

Boot from the W10 installation flash drive.

When you get to the screen where no drives can be found, click on the Load driver option, browse to the flash drive with the storage controller drivers on it.

If you check the box, it will only include the compatible driver.

Click Next and if those are the right drivers W10 should find the drive and install.

[sofnet2000]

Hello

Thanks for that, this issue started after I used the HP cloud usb drive not sure if retrying it will solve the problem? do I have to format C drive (as it does contain windows folder) and start from scratch?

Will the windows usb tool recover to the original HP version?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

If you had already used the cloud recovery tool software, then there would be no need to try it again because the chances of it working are slim and none.

You do not have to format the C: partition.

When you get to the screen that asks. 'Where do you want to install Windows, you can install it over the existing windows partition, and it will create a Windows.old folder.

After W10 has completed installing, you can run the disk cleanup utility and then select the 'Cleanup system files' button on the lower left side of the program window.

The disk cleanup utility will run again and now you can check all of the boxes to delete the unneccesary files including the Windows.old folder.

The plain Windows USB installation flash drive will not restore the original HP image and software.

You will have to install the drivers and available software from the support page for your notebook's model series that I posted.

But it beats having an expensive paperweight.

[sofnet2000]

I am afraid the windows install has failed after a red error message saying windows cannot update the boot and process was terminated

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I guess that you will have to delete all of the partitions on the drive leaving just one partition of unallocated space.

Click Next, and hopefully Windows will install.

[sofnet2000]

Hi Paul, I formatted the windows partition and relaunched the HP recovery and it worked, I had a couple of files missing after the install but everything seems fine now.

Many thanks for your input.

Sof.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

That is great news you got the PC back up and running again.

Cheers.

Paul