Envy laptop will not factory reset

[53David]

My HP Envy Ultrabook 6-1010tu has got EXTREMELY sluggish and takes about 5 minutes to bootup, so I have backed up all my data and deleted it from the laptop and I want to do a FACTORY RESET and then reload some of my programs, but it will not allow factory reset to be selected, it and it will only allow selection of SYSTEM RECOVERY TO EARLIER DATE which is not what I need. I have also attempted to reboot via the RECOVERY DISK but it also will also not allow a FACTORY RESET. (My laptop is  HP Envy Ultrabook 6-1010tu, Product# b6u25pa, Win 7 64-bit)

[WAWood]

@53David 

I can certainly understand the desire to do factory resets -- given the prevalent view that such an action, though extreme, will fix a variety of mysterious problems and return a troublesome PC to working condition.

Problem is -- that very often is NOT the case and if there is any hardware issue at all, which is nearly always the cause with a SLOW PC (which is why most folks do the factory resets), you end up trashing your PC and rendering it useless. So, you trade a SLOW PC for a non-working PC. Not a good trade -- and certainly not what you intended.

So if your PC was running real SLOW, or apps are not launching, then let's check for the drive failing, if your PC is new enough to support UEFI, you can use these steps to test the drive: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00439024

If not, you have to follow these steps:
1) Press Esc key repeatedly, several times a second, while rebooting the laptop. Do NOT hold the key down, just press it over and over.
2) Eventually, you will see an HP Startup Menu
3) press the Function key for testing the hard drive (usually F2) and let it run.

If the test will not run or if it fails, that indicates that your drive has failed and would need to be replaced.

[53David]

Thank you for your suggestions, which I have followed with not better result. Further to efforts I have deleted all unwanted programs and run the laptop through a registery checker, and it is now not as sluggish at booting up and running. However I still require to reset to factory settings which should be possible. The Windows 7 Home Premium came preinstalled on my laptop at retail point and there is a Windows 7 product code on a sticker on the underside.

[WAWood]

@53David 

Doing a factory reset, even if it DOES work, will not speed up a really slow PC because the cause of that is not a bunch of installed apps.

What I suggested is checking the drive -- which in and of itself, will do nothing to speed up the PC -- but it will tell you if the drive is failing -- and that is the most common cause of a really SLOW PC.