HP Beats edition laptop

[67fastback]

Hello.  The laptop would not boot up.  Any self diagnostics would only get to 12% then nothing.  A friend who sells computer hardward had a nice hard drive to install so I put that in knowing I'd need a OS.  He said I'd be able to contact HP for a recovery disc or even go onto ebay and get something.  One on ebay sais I need a valid product key.  I may have been able to buy a diagnostic disc from someone called madeinutah that may have been able to repair my old hard drive.  I'm a little lost here on what to do so some help from anyone would be appreciated.  Thank you in advance.  Perry

[CherylG]

@67fastback

You have a product key -it is embedded in BIOS and should be retrieved when doing a reinstall. Miscrosoft also offers a free download to make a Windows 8.1 USB.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8

You can call HP to order Recovery Media:

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/ww-phone-assist.html

Recovery Media may be available to order on your Support page:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/laptops

[67fastback]

Hello Cheryl and thank you for your help. 

I went ahead and went to the 1st link you shared for Microsoft.  Went through the process.  Under "select edition" there were many choices for Windows.  8.1, 8.1K, 8.1KN, 8.1N.  I chose 8.1  and 64 bit after researching the Beats editon HP.  I downloaded the file to a blank data SD card successfully.  I then plugged it into the laptop and started it with no success.  I have a dark screen that sais Boot Device Not Found,  Please install an operating system on your hard disk, Hard Disk   -  (3F0), F2  System Diagnostics, and For more information, please visit:  www.hp.com/go/techcenter/startup.   I did go and try to reset default settings but it came up with the same screen.  I feel like I might be on the wrong path thinking that the laptop should recognize what I downloaded from Microsoft and load it.  Then sometime during that process I would find the product key as you noted.  Please let me know what should happen next.  Thank you. Perry 

[CherylG]

The ISO file isn't bootable as is. You must use a utility to make a bootable USB  from the ISO-not 100% sure your model can boot from SD card but you can try it. I usually use a flash drive.There are many free ones and Microsoft offers one also. It is called "Windows7-USB-DVD-Download-Tool" but it also works for Windows 8 ISO. Once you click the Download button you will have choices like you had on the Win 8 iso. Choose Windows7-USB-DVD-Download-Tool-Installer-en-US.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=56485

Run it and select your ISO file to extract to your flash drive or SD card. When the flash drive is prepared insert it in a usb port. Power on the laptop and immediately start tapping Esc key. From the menu tap F9 key and use the arrow keys to move to and select your bootable device. Tap Enter key.
When installing if for some reason it asks for a license key use this generic key.334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT 

If you have to use that key, you can change it later after extracting your key manually from BIOS using ShowKeyPlus which I have attached.

[67fastback]

Strange that I cannot see the message from Cheryl here that I received via email.  Signing into this HP site has locked up my Exployer twice resulting in having to Task Manager end everything.   Here now. 

Thank you again Cheryl for your help.  So working on my working desktop computer I reformated 2 seperate usb data devices before downloading the Microsoft utility tool.  I'd try to run it on my working computer but it would immediately pop a screen up with change, repair, remove.  Repair was in blue so chose that then clicked finish.  Nothing appeared that that I could save to a usb data device,  run and then move over to the non working computer.  Seemed best to use Microsoft rather then other free utility tools.  Perhaps I'm not following the directions properly. 

[67fastback]

I had my son Ryan, who uses this computer the most, try the directions again.  His comments are as follows:

Hi, I'm Ryan. I followed the steps and it said select the bootable device and there wasn't one.  What should we do?

[CherylG]

After installing the Windows USB Tool you should have two shortcuts for it in your Programs. One is the Uninstaller that you run to Remove or Repair the utility. Choose the other shortcut and it will immediately ask for the path to your ISO. Browse to find the ISO file stored on your drive. Click Next and it will have two buttons labeled USB Device and DVD. Select USB Device , choose the device and it will extract the ISO and make a bootable Windows 8.

[67fastback]

Hi this is Ryan and after I get to the repair button and press it it asks to finish the file download and then goes away. So I'm assuming it finnishes but never does anything when I follow the later directions. Do I press a key? Or is the tool not working?

[67fastback]

I've gone through it 2 times now and it is still not working. Thanks for all the help and I hope we can find a fix.

[CherylG]

It sounds like you are running the wrong shortcut for the Win 7 USB tool. After installing  it you should have two shortcuts for it in your Programs. One is the Uninstaller file that you run to Remove or Repair the tool. The other is the actual .exe to run the program. Do you see 2 shortcuts is Start,Programs menu? Or a shortcut on the desktop? If you have a shortcut on desktop it should be the right one.

Yu should have the Windows 7 ISO file saved on the hard drive-or moved from the sd card you saved it one to the hard drive. Run the Windows 7 Tool and if you have the right shortcut it should ask you to point it to the ISO.