HP Factory Image Restore leaves OS without a default User ID created, no way to log back in

[mdlueck]

Our HP Gaming Pavilion 15-cx0056wm system somehow got Windows 10 corrupted that anytime you clicked on something related to explorer.exe, that task died and was restarted. Thus no way to access the Start menu, control panel, and so on...

I got to the Windows Task Manager, started cmd.exe sessions from there, managed to get the McAfee trial uninstalled / installed an AV of our choice, did a full system scan, and other than a few unexpected autostart tasks that were from the HP preload, it found nothing. So I decided since very little had been installed on the system, to roll back the factory original image. F11 while rebooting, navigate to the menu choice to restore the factory image not saving any user files.

The first attempt got stuck at 3% for HOURS. I finally killed it. Next it powered up, recovered Windows back to the state it had been in with explorer.exe crashing. Trying again. That time it got all the way through, restarted, got to the login screen, without asking what User ID we wanted to create. Going back to the F11 diagnostics... indeed, now those diagnostics do not see any account on the system with administrator privileges! The HP re-image process totally skipped the Windows Out Of Box Experience screens that would have walked us through creating the first account.

I tried reloading the image a third time... got stuck at 6% for hours.

I tried reloading the image a fourth time... this time as well it made it all the way through, no Windows Out Of Box Experience screens asking for the first account... lands us instead a the Windows login screen.

How do we get the first account created in this case?

I am thankful,

Michael

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I wouldn't be able to help you with that issue, but you may want to make a bootable USB recovery drive using the HP cloud recovery client utility to factory reset the PC instead.

Here is an info link for how to use the cloud recovery client utility...You will need to have access to another working Windows PC.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06162205

[mdlueck]

Greetings Paul,

We appreciate you suggesting another way to restore the original preload image!

We downloaded the correct tool to use on a Windows 7 working computer with Internet connection. Unfortunately the tool does not recognize the Product ID off the bottom of the machine, which is: 4PY21UA#ABA

Suggestions at this stumbling point?

I am thankful,

Michael

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Michael.

Using the information you posted, I opened the Cloud Recovery Client tool, checked the box to add the product number and it accepted it for me just fine.

Then it proceeded to ask me for the location of the flash drive (which I did not have inserted), so I canceled out of the install.

The doggone tool is pretty tricky to enter the product number.

Copy and paste the number you posted here into the box, and then hit the enter key.

You have to hit the enter key right after you enter the number.

If you click off that box, you will get an invalid product number error every time.

Then it should accept the # and let you proceed from there.

[mdlueck]

Greetings Paul,

>You have to hit the enter key right after you enter the number.

>If you click off that box, you will get an invalid product number error every time.

Wow... what a broken UI!!! Indeed, that did the trick for getting the USB stick image recovery built. Trying it out today.

I am thankful,

Michael

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime, Michael.

Glad to have been of assistance.

Yes, it took me a while to figure that secret out.   😊

[mdlueck]

Greetings,

So..... Booted from the USB stick, went through the path to restore without saving any files. It asked if we had another USB stick with device drivers on it, to which we selected no. Went into a reboot cycle!

I powered it off to eject the USB stick... HDD still stuck in the reboot cycle. Windows 10 spinning circle dots below the HP logo, then reboots.

And now the USB image recovery stick boots to a screen stating: "Warning: Recovery not supported under current configuration, please enable option for Intel Smart Response Technology and try again."

Suggestions at this point?

I am thankful,

Michael

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, Michael:

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to help you with that issue.

The only other suggestion I can offer would be to see if you can clean install W10...

Make a bootable USB W10 flash drive installer using the Media Creation Tool at the link below.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

After W10 installs (hopefully), you can install the drivers and available software from your notebook's support page.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-pavilion-gaming-15-cx0000-laptop-pc/20284020/mod...

[mdlueck]

Updating this thread, as I intend to provide it to HP Depot Service, where the system is headed next once the box arrives.

*) So, this all started due to Windows operating system corruption that anything you clicked on in the OS related to explorer.exe (Start Menu, Control Panel, etc...) would cause the process (PID) to die and restart.

*) I tried four times to preform the Windows image restore from the computer itself. The first and third attempt it got hung and I had to power off the computer. The second and fourth attempt finished "successfully", never asked for an ID/pw we wanted to have set up, landed us at a login page we had no credentials to login with.

Note: Other functions within the HP diagnostics / recovery saw the user account BEFORE we reimaged it. After the reimage, these diagnostics saw no user account to investigate.

*) I posted in this forum (this tread) and learned of the HP Cloud Reimage USB stick. We went through the process to produce the stick. That seemed to work well, asked if we had a supplemental USB stick with drivers on it, we answered no, and it shut down / started into "rebootville".... spinning Windows loading icon, the reboot, over and over endlessly. That was when Paul replied that the HP Forum would not be able to assist further.

*) Phoned HP support. Worked to correct the purchase date of this system... we obtained it off Amazon... it was already out of warranty when it shipped from Amazon. HP has corrected that, so they were willing to talk to us. We were instructed to build a Microsoft Windows 10 Cloud install USB stick. I did so. That boots up, but cannot see a drive other than the USB stick. I know this system has a fancy Intel Rapid Storage Technology controller in it. I recall from 15+ years ago building images that Intel had device drivers for bootstrap during installation. I first checked the HP site, none for this model. The Intel site indeed still offers a downlaoad especially for facilitating installations. I downloaded that, copied the files to a second USB stick (FAT32 format), the Microsoft Windows 10 installer was able to detect that a device in the computer needed the driver off the second USB stick, appeared to load it, took us back to the drive selection screen... and no additional drive(s) showed up... only the USB stick.

*) I phoned back HP support today. I was offered, as a next attempt, to purchase a USB recovery stick. I inquired about the price. Answer was $60 to $80. I said, "no thank you. I have already performed three HP recommended image recovery options and none have worked."

*) HP Support Agent agreed to have the machine picked up and serviced at a HP Repair Depot. So that is what we are doing next at this point.

I am thankful,

Michael

[mdlueck]

 To conclude this support thread. We received the machine back. The support depot did get the machine flashed to the latest BIOS, and the Windows 10 preload reloaded.

Far more drama and lost time / energy than should have been required.

I am thankful,

Michael