How do I restore the data I backed up prior to doing a factory reset of Windows 10?

[Stashie11]

I was told I could recover my data if I ordered the Windows 10 USB recovery drive for my PC. I backed up the data but I cannot find any information on how to restore it.  HP Tech Support tells me that help restoring that backup is billable.  Can anyone tell me where to find the information on how to restore the backup data?

Thanks,

Stan Wilson

[WAWood]

@Stashie11 

Whomever told you that is totally CLUELESS -- as that will totally erase EVERYTHING on your drive!  I really wish HP would quit calling it Recovery Media because that leads folks to believe they can recover lost data with it -- and the total opposite is the case.

You need to tell us HOW you did the data backup because if you used an HP utility, I can't help you and what you were told is the case.

[Stashie11]

Thanks for the info, this was the first time I had to back up using the recovery disk I spent  80.00 on because I was told I could recover my data if I used it. This turned out to be **bleep**.  I didn't have external recovery media because after my initial setup of my laptop I lost the recovery partition when I plugged in a USB hard drive.  The same thing happened again when I reinstalled Windows this time.  I'm  beginning to think that HP is training their tech support people to focus on generating more revenue instead of helping customers.

After I ran the program that was supposed to "save" my data I called tech support because the files seemed too small.  No one told me I would not be able to actually get my data back without using billable services.  I am really disappointed in HP support they used to be excellent.  Sadly not any more.

Thanks again,

Stan Wilson

[WAWood · Accepted solution]

@Stashie11 

You've included a lot of different issues in your comments.  So, let me try to sort them out.

System Recovery means different things to different people, so if the folks who sold you the media thought you were trying to do an Operating System recovery, they sold you the right thing.  

The HP Recovery Media is designed to restore the Operating System, drivers, and HP utilities -- which are not related at all to any applications you installed or personal data you created.  So that media also has nothing to do with recovering or restoring either of these.

In terms of getting your personal data back, the tech would have to spent time and effort doing that -- and such recovery is not covered under any warranty agreements.  So them telling you that would cost money is correct.  Any place you take the laptop and ask folks to recover personal data, you are going to be told that will cost you money to have done.

Backups -- you said you did backups, I asked how you did that, you said you used the Recovery Disks.  I have not done that, but supposedly, if you saved the backups offline, you should then have been able to use those disks to do restores.  I do not trust such built-in routines because I have seen them fail regularly.  This is something I can not help you with.