Loop screen from installing windows

[Dustin29]

I had just bought this laptop, it died at the sellers house when installing windows “after reset”. I brought it home thinking I can finish the install at home. It’s looping to an error about unexpected power off during update. Even when I press ok to restart install it brings me back to the same error.

[Max3Aj · Accepted solution]

Hello @Dustin29, and welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for posting your question. I'm here to help you get things back on track.

It sounds like your HP Notebook is stuck in a Windows installation loop due to an unexpected shutdown during setup. This can happen if the system was powered off during a critical update phase. Let’s try to get your laptop back on track with these steps:

Option 1: Hard Reset

1. Power off the laptop completely.
2. Disconnect the power adapter and remove any external devices (USB drives, SD cards, etc.).
3. Press and hold the Power button for 15 seconds.
4. Reconnect the power adapter and try powering it on again.

If the loop persists, proceed to the next option.

Option 2: Use HP Cloud Recovery Tool (Recommended for new devices)

If the OS is corrupted, you can reinstall Windows using HP’s official recovery tool.

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

Steps:

1. On a working PC, download and install the HP Cloud Recovery Tool.
2. Insert a USB drive (at least 32GB).
3. Run the tool and follow prompts to create a recovery USB for your specific HP model.
4. Insert the USB into your affected laptop.
5. Power on and immediately press Esc, then F9 to boot from USB.
6. Follow on-screen instructions to reinstall Windows.

Option 3: Clean Install via Microsoft Media Creation Tool

If HP Recovery isn’t available, you can use Microsoft’s tool:

Download Windows 11

Note: You’ll need to install HP drivers manually later from HP Support.

Post-Recovery Tips

• Once Windows is installed, run Windows Update and install all updates.
• Visit HP Support Assistant to install drivers and firmware updates. HP Support Assistant | HP® Support
• If the issue persists, share your laptop’s exact model number (e.g., HP 15s-eqxxxx) so we can guide you further.

I hope the information shared has been useful and resolves your concern.

Wishing you a smooth and hassle-free experience ahead!

If this solution helped, please click “Accepted Solution” so others can benefit too. Don’t forget to hit the “Yes” button if you found this helpful!

Warm regards,

Max3Aj

HP Support