Operating Software

[HardwareTim]

The hard drive on my laptop is failing and it will not stay up for more than a few minutes if I can even get it to completely boot up.  I am replacing the hard drive with the identical one but I need to be able to get the original operating software and not sure how to get that given they do not provide a physical copy when you purchase the laptop.  Is there a way to get the operating software from HP?  Also, this laptop does not have a sticker on it with the Windows 10 Key so even if I load the software I have I do not have my original Microsoft key.  Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Install the HP cloud recovery tool on your PC and see if it is supported so you can make a bootable USB recovery drive.

You can use the HP cloud recovery tool and a 32 GB USB flash drive to create a bootable USB recovery drive that will reinstall Windows, the drivers and the software that originally came with the PC.

Here is an info link for how to use the utility.

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

You can download the software from the Microsoft Store.

HP Cloud Recovery Tool - Microsoft Store Apps

[HardwareTim]

Thanks for the reply but since my last post the laptop will not even come up any more I get this message:

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

You're very welcome.

Enter your PC's serial number in the search window at the link below and see what product number is returned.

HP PartSurfer

Then enter the product number followed by #ABA into the search window at the link below and see if your notebook is supported by the cloud recovery tool.

Cloud Recovery (d34z73bbtpzgej.cloudfront.net)

If it is, you can install the HP cloud recovery tool on another PC and then make the recovery USB by entering the full product number of your notebook in the tool's search window.

[HardwareTim]

Thank you.  I was able to get a boot file installed on a usb drive.  I am now waiting for the new hard drive to see if it works.  In the meantime I just installed the bad hard drive into a external hard drive enclosure to see if I can retrieve any of the data files however it is asking for a 48 bit recovery code to access the hard drive.  Do you have any idea where I get that from?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

The drive must have had BitLocker encryption and the only way you will be able to get the unlock code is if you had exported the BitLocker key to your Microsoft when you originally set up the notebook.

If you did not save the key, the drive is locked, and you may as well smash it with a sledgehammer to prevent anyone from trying to recover any files from it.

[HardwareTim]

Om my gosh you are not going to believe this but I went to my Microsoft account and the recovery code was there HOLY COW!!!!  Thank you so much I was able to recover all of my files!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Glad to have been of assistance.

That's great news you had the BitLocker code in your MS account and could recover your files.