Recovering a HP EliteBook 8570p

[jharris1993]

Greetings!

I am the proud owner of a HP EliteBook 8570p, running Windows 7, 64 bit.  This was purchased as a refurbished machine from Micro Center about a year ago.

Because of what I do, I do a lot of install-remove-reinstall-re-remove, type cycles as I test software.  After about a year of this, my systems get a bit wobbly because of all the cruft and junk that gets left behind in the Registry, etc.

As a result, I usually try to recover and rebuild my systems about once a year.  So it is with my HP EliteBook 8570p.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no way for me to generate recovery media - attempts to do so fail with a blue-screen and an unbootable system.

Looking at HP's software and driver downloads for the HP EliteBook 8570p, there is a wide vairety of stuff that is obviously incorrect - I cannot have both  Intel and ATI video at the same time.  Likewise, there is a wide variety of different network, wireless, (etc.), drivers to choose from.

Given a system with a specific product and serial number, is it possible to:

1. Order the recovery media that will install the appropriate software for my system as originally configured ?
2. Determine the specific software and drivers associated with my particular system  so that I can rebuild my system to it's "as built/as delivered" condition?

If number 1 isn't available, I have generic Windows 7 64 bit media I can install and configure, IF  I can get the correct drivers and software as indicated in number 2.

Any help or guidance would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks!

Jim (J.R.)

[CF4]

Hi

Well I would get a pen and paper (actually a logbook) and write down the list of hardware my machine has.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-elitebook-8570p-notebook-pc/5212912

Piriform Speccy will probably list them for you, then you can select the right one from the link above.

A NON HP version may be available here....

https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-iso-download-tool

as to the recovery software, it may still be on the machine.

My suggestion is to re-build the machine as best you can then clone it with something like Macrium Reflect, every year you are back to a fresh install.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

If you live in the USA/Canada, call this number to order recovery media for your notebook...1-800-334-5144.

Have the serial number of the PC handy to give to the customer services rep.

If you do not live in either country, then I have this old business PC support worldwide phone directory...

http://h50146.www5.hp.com/lib/doc/manual/desktop/business_desktops/332630_007.pdf

Any of the HP recovery software I have used on my elitebooks (I don't own a 8570p) consist of a plain OS disk, and an application and driver disk.

As far as the graphics is concerned, if your notebook only has the onboard Intel graphics, that is the driver you would use.

If it has the Intel/AMD switchable graphics, then you only use the AMD graphics driver, which also installs the Intel GPU.

If you have to use your plain W7 installation disk, then HP has a driver matrix at the link below where you can download one file that contains all of the drivers you need...You will find the 8570p listed on this matrix.

http://ftp.hp.com/pub/caps-softpaq/cmit/HP_Driverpack_Matrix_x64.html

[jharris1993]

Clint,

Pardon my hysterical laughter, ( ), but I couldn't help it - your answer is so true!

Your solution - build from scratch and then make a "baseline" image valid as of some point-in-time - is precisely what I do.  However, having the True and Authorized recovery media usually saves me from a week-or-so of trial and error.   Viz.:  The trial of trying to discover which driver fits where - and the errors encountered trying to discover the order they should be installed!  Like any other cryptographic exercise, when installing drivers onto a system - especially when rebuilding from scratch - order can be very important!

Another respondant has offered a few interesting thoughts, and I will try them before resorting to a bare-metal recovery.

Thanks!

Jim (J.R.)

Update:

It looks like I'm going to have to go the bare-metal route with an OEM and/or Technet version of Win7 that I already have.  I downloaded the "Full Monty" driver pack (see the previous response), and I will have to pick-and-choose based on the installed devices and drivers.

I popped over to Piriform's site and downloaded the freeware version of Speccy.  Between the spec list within the HP Support Assistant and Speccy, I should be good to go.

Thanks!

Jim (J.R.)

[jharris1993]

Paul,

Thanks for the excellent response.

I forgot to mention that I did a search for the recovery media for my HP 8570P EliteBook.  The results of my search mentioned that I should go to the HP site, seek support for my system, give it the S/N, and then look at the list of drivers and software, looking for an entry labeled "Order Recovery Media".

If "Order Recovery Media" is part of the list, then you can order recovery media there.

If "Order Recovery Media" is NOT  available on that list, then it just stinks being you; no recovery media is available.

In my case, "Order Recovery Media" was NOT  present, ergo I assumed that I was just plain-'ole out-of-luck.

There was another pathway offered, where I had to enter my system's serial number - which I did.  That pathway mentioned that my system's serial number returned more than one response, and that I should enter my system's product number.

When I did that - E5M51UC#ABA - it told me that the product number was not valid - despite this being the product number returned by the HP Support Assistant software that came preinstalled on my system.

I will try calling the number you suggested and I will report results.  I also appreciate the link to the download matrix.  Hopefully I won't have to use it.

Thanks again for all your help!

Jim (J.R.)

Update:

I tried calling the number you provided, however "due to continuing system improvements"    I kept getting disconnected.  I will "try again later. . . <click!>"

The "Driver Pack" solution: (Viz., http://ftp.hp.com/pub/caps-softpaq/cmit/HP_Driverpack_Matrix_x64.html), is an excellent option once you find your system buried among all the other systems there. 

These pre-compiled driver packages have just about anything that could possibly be installed on your system.  Maybe not the latest-and-greatest, but it's enough to get you started and on the way to getting current updates.  The big issue here is getting a current system spec for YOUR  system's as-installed software bundle.

One thing they have there - which is a good idea in theory - is the HP SoftPaq Download Manager.  This is a downloadable utility that - supposedly - given a specific system finds all the necessary downloads and drivers for it.  Having done so, you can create your own, custom, driver pack.

Unfortunately, the utility isn't really ready for prime-time yet, (IMHO), as it selected drivers that are for features that do not exist on my system, (the fingerprint reader, for example), and omitted essential drivers, (the AMD Radion graphics drivers, etc.), that I would need for a bare-metal rebuild.

In any event, your suggestions were excellent and I feel that I have gotten a lot further along this rocky path than before - for which I thank you.

Thanks again for all your help!

Jim (J.R.)

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Jim.

You can only order recovery media for older HP business-class PC's by telephone.

On the newer HP business class PC's they now have a cloud recovery client tool on the driver page, which allows you to make a bootable recovery drive of the HP factory image that the PC comes with.  Free of charge.

Paul

[jharris1993]

---

@Paul_Tikkanen wrote:

On the newer HP business class PC's they now have a cloud recovery client tool on the driver page, which allows you to make a bootable recovery drive of the HP factory image that the PC comes with.  Free of charge.

---

Sigh. . . .

Don't I wish!

In any event, I'm headed in the right direction - I am absolutely overjoyed  with the EliteBook I have.  Unlike every other laptop or notebook I've had - or been called upon to service - this one does not require you to be Houdini to get inside it.

My EliteBook has a removable bottom cover - flip it over, press ONE  latch, and vola' !, you have access to everything you could possibly want.

I wanted to refresh the heatsink compound on the processor. . . .  One latch and six captive screws later I had the heatsink in my hot little hands, ready to be cleaned and re-installed.  I had the bottom off, the fan and heatsinks out, cleaned up, dabbed with Arctic Silver, re-installed, cover on, and back up and running in less than 30 minutes!  I could have done it faster if my wife hadn't been interrupting me all the time. . . .

Maybe next system?

Jim (J.R.)

[Paul_Tikkanen]

LOL!

Glad to have been of assistance.

[CF4]

Prego.