Recovery media creation on x360 Convertible

[SVJeff]

On an HP x360 Convertible (mine is a 15-br077cl), is there an HP-specific recovery media creation utility (like the old XP/Vista/7 days) that will let me restore to out-of-box condition, or do the Win10 HP systems just use a Microsoft utility to create a more generic Win10 recovery drive? Mine is the model above and won’t boot. I’m trying to decide whether to purchase a recovery set or possibly getting a second machine and use it to create recovery media.

[Venom21]

I would suggest you same things that shown in below post:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-System-and-Recovery/Need-to-creat-a-recovery-flash-...

Try hp cloud, if didn't work then get Microsoft iso. 

[SVJeff]

The cloud and download options aren’t available for this Product ID. I’m trying to get back to out-of-box condition, so the .iso route is a definite last resort. I’m just unfamiliar with what kind of recovery media is created by HPs with newer operating systems. 

[Venom21]

You are just overthinking. You can download the official Microsoft Windows ISO, it's identical to the HP version. The HP one just comes with preinstalled HP software, drivers and services, which many users uninstall later to free up RAM. Nothing else differs. A clean Microsoft Windows install, paired with some optimizations you can find on YouTube, is the best option and outperforms the default HP setup. Windows update on clean Microsoft windows will install all required driver automatically as well. So there's nothing to worry about.

Benchmarks on sites like Reddit's show OEM installs averaging 3.5-4GB idle RAM vs. 2-2.5GB on clean installs.  Microsoft clean installs of Windows are faster than OEM versions, particularly in boot times and overall responsiveness, due to the absence of bloatware and accumulated system cruft.

[SVJeff]

I understand all that and appreciate your time. But I’m not trying to find the best way to install Windows… I’m trying to 1) get this to factory and 2) find out whether or not there’s a difference between what appears to be a generic recovery drive created by Windows 10 and one created by an HP utility, if an ‘old style’ one even exists in newer OSes. 

[Venom21]

I have already told you there's no difference. Now if you want factory then contact hp agent/service center directly and ask them if they can sell you OEM windows/Recovery. That's the only way. 

To contact them, scroll down this page, expand the 'Support' section, click 'Support,' and select "Contact an HP agent for support" on the next page.

[SVJeff]

My apologies for overlooking that. I didn’t see anywhere that you indicated that both recovery media creation options produced the same result. I’ll reread everything.

As far as an only option, my initial question referenced the possibility of getting a second identical machine and using that to create recovery media, if the old style recovery partition exists on newer machines. 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

@SVJeff 

HP will not have recovery media for your notebook.

If you want the original HP factory image/recovery kit for your notebook, you can order it from this vendor at the link below since your notebook is more than 5 years old and is no longer supported by the HP cloud recovery tool.

Computer Surgeons - Windows 10 Home - 64 Recovery Kit Part Number 931213-002 For Pavilion x360 Conve...

[SVJeff]

Thanks. I’ve ordered many from them before. I’m actually trying to use this as a learning experience since I’m not familiar with restoring much of anything post-Win7. My experience is mostly with systems having a recovery partition that have an HP utility that allows you to generate a single recovery media disc set or thumb drive. I simply don’t know if that’s how Win8/10/11 systems are set up.

I have another Win10 laptop that allowed a recovery drive creation from the blue troubleshooting screen but I don’t know if it’s just a way to reinstall 10 only or if it’s the equivalent of what I’m used to on older systems. 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Because of HP's supplying the cloud recovery tool for up to 5 years for their consumer PC's, they usually don't have the old recovery partitions containing the factory images like they used to for older operating systems.

You can recover Windows via the standard Windows recovery processes, but it would not restore the factory image.

So, I recommend that when buying a new PC, that you make a USB recovery drive early on before that 5 year time period elapses.

Since Windows product keys are encrypted in the BIOS of PCs that come with Windows you can use the installation media that Microsoft supplies via their download sites.

The downside to that, is Microsoft also quits supplying ISO file downloads or the use of the media creation tool shortly after the OS is no longer supported.

For example, you can no longer download Windows Vista, 7, 8.1, and I would speculate once the extended W10 support period elapses, Microsoft will remove the ability to download W10 next year.