Reinstalling Windows on Laptop with no recovery partitions on it

[Jamie-Vaughan]

Hi

I tried out various Linux distros, but found I need to revert back to Windows so i can use a particular program. However in order to install Linux, it was necessary to wipe the hardrive completely, including the recovery partitions.

Im now trying to install windows 10 (I upgraded shortly after starting to use windows 7) but the my flash drive does nothing when rebooting mylaptop.

Ive tried creating the boot flash drive of windows 10 using several programs, including on a windows computer, Ive set the boot order on BIOS correctly (it was still in the correct order when installing ubuuntu from the same flash drive) 

How do I download or order a recovery flash drive for either Windows 7 home premium or Windows 10 (rather it was straight to 10, save me time)

Cheers

[CF4]

Hi

"However in order to install Linux, it was necessary to wipe the hardrive completely, including the recovery partitions."

From the Hans Christian Andersen  Linux help page?

OK:  So for piece of mind can you still run a Live Distro?  Key Extraction...

sudo cat /sys/firmware/acpi/tables/MSDM | strings | tail -n 1

will show the W10 key stored on the MainBoard, write it down.

ISO images of various Microsoft OS's are available.

They can be be downloaded (sometimes you need a licence key other than the HP OEM key)
and 'burnt'/expanded to a DVD/USB. They WONT contain appropriate HP software, like drivers etc.
But may enable a repair to be started.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

For when it’s a NON MS OS (iOS/Linux/Android) to create install media.
www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

So in theory you can run a live distro and download and make a W10 USB.

Set the PC to be Secure Boot with a GPT style of partitioning.

ESC + F9?  and you did extract the .iso with?

Occasionally a written USB is not read and needs a different "format" writer like Rufus or the Microsoft Creation Tool.

Use the PORT side port if possible.  That's the Left one.

So please start by listing the creation of the USB and we will try and knock the problems on the head one by one.

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

If you ever had Windows 10 installed and activated it can be reinstalled without a Key Code. The Microsoft Activation Server will just "know" your computer and reactivate. Using another computer go to the Microsoft Media Creation Tool site and download the tool and run it. Very early in the process you will get a choice to "upgrade this PC" or "make media to install to a different PC". Choose the latter. Follow prompts to make the usb drive. Your computer has a DVD drive so you might even consider choosing the option to burn a DVD if you are using a computer with a burner. 

Tap F9 as you power up with newly made disk in the computer and choose it as the boot source. If this is still not working post back. 

[Jamie-Vaughan]

thank you for the prompt reply!

not sure what you mean by hans christian anderson... at first i tried to install linux mint, but i was informed online that the reason i was struglling was because the hardrive is limited to a maximum of 2 partitions. i already had windows/recovery and another partitiion i think (it was a few months back). I figured I could always reinstall windows easily, foolishly!

still got ubuntu installed on laptop. terminal command resulted in 'No such file or directory'

boot flashdrive was ceated using rufus on a windows 10 pc, i think on fat32 settings. downloaded the iso from the same link you pasted. I'd tried to create the boot drive on ubunntu aswell but after numerous attempts, the same result, nothing happens on reboot.

currently retrying the boot drive creation tool on the above mention windows 10 pc, if that fails ill try again with rufus, using the gpt option in the settings. will get back once thats been attempted

cheers once again!

[CF4]

Hi

When you have a laptop with W10 installed it is normally Secure Boot and GPT.   Easily get 16 partitions on that.

MBR is upto 4 Primary (with the option to change/convert at least 1 to an Extended and have Logical partitions also) so you could easily achieve 8 assorted partitions.

So "hans christian anderson"[sic]  wrote fairy stories.

Sorry if this is wrong, but is there a working DVD drive available on the PC?

Use a DVD writer to make a bootable DVD like Huffer recommends.

K3B - KDE Burning Tool

[Jamie-Vaughan]

Soloution:

(at least in my case)

used a functioning windows 10 pc to create DVD boot disk. 

Flash drive refused to read, but disk did read. Still no wiser what was up with the Flash drive, trying to use said pc to create a flash boot drive kept bringing up an error message. notably not until id waited 45 minutes already each time!

thank you guys for your help!

ps. i definitely had to wipe the hardrive to install linux mint! this is a g series pavilion laptop, came with windows 7 home, though i confess, im no expert on such things, hence the reason im on here asking for help!

[CF4]

Prego.

So now you W10 installed, why not add Linux to it?

I have W10, Debian, OpenSuSE and Lubuntu spread across my HDD. 

Yes I did wipe my recovery area by choice, but made an X: with a copy of W10 .iso and HP drivers there for a rainy day.

I do have a 980 gig  space to play with, shrink W10, make a Data partition and then Install Lubuntu in the empty space.

If in doubt please ask.