Re: System recovery for Windows 7 - HP Support Community

Fokas · ‎04-26-2020

My HP dv7-6143cl laptop stopped working a few years ago. Finally decided to get it working again instead of buying a new one. When I start it up the Windows error recovery displays right away. I click the first option (recommended) and the next screen that comes up is the Windows Boot Manager that tells me I need to insert my Windows installation disc and restart the computer. Problem is I don’t have the installation disc as it was preinstalled on the computer when I bought it. I searched the forums here and found they can be downloaded to a USB from the drivers page. I bought a USB flash drive and checked the drivers page but apparently they do not offer a downloadable recovery media for my computer anymore. I also didn’t see an option on the drivers page to “order” one. I found somewhere here that I can try the preinstalled recovery by pressing F11 as the computer starts up but that didn’t work either. Do I have any other options to recover my computer? Preferably for free.

thanks!

Paul_Tikkanen · ‎04-26-2020

Hi:

HP never had free W7 downloads for your notebook's model series.

You had to order recovery media from HP, and they stopped selling that directly years ago.

If you can read all 25 characters of the W7 product key on your notebook's case, make your own W7 installation media.

Download the W7 Home Premium 64 bit ISO file from the link below...all the way at the bottom of the page.

https://getintopc.com/softwares/operating-systems/windows-7-home-premium-free-download-iso-32-bit-64...

Use the Microsoft tool that I zipped up and attached below that you will need to transfer the ISO file to a DVD or USB flash drive so that it is bootable, or you can use a free utility such as Rufus.

https://rufus.ie/

After W7 installs, you can install the drivers and available software from your notebook's support page.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/HP-Pavilion-dv7-Entertainment-Notebook-PC-series/50...

Since the ISO file is a retail file, and your notebook's product key is OEM, you may have to use the automated Microsoft phone activation system to activate the installation.

Fokas · ‎04-26-2020

Thanks for the quick reply! While the W7 is downloading from the first link you posted I want to make sure I have the steps correct before I start. Once I finish downloading the W7, I am using the microsoft tool you attached at the bottom to put it onto my USB flash drive. Is that the only thing that is going onto the flash drive? or am I putting the drivers on the USB drive also? Which drivers do I need to install? all of them?

Thanks for all your help!

Paul_Tikkanen · ‎04-26-2020

You're very welcome.

Here's what you need to do...

Unzip the file I attached and install it on your PC.

Then when the ISO file has completed downloading, run the Microsoft tool.

You browse to where the ISO file is located, select which media you want to create (DVD or USB flash drive), sit back and the tool will do all the work for you. Hopefully it will go without any hiccups.

I've had it work flawlessly and sometimes not. If it doesn't work, I don't bother with trying to figure out the issue.

I just use a different tool to make the file bootable, such as Rufus for a flash drive, or CD Burner XP to burn the ISO file to a DVD.

You do not put anything else on the flash drive.

The Microsoft tool is going to format it, so don't have any files on there you don't want erased.

You install the drivers after W7 has been installed on your PC.

I'm thinking you should have no problems with this, but worst case scenario, you can order recovery media for your PC from this vendor at the link below that buys up the HP recovery media when HP decides to no longer sell it directly.

http://www.computersurgeons.com/p-21324-recovery-kit-670798-002-for-hp-pavilion-entertainment-notebo...

Fokas · ‎04-26-2020

Update:

I successfully made the recovery USB flash drive. I had to go into the BIOS menu to change order of startup to USB first. The W7 startup menu came up and I clicked install... now I’ve been staring at the “setup is starting” for an hour. After about a half hour of staring at that, I restarted and picked “repair my computer” that didn’t seem to go anywhere so now I’m back to an hour looking at “setup is starting” again. Is something else wrong or does it usually take this long at this step? I’m going to leave it going while I sleep then check in in the morning...

Paul_Tikkanen · ‎04-27-2020

W7 should have installed from soup to nuts in around 30 minutes, so something is not right.

What that could be, unfortunately that I do not know.

Fokas · ‎04-27-2020

It looks like the install is going well until the very end when it says it is going to need to restart the computer a few times before installation completes. When the computer restarts it begins the process all over again from the USB recovery drive. Does that have something to do with me going into the BIOS settings and changing the boot up process to have USB boot first? What order should it be in?

Paul_Tikkanen · ‎04-27-2020

Yes, that could be the problem.

Try this...

Change the BIOS settings to boot from the hard drive first. Save the settings and exit.

Have yiour W7 installer in the USB port, and immediately start tapping the ESC key to get the menu of options.

Select the F9 boot options menu, and from that select the USB flash drive and press the Enter key.

Now if it does that to you again, when the PC momentarily shuts off to restart, yank the USB flash drive and see if it finishes the installation.

That has happened to me and I was able to get it to work that way.

I was talking to someone while I was reinstalling W10 via a flash drive and I looked over at the PC and couldn't understand why it was back at the Install Now screen.

Then I realized the PC kept booting from the flash drive over and over again.

If that doesn't work, make a DVD instead because you won't have that problem with a DVD.

Fokas · ‎04-27-2020

Your first suggestion of having it read the hard drive first worked perfectly! It successfully installed Windows 7 without any issues after that. I was able to type in my original W7 product key to get it installed. Now I'm having trouble figuring out which Drivers to download. The only one I downloaded so far is the "Broadcom Wireless LAN Driver" to get the internet to work but its still not working. There are 10 different drivers for network to chose from and 30 others of various drivers. Which ones do I need to chose?

Just wanted to say you've been a HUGE help so far!

Paul_Tikkanen · ‎04-27-2020

You're very welcome.

Here are the links to most of the drivers you need...

I'll give you the wifi driver first and then you can download the rest of them directly from your notebook once you installed the wifi driver with a flash drive You need to plug it into one of the USB 2 ports, because the USB3's have no drivers yet.

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp57501-58000/sp57976.exe

Then here are most of the rest...

Chipset installation utility: Install this one first and restart the PC.

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp55001-55500/sp55095.exe

Graphics: Install this one second and restart the PC.

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp55001-55500/sp55092.exe

Audio: Install 3rd and restart the PC.

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp55001-55500/sp55094.exe

Ethernet:

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp55001-55500/sp55105.exe

USB3:

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp55001-55500/sp55102.exe