Unable to Reset Windows from the HP recovery tools

[SharynS]

When trying to reset Windows 10 from the HP recovery tools installed on the machine, windows goes all the way thru the reload, gets to "preparing windows" and never moves past that. How do I get my version of windows back on this machine? As of now, I have no OS since windows won't finish reinstalling.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

You may have two options...

1.  If your notebook is supported, Use the HP cloud recovery tool to make a bootable USB recovery drive that will reinstall W10, the drivers and the software that originally came with the PC.

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

HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool (Windows 10, 7) | HP® Customer Support

2. Make a bootable W10 installation flash drive using the media creation tool from the link below.

Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com)

After W10 has completed installing you can install the drivers and available software from the PC's support page.

You will need to have access to another Windows PC running Windows 7 64 bit or newer to use either method, since your PC is not working.

[SharynS]

Thanks for your response. 

Of course the laptop isn't cloud supported. I'm making a recovery usb drive now but I do have another question. This laptop that I'm trying to recover is being shipped to a remote site. Once I get windows reinstalled, is there a way to get what I'm installing onto the HP recovery drive so there will be a viable image on there in case the machine pukes again?

Thanks.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Of course I had no idea that your PC wasn't supported by the cloud recovery tool, since you didn't provide any information regarding the model number of your notebook.

Once you get everything back up and running again, use the free Macrium Reflect utility to make a system image of your installation that you can store on a portable hard drive.

You want the file on the left under the Backup at Home section.

Macrium Software | Reflect Free Edition

You can create a system image any time you feel the need to, such as when a new build of W10 is installed.

The software will also have you make a bootable rescue drive (DVD or USB), that you boot from to access the system image stored on the portable hard drive.

In just a couple of mouse clicks it restores the image and you are back in business.

[SharynS]

Oh..I understand you didn't know that. I was sort of thinking out loud. This started out as a simple windows reset that I was doing over the weekend while I was home and it has turned into a major pain. The windows install is doing it's thing now, hopefully I will get past the point that the system recovery tool bombed at.

I do appreciate the help! Once this is done, I still have to download all the hp drivers that came with the pc, correct?

As of this moment, it looks like this installation may be hung too, it's spinning at "getting ready". My goodness, what am I missing???? I've done hundreds of times before, it shouldn't be that difficult!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

It sounds like you are almost there.

The 'Getting Ready' step is very close to where you end up at the logon window.

Yes, you will have to install the drivers and software that W10 does not install automatically.

I suggest you install the audio and graphics drivers from the support page even if W10 has installed them.

There are a few posts today regarding the clean install not working.  I don't get it.

I've only had one PC where W10 refused to install.

I had to take the hard drive out of it, plug it into a different PC with similar but older hardware, and then plug the drive back into the PC.

It booted up fine and worked. Windows had to install some drivers for the different hardware.