What version of Windows 10 on a laptop should I install after a wipe of the computer?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Glad to have been of assistance.

[mrje1]

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@Paul_Tikkanen wrote:

You're very welcome.

Glad to have been of assistance.

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Awesome! I have another question here if you don't mind.

First, if I decided to do a clean install, would I be able to wipe just the one partition and leave the Recovery Drive as is?

Second, If I were to do the clean install and made the HP recovery media, should I reinstate the Recovery drive that they originally set up or would I be able to?

Thank you again

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Yes, you can format drive C and leave the recovery partition intact, but I am all but 100% sure that since there will be no recovery manager program installed, the recovery process won't work, and you won't be able to use the recovery partition.  So it is just useless space.

Best to make the recovery media and use that to factory reset the notebook after a clean install of Windows.

[mrje1]

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@Paul_Tikkanen wrote:

Hi:

Yes, you can format drive C and leave the recovery partition intact, but I am all but 100% sure that since there will be no recovery manager program installed, the recovery process won't work, and you won't be able to use the recovery partition.  So it is just useless space.

Best to make the recovery media and use that to factory reset the notebook after a clean install of Windows.

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Hi Paul!

Thank you again for your time and help. That is good to know, but when I did the fresh start in windows I was able to find a recovery app that reinstalled everything as how I oriingally bought it. Was that what you were talking about?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Yes, that is what I was referring to and if you format the C:\ partition and clean install windows, that program will be gone, and there is no download for it.

[mrje1]

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@Paul_Tikkanen wrote:

You're very welcome.

Yes, that is what I was referring to and if you format the C:\ partition and clean install windows, that program will be gone, and there is no download for it.

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Thank you again! You've been great! Please forgive me here if I am repeating. I am having a little confusion. I will recap to see if I am on the right track here. Sorry, if I get wordy.

Before I  wrote here on this thread I tried to attempt my normal wiping methods that I've been using for years on my desktop. I tried to apply that method to my new HP laptop I bought at Costco last Thursday.  I've been meaning to switch methods, but haven't got around to it yet.

What I normally do on my desktop computer is I wipe my drive with iolo Drive Scrubber DVD that does to a degree a secure erase and then I reinstall Windows 10 that I burnt from the Media Creation Tool with the updated operating system. I tried to copy that method with this laptop thinking it would do as it does with my desktop.  I should of took the time to get accustomed with my laptop and make sure of things before I attempted to do anything. I attempted to wipe my drive via my method above and it didn't work then learned it was because of the UEFI bios. I then decided to give the Windows Fresh Start Advanced Option to get the job done.  I then by your help etc. I discovered maybe I should of done a different approach.

At that point, I looked and noticed that the Recovery Drive was still there, but nothing inside the folder when I looked on Windows Explorer. After our past discussions and learning it was best to make those recovery disks and possible warranty issue I decided I should restore the computer. I searched and the only thing I found in that search was this:

I clicked on that and it allowed me to do factory reset setting up the laptop to where it was when I bought it. So, I was happy about that.

Now with that said, as of right now with everything installed from before I see again the drive labeled, RECOVERY (D:) and in the folder it shows this folder or app with an icon in the image below. That wasn't there when I did the Fresh Start, so I am assuming this is the app you are talking about or is this manager a totally different one?

 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

That looks like the actual recovery partition, but there should be a recovery manager program in the list of windows programs (maybe in a HP folder) in alphabetical order that has the recovery manager program in it.

Within that program, there should be an option to create recovery media.

I don't have any HP PC's that came with W10, so I am not exactly sure what you will find.

It has been a few years since I bought a new HP PC (I think the last one I got had W7 Pro downgraded from W8.1), and it kept hounding me to make recovery media.  I didn't even have to look for it.  LOL!

As far as using secure erase programs...I have never done this, on a new PC so I can't help you with that.

I have used the Darren's Boot and Nuke program on old desktop PC's in the past, and only once or twice, just to see how it worked.

I found this YouTube video...see if this is of help to you...A guy making W10 recovery media on a HP PC with W10...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezzwK9TUJng

[mrje1]

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@Paul_Tikkanen wrote:

Hi:

That looks like the actual recovery partition, but there should be a recovery manager program in the list of windows programs (maybe in a HP folder) in alphabetical order that has the recovery manager program in it.

Within that program, there should be an option to create recovery media.

I don't have any HP PC's that came with W10, so I am not exactly sure what you will find.

It has been a few years since I bought a new HP PC (I think the last one I got had W7 Pro downgraded from W8.1), and it kept hounding me to make recovery media.  I didn't even have to look for it.  LOL!

As far as using secure erase programs...I have never done this, on a new PC so I can't help you with that.

I have used the Darren's Boot and Nuke program on old desktop PC's in the past, and only once or twice, just to see how it worked.

I found this YouTube video...see if this is of help to you...A guy making W10 recovery media on a HP PC with W10...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezzwK9TUJng

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Hey Paul,

Thank you so much! aaaah, got it. So there is this HP Recovery Manager Desktop app in addition to the partition and folder with the hidden files. Now, if I do a recovery media on my PC can I pick and choose what to install? For example, I wipe the drive except the D partition, but took the drive image etc. and picked the recovery manager and installed it only, can I do that?

Yes, in the manager I see the option to create the recovery media and will do one as soon as my Flash Drive comes in the mail. Yeah, LOL. Interesting back then what you had to deal with. No problem on the secure erase. With Dban, I did use it, but was much slower than using my go to drivescrubber disc by iolo. So, I stopped using it on my desktop computer.

Thank you for the youtube vid. I will check it out.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

I don't know what that version of the recovery media will do as far as restore options.

On all of the factory reset recovery media I have, you can only restore the PC's hard drive to its 'out of the box' condition.

I was not given any options for a custom recovery (to pick and choose what I want on the PC).

It was all or nothing.

One one notebook, I upgraded the wifi adapter, and the recovery media wouldn't work because it knew I had a different wifi card in there than what the notebook originally came with.

I thought it would recover the notebook and I would just have to install the wifi driver I needed. 

Nope.  Complete failure.

Not to mention, it went through the entire 2 hour recovery process before it notified me...too bad, so sad...LOL!

[mrje1]

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@Paul_Tikkanen wrote:

You're very welcome.

I don't know what that version of the recovery media will do as far as restore options.

On all of the factory reset recovery media I have, you can only restore the PC's hard drive to its 'out of the box' condition.

I was not given any options for a custom recovery (to pick and choose what I want on the PC).

It was all or nothing.

One one notebook, I upgraded the wifi adapter, and the recovery media wouldn't work because it knew I had a different wifi card in there than what the notebook originally came with.

I thought it would recover the notebook and I would just have to install the wifi driver I needed. 

Nope.  Complete failure.

Not to mention, it went through the entire 2 hour recovery process before it notified me...too bad, so sad...LOL!

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Thank you!!!! I had those experiences where I spent a few hours or more doing something and then everything went caput and I had to either reinstall etc. fustrating. I feel your pain!!!:( Hey, we can laugh about it now. 🙂

I made a recovery drive on a flash drive today, but what is the difference between the creating a Recovery Drive and the  Recovery Manager's Create Recovery Media? Which is the better option for recovering?

I appreciate again your time. You da best!!!!