Windows Recovery after replacing Hard Drive

[ObstacleCourse]

I have a few years old 14t-bs000 CTO that we've actually never used because if came with 32GB SSD Hard Drive that couldn't load even the initial Microsoft Updates when we originally tried to start it up. I've ordered a replacement 500GB SSD drive from Crucial that will arrive in a couple of days. I don't see that the laptop came with any type of system recovery disk and I'm wondering how do I get something from HP to allow me to load an OS once I make the hard drive change?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

You should be able to use the HP cloud recovery tool to reinstall W10.

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

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06162205

[ObstacleCourse]

Thanks Paul-

So I create the bootable USB Drive to complete Step 3 of the link you provided, and at that time I would then replace the SSD Drive with the new drive and continue on?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

You can create the recovery drive now, swap out the SSD for the new one and boot from the recovery drive the cloud recovery tool created.

If you are using a different PC to create the recovery drive, there is a trick to getting that tool to recognize the product number...immediately after you enter the product number, press the Enter key.

If you click off that window, you will get an invalid product number error.

[ObstacleCourse]

The Product Number is a good point. There's not one of those "Windows Product" labels on the LT itself. Do I have to go into the registry to determine the Product Number?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

You don't need a Windows product key.

You should be able to see the HP notebook product number in the BIOS' system information screen, or use this guide for other ways to locate it.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00033108