i have a issue withe the factory install after a virus scam from mcafee popup

[SANDY56]

hi   I'm trying  to get  help  for my year old  hp laptop.  the other week i  had   gotten  a  notification   popup   from  MacAfee anti virus telling me  to  update my  software  which i did   thinking it  was  from   HP  or   the  MacAfee site,  but however  when i tried  to  close it  out by the corner X from the popup  dialog box  it kept on popping  up.  i  tried to  do  a factory install  and start a fresh  install  of  the  laptop  it ended  up  wiping   that out, next thing i  tried was   the system restore  that too   didn't work because  i kept getting an error   saying  there was a file missing. so  i  tried the hp  cloud  tool  and i  forgot   that  for  that i  need  a 32 gb flash drive   which i  don't have at   the  moment.    so  i   thought  the best  thing for me to was  get  some help  and try to see if i  can get  a flash drive  or  a software  cd   to reinstall  the factory  install  sand   windows 11 in   s mode.  which in my system  listing, and i did   went on  to the hp  chat  and   talk to   someone online  but   didn't get no answers   any ideals will  help     thank you

[Garp_senchau]

@SANDY56, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

It sounds like you've had quite a frustrating experience with your HP laptop, especially with the issues related to the McAfee notification, system restore problems, and the recovery process. I'll do my best to help you troubleshoot this situation.

Check if McAfee was a Scam Popup

Before proceeding with any system recovery, let's ensure that the McAfee popup was genuine and not a scam. Scam popups can look like official notifications but can trick you into installing malware. To verify:

Check McAfee: If you have McAfee installed, try opening the McAfee software directly and check for any updates from there (do not click on any popups). If you don’t have McAfee, then the popup might have been a fake one. In that case, you should run a full scan for malware using Windows Defender or another reputable antivirus tool.

Clear Cache & Temp Files: Sometimes, these popups could come from browser or system cache. Clear your browser’s cache and any temporary files using Disk Cleanup in Windows.

To do this:

Type "Disk Cleanup" in the Start menu.

Select the drive (usually C:) and click "OK."

Check all the boxes and click "OK" to remove unnecessary files.

Factory Reset Using HP Recovery Options

Since you already tried a factory reset but ran into issues, you can try HP Recovery Manager (which is built into HP laptops). Here’s how you can access it:

Turn off your laptop completely.

Turn it back on, and immediately press F11 repeatedly until the HP Recovery Manager screen appears. If you see the Windows logo instead, you might need to try again.

Once in the Recovery Manager, choose Troubleshoot, then Reset this PC.

Choose either Keep my files or Remove everything (if you're trying for a fresh start).

If the "Reset this PC" option doesn't work, you might have to use HP Cloud Recovery (which requires a USB drive).

Use HP Cloud Recovery Tool (USB Required)

You mentioned needing a 32GB flash drive for this. If you’re able to borrow one or buy one, here's the process:

Download HP Cloud Recovery Tool: Go to the HP Cloud Recovery Tool download page and follow the instructions to download the tool onto another PC (if available).

Insert your 32GB USB flash drive into the working computer.

Run the HP Cloud Recovery Tool and follow the steps to create a recovery drive.

Once the USB is ready, insert it into your HP laptop, turn the laptop off, and then press F11 during startup to enter Recovery Mode.

From here, you should be able to reinstall Windows 11.

Reference: HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool in Windows 11 and 10 | HP® Support

System Restore Error: Missing File

If you're getting a missing file error when trying system restore, it might indicate that the restore points are corrupted or there’s an issue with the system files. To fix this:

Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator (right-click the Start menu, select Command Prompt (Admin)).

Type the following command and hit Enter: sfc /scannow

This will scan and repair missing or corrupted system files.

After that, try running System Restore again.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

[SANDY56]

c  Dear  Garp_Senchau

thank you for responding to my  message   and  your  help  is  greatly appreciated as  i said stated in my  post   i did  everything  that you had  suggests.  i even   got a  32 gb flash drive  yesterday. i even ran   the HP  cloud recovery tool  still  tells  me i  need  more space for the  c drive in order i enclosed   a screenshot of the  c drive   as for the  MacAfee  popup   as i  said i stated  in my first post to any techs on hp  message board  the popup  did not want to  go off when i  tried to  closed it   by the X at the top. 2nd i did  ran both the cache  and the  temporary files   and the  internet browser were clean out  and i even ran a  disk clean up nothing help to get back the computers   factory install. even though my warranty is almost  upon it.   i have   only  two  options to  think  about   one is  to ry to  get  a  windows 11   in s mode  software  cd and the   utilities  cd    and format the  laptop  that  way   as of now   running a format is not  possible  it  will  make the  laptop  even worst then  it actually is at the moment.   option  2  would  save up at least 400/00 to 500.00    for me  to get a  replacement laptop.  my  sister   brought  this one for me  as  my 15 year old  laptop  had  went to  computer  heaven  in the sky. sort of  speak.  around a year ago   i already to;d her she isn't  going buy  me  another one  she has  alot of  got  to  worry about  i  used my   computer  alot   for  different  tasks  that i need  to do. i like to  do my genealogy   and post some pictures online  to family and friends,  for now  I'm  using my phone   to type  this out,   thank you

Sandy   Lovejoy