Windows 10 fresh installation on the HP Stream tablet

[kyle_b]

I performed a fresh installation of Windows 10 on my Stream 7 tablet and it worked well. I posted the procedures I used below in case it might help someone. One warning is that you have to first upgrade the original Windows 8.1 with Bing installation "in place", letting Windows 10 activate before wiping the disk clean and installing Windows 10 fresh. If you do not do this, Windows 10 will not activate when it is installed fresh.

If Windows 10 tells you that you do not have enough room to upgrade, you may have to restore the tablet back to the factory configuration using the recovery media. Other reports indicate you can complete the upgrade by pointing to an external drive for additional space. If you recover, you do not need to apply any Windows 8.1 updates after the recovery, you can upgrade using the Windows 10 USB immediately after the tablet is restored to the factory configuration.

First make a recovery USB of your existing Windows 8.1 with Bing installation.  If you read the posts here, many have regretted skipping this step.

Download the Windows 10 32-bit ISO file and burn it to a USB drive.

Updating Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 on the HP Stream Tablet
- With Windows 8.1 running, start the setup program from the Windows 10 USB drive.
- When it prompted: "Get Important Updates?", I selected "Not Right Now".
- Accept the license agreement.
- When it prompted: "Change What To Keep", I selected "Nothing".
- Click the Install button, the upgrade took 30 minutes on my Stream 7.
- When the upgrade finishes, add a WiFi connection and go to the Start button => System and make sure it says "Windows is Activated".

You can stop here if you have enough disk space and do not want to do a fresh install. The 5.2 GB recovery partition from Windows 8.1 can be deleted now since Windows 10 creates its own 450 MB recovery partition for WIMBoot. Unfortunately it seems the C: drive cannot be extended to include the 5.2 GB of space so an additional drive letter (such as "D:") will need to be created to utilize it.

Deleting the 5.2 GB Windows 8.1 recovery partition (only do this if you have upgraded to Windows 10, Windows 8.1 will not boot without this partition.)
- Attach a OTG adapter, powered USB hub, USB drive containing the 32-bit Windows 10 ISO, mouse and keyboard.
- Press F9 on the keyboard as the tablet powers up to enter the boot menu.
- Select the USB drive to boot from.
- Select "Install Now".
- Select "skip product key".
- Accept the license terms.
- Select: "Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)".
- Delete the Drive 0 Partition 5: IMAGES 5.2 GB Recovery partition.
- Do not delete the Drive 0 Partition 4 450 MB Recovery partition, Windows 10 created this for WIMBoot and it will not boot without it.

If you want to do a fresh Windows 10 install, you can also wipe the drive completely clean at this point. This will provide the greatest amount of available disk space for the C: drive (21.1 GB free of 28.5 GB following the fresh install).

Fresh installation of Windows 10 on the HP Stream tablet
- Make sure Windows 10 has already been upgraded from Windows 8.1 and is activated.
- Attach a OTG adapter, powered USB hub, USB drive containing the 32-bit Windows 10 ISO, mouse and keyboard.
- Press F9 on the keyboard as the tablet powers up to enter the boot menu.
- Select the USB drive to boot from.
- Select "Install Now".
- Select "skip product key".
- Accept the license terms.
- Select: "Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)".
- Delete all partitions.
- Click the Next button, the install will take around 30 minutes.
- When prompted for a product key, select "do this later".
- Add a WiFi connection.
- Answer the prompts about sending data to Microsoft, I answered no to all of these.
- For some unknown reason, I was prompted to repeat the above two or three steps again here.
- When Windows boots for the first time, right click the Start Button => System and check that it says "Windows is Activated".

The RTL8723BS WiFi driver is already installed after a fresh installation but the other five drivers needed for the Stream 7, (Driver Pack, Bluetooth, Realtek audio, Goodix touchscreen and Kionix motion sensor) have to be installed from the drivers available from hp.com. The Stream 8 may have additional drivers needed.  The Stream tablet drivers site on hp.com has been going up and down periodically since the tablet was introduced so you might want to download the drivers first and copy them to the Windows 10 USB before beginning the installation.

[brentrad]

Excellent write up kyle_b! Haven't upgraded my Stream 7 yet (running the Technical Preview but need to restore and upgrade to get my official Win 10 license) but I will use this guide when I do, and direct others to here.

[SomeGuyAtWork]

Hve you had any problems with the side swipe gestures to open app switcher and action center after installing the Goodix drivers?

After upgrading to Windows 10, everything worked great, but after a system reset, I have not been able to get the side swipe gestures and the start button to work at the same time.

After the reset is finnished and before installing any HP drivers, side swipe gestures works without problems, but the start button is disabled. Then I installed all Windows 10 drivers from HP.com, except the Googix-driver. Nothing changes.

After I install the goodix driver, the start button is working, but side swipe gestures no loger works.

I have tried to reset the device several times, with the same result each time.

[kyle_b]

I think the side swipe gestures and start button are working for me, I don't use them very much, I use a trackball or mouse most of the time.  Did you try updating to the new BIOS update from July 2015?

[jens_s]

Does this process work for the HP Stream 8? My first attempt ran into issues just getting to the boot menu. Instead of F9, I had to press the volume up button while powering up. This brought me to a menu but I'm unsure about the rest of the steps.

Any instructions for the HP Stream 8?

Thanks.

[kyle_b]

I have only done this on the Stream 7 so I am not sure about the Stream 8.  I did not think it was that much different from what I had heard.

[nuljet]

Thanks for the tutorial.

Following the steps, my result was a bit different.

After proper backup(s), I followed the steps in Updating Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 on the HP Stream Tablet, upgrading from within a running Win8.1.

Then, after making sure my Win10 was activated, I wanted to proceed to the second stage to regain the 5+GB space from Win8.1's recovery drive...

... but it wasn't there. The eMMC in Disk Management shows only two partitions: an "EFI System Partition" (260 MB), and Win10's main partition ("C:", whole rest of the drive, 28.75GB).

So I didn't have to do a Fresh installation of Windows 10 to reclaim the space.

But there's no "Recovery Partition" as such; that first 260 MB partition is essentially the same size as Win8.1's first partition.

Perhaps I'll do that "Fresh installation" after all, just in case.

30 minutes is about what it took, apart from customization.

/Edited next day: After the upgrade, with only two partitions, the only *.wim files on the system were in hidden folders, something like $windows~bt and another like that.

Also, the command reagentc /info (in admin mode) showed the "indows RE status as Disabled.

So I proceded today to the Fresh Install.

All went well: deleted old partitions, created a new one for the main system, and three other system partitions were automatically created, including the 450 MB Recovery Partition.

And the "Windows RE status" is now Enabled.

[therealwooly]

I have a different problem.  Was able to get windows installed on stream tablet with no problem and have been running for several months.  One problem with windows 10 is the automatic updates.  While in the airport a couple days ago I wanted to use the table to do a web lookup.  When I turned it on it infoormed me it has 72 updates to do an please do not turn off.  After a 20 minute wait I said the $@#% with it and turned the table off, then turned it on.  Guess what, it won't load.  So with no operating system to connect any repair mechanism to, I looking for some help in reestablishing windows 10, and ten will very quickly go back to either 8 or even 7.  I have Windows 10, 32bit and 64 bit on a stick, but not sure it will boot.  Any suggestions (ps: already discovered holding power and volume trick).

[wes_notebooks]

wooly,

Can you boot into the Windows recovery environment?  http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04742289#AbT1

1. Shut down the tablet.
2. First, press the Volume Down button and then press and hold the Power button for about 4 seconds. Release both buttons until the Startup Menu displays.
3. Press F11, then Troubleshoot then Reset Your PC.

-wes

[therealwooly]

Yes I can get to the trouble shoot menu.  But when I last did that the system either refreshed or reloaded the BIOS.  Not sure what that did.  I am currently on the road and did not bring the tablet with me but will be back in office Friday and plan to again try to get to the troubleshoot menu , then hopefully, but using the usb stick get it to recognise the microsoft windows repair feature.  If not, then I am out of ideas.  BTW, the USB stick has a boot record on it but not sure how the table will recognize the stick as anything other that an disk device.