Windows 8 restore help

concort

New Member
Messages
18
Hi,

I am trying to get my window's 8 box completely restored to the original out of the box condition but I need a way to do it without going to the Settings panel because the computer is virtually inoperable at this point. I don't have the original install discs because it never came with it... Windows came pre installed and I discs never came with it. Is there some sort of keyboard command that will allow the box to boot up and wipe the drive clean but with just the operating system? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Brian
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Welcome to the forum. In most cases there is a recovery partition which sets it back to the day you bought it but we need to know make and model to tell you what the key may be
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 8 pro
Two options on boot up press f11 just keep tapping it as soon as you turn on option two in Windows search for recovery manager which should give you recovery options
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 8 pro
Thanks. I figured it out. I found that the harddrive is bad. Need a new harddrive for this box. Sooo... with the $50 I already have into the HP support help, do you think its even worth putting a new harddrive into this thing? Given that its 3 years old AND its still a PC... Not a MAC so it will be a piece of junk again in another three years. My Macs keep running and running... Never have to do a thing to them and they're incredible... But I digress. I need to pay someone to put the drive in, buy a system install disc since one never came with it, and install the windows from the disc so with all that said is it worth it?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
in other words... What is the absolute cheapest gaming computer that I can get. I don't need anything crazy... because it will probably break and be garbage again in a few years so I really don't want to spend more than 200-300 anyway. Possible?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
If the drive is readable you can clone the drive to the new one then run the recovery to get back to how it was when you bought it save buying a new o/s it is very simple to install a new drive 2 screws and 2 cables
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 8 pro
So when you say "clone the drive" how do I do that? Keep in mind I can't do ANYTHING on that drive currently. Its virtually inoperable. Second, you say "run the recovery" - this is not an option. Tried it and the drive partition is not recognized. The harddrive is shot. Sooo, What does this mean? Buy new harddrive, install it, buy Windows install disc, install the software, then Im back up and running?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Well it does boot windows but it takes like an hour or more... then the machine is insane slow. I went through a harddrive test with an HP rep and he determined the drive is shot and to install a new harddrive.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
I can get to it via tapping the F11 key while restarting...but when trying to restore/recover back to original settings it keeps saying that the harddrive is locked and/or a partition can't be found, which is why the HP tech said the harddrive is fried. Any other suggestions?

Thanks
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
HP are talking rubbish the only way to say the disk is fried is by testing it with the makers disk test. We should be able to fix this download this bootable cd then boot from it and I need a screenshot of the drive with partitions if you can load windows a diskmanger screenshoot would do.

Have you got all files you need off it?

What we can then do is format windows drive and set recovery as active and it should then install but we will do one step at a time
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 8 pro
Well, just to clarify they did have me do a harddisk test after booting while tapping the f11 key from the actual drive's disk test tool. It came back as FAILED for the optimized result. I think there were three results and the optimized result was FAIL and that is when they determined that the harddive was fried. They also said that is the reason the drive is soooo slow because the disk is failing.

You say to download this bootable cd. Where do I download it from? I'll have to download from another computer (a mac) since this Windows drive in inoperable.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Ok cool lets give it a try! So I downloaded the "pwfree91-x86.iso" file that you directed me to. Do I burn that to a dvd and then reboot my PC with that in the disc drive? How will the PC know how to boot from that? The PC is ready to be wiped... Don't need any files. Lets wipe it! What do I do next?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Create the cd or usb then enter the bios and set it to boot the dc or usb first. Boot the cd you should end up at a screen like this idealy I need to see it to see how many partitions you have you should have one called recovery. There is a surface test may be worth trying that see what it says. Basically what we want to do is format partition except recovery then set recovery as active which makes it boot straight to it and then be able to install
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 8 pro
Ok lets give this a drive... DO you know if I select ESC during restart on the PC for selecting the bios? I've never done this. Isnt there an option in some menu after clicking ESC during start up?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Screen Shot 2016-08-23 at 9.59.29 PM.jpg
Hi,

Ok so I booted from the USB drive as you said... seemed to have worked. Then I came to this screen after it went through some Repair process just prior to getting to this screen (see attached). Now what?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
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