Windows 10: Factory MFT on a brand new HP Windows 10?

Obviously the drive is NOT toast, look at the chkdsk results.

 

Can you access the data and copy it? even from Linux if need be. Why so hell-bend on a Macrium image - just copy the stuff, if need be, and reformat the thing, Geez!.

 

B/C I have not found a nice, reliable and convenient backup program to use on Linux, surprisingly enough. Macrium is great, so is Acronis but I don't have a license for it.

I could use dd in linux but shit that takes f o r e v e r !!!

You can't just "copy" a Windows disk and expect it to work, with 763 posts here you oughta know that - Geez!

Interestingly I just managed to use Macrium to make an image of the 16GB Recovery partition, which I believe should be able to restore the rest of the drive to factory fresh state. That is sufficient enough as a drive backup, assuming it's easy to launch it, like setting that partition bootable or using Hirens to boot it into recovery. Still have gaps in my UEFI knowledge, so not sure about that.

 

LOL... Once you have the data, to create a restore is easy. Why image a FUBAR'd partition anyway?

 

As far as implementing factory restore have you simply tried that, starting at power down state and hammering F11 (I think it's that for your model, if not F4) on startup to access factory restore routine ?? - understood that option could have been borked by what happened so far but you could at least rule it out as an option.

 

Alright, some real useful ideas here! Now we're talking! The drawback however is that I must reassemble the machine to try these ideas. I really want to have a way to restore the factory state of the HDD on a backup medium, so I can install anything on the drive and know I can get back to factory. That's one reason I chose to image the drive in another system.

Does anyone here know for certain how to power off a brand new Win 10 machine, in a sysprepped state, ready for first power on (i.e. like the state systems are in as shipped from factory, before user pressed on button for first time)?

I mean, if the whole reason for this hassle is due to the way I turned off the machine, how do you do it right BUT before you even begin to interact with setup?

After opening box from retailer, turn it on, wait for the machine to reach a point where it's asking for the user's first inputs (i.e. after you stop waiting on the machine and the machine starts to wait for you), at this very point, how do you shut it down if using the power button is off limits?

I think what I will do is reassemble the machine and see if it powers up normally as it did the first time. If so I'll see if I can find the key sequence to initiate a factory restore. I'll also see if I can figure out how to shut the machine off cleanly before completing setup.

Now that I have a good backup of the system RECOVERY partition I should be able to wipe the disk entirely and restore that partition with macrium which in turn can restore the other partitions, IF I can find the right way to start the recovery process.

I don't plan on another disassembly to pull the HDD, so hopefully the backup I have will provide the insurance to play. Crossing my fingers...

 

I reassembled the computer and it booted normally exactly like the first time. There is NO OPTION to power off the machine EXCEPT the power switch. Pressing the power switch once results in a hibernated state which is resumed when the power switch is pressed again. It was looking like I had no choice but to run through the setup.

I decided to power off (hibernate), then remove the battery. When I put the battery back in and hit the power button it came back to the same state as it was for the first power on. I repeated this but the next time immediately after pressing the power button to turn the system back on I hammered F11, which started the recovery process.

So now I am ready to install my alternate OS. I am using RMPrepUSB, which allows me to boot the USB HDD in either UEFI or MBR modes. With this system I cannot boot anything except UEFI media, but so be it, I'm moving on.

I have no freakin idea why Macrium would not allow me to take a full disk image backup, but screw it, time to stop messing around.

Man how I hate UEFI, so difficult to change basic options, requires at least 2 boot cycles, slow as a dog, no feedback to user for boot sequence, requires memorizing key sequences to change boot options, it just sucks.

I can see why IT departments like it, but there oughta be options to turn on feedback for techie types, software developers and the like. I find UEFI very frustrating.

 

I'm really curious, if you just wanted to image the hard drive and then wipe it and install some other OS, why did you even boot the computer from the hard drive to begin with? Why not just boot from a Macrium rescue disk or Kyhi's recovery drive and image the hard drive from that without every having booted from the hard drive until the image was made?

That's what I did with the last tablet I purchased because it came with Windows 8.1 and I knew there was 99% chance it was Windows with Bing that you can't download anywhere. And I was right. Then I exported the drivers and upgraded it to Windows 10.

 

You had a good idea there, but with UEFI you can't boot from external media by default, at least not on that system or others I've encountered. Plus, the media I have with Macrium won't boot in UEFI mode.

I should have spent some time looking into creating a UEFI boot disk for Macrium, that would have save the hassle of disassembling / reassembling the system to pull the hard drive.

It seems it's gonna take some years before we see any standardization of these UEFI firmware implementations. HP's really sucks, and you really have to fiddle fart around to do something simple like change the boot order. It's easy if you have a working Windows OS, not so much if you don't.

In my case I didn't want to wipe the disk of Windows completely, in case I decide to return the system I'll want to restore the factory drive image. So I just resized the Windows partition and installed Linux an the freed space. That also left the boot manager in control. I got it worked out finally. Next time I do this it should be much easier.