Windows 10: getting Windows 10 after a crash.

My computer was hacked so I may have to wipe out my hard drive . My data files are safely backed up on carbonite but software is another matter . I have to questions:
1. The malaware lets me do very little but would I be able to try something like Safe Mode to get into the computer and restore to an earlier restore point - if so, instructions please
2. Alternatively, if I wiped out the harddrive how would I get windows 10 back. My original version of Windows was Windows 8 but that came as part of my facrory settings which I upgraded first to Windows 8.1 when it became available and later to Windows 10, i.e. I have no installation disk for any windows.

Maybe a third alternative is something the community could suggest.

I am writing from a chromebook which still is operational.

The hacked computer is a Lenovo G850, model number 20150.

Look forward to some help but, in any event, best wishes for 2018

:)

 

Getting back windows 10 after a HD crash

When Windows 10 came out back in 2015, I used the Store to install it on my HP Pavillion P6000 Desktop. 2 days ago, windows 10 installed a new update that had Paint 3D and other new features and it crashed my HD. Unfortunately, I did not have any restore
points to go back to. So, I restored to factory installed OS which was Windows 7 Home Premium. I then upgraded to Win 8 and then to 8.1 from the Store.

How can I get my windows 10 back knowing that I used the "Free" upgrade when windows 10 first came out?

***Post moved by the moderator to the appropriate forum category.***

 

Getting back windows 10 after a HD crash

Hi Ayman,

You can still install/upgrade to Windows 10 as long as were able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free from an eligible device running a genuine copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. You will not encounter any activation issues as long as there are no hardware changes,
such as hard disk and motherboard.

If you’ve previously installed Windows 10 on your device, you should have a digital license and Windows 10 will automatically activate without entering a product key.

Should you have further questions, feel free to get back to us.

 

The issue is peace of mind.
Since you upgraded from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 you have a digital license.
This should allow you to format the drive or sanitize the drive and then install the operating system using a Windows 10 iso:
Download Windows 10
So if you can wipe the drive and perform a clean install of Windows 10 version 1709:
Clean Install Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

 

If Windows works, you may try:
shift+Restart --> Troubleshoot / Reset PC or Advanced options / System Restore

Happy New Year *Smile

 

In future, use disk imaging routinely as we so often recommend. Why? If you have your disk image sets safely stored on external media or storage, then whatever happens to your PC - theft, flood, fire, ransomware, disk failure, becomes unbootable... you can still use your disk image
- to restore your PC to 'as was' condition - usually in less than an hour, could be a lot less.
- to configure a new PC
- to configure a new disk

Disk images also serve as a full backup - you can mount them and extract files with file explorer.

This can save you a huge amount of time and frustration. E.g. Macrium Reflect (free) + its boot disk + external storage.

Updating a disk image (differential imaging) of Windows can take less than 12 minutes (obviously depending the amount of change and size of data imaged) using an SSD and USB3.

 

Good advice from Dalchina, as always. My C is an SSD and holds only the OS and my programs, with personal files like Documents, Pictures being on the internal spinning HD (also backed up regularly by another method). I use Macrium Reflect Free to make, automatically in the background, an image of my C drive every day, giving one week's supply of backups (and more to the point, a very recent backup is always available). It takes less than 15 minutes each time with no effect on the speed of the comp while it is running. I have also made and rehearsed a Macrium rescue DVD (they call it "Bootable Rescue Media") (see attached clip).

To recover from any software failure (hardware failure is another situation) I have rehearsed the Macrium Rescue Media. When run (specifying it as the boot disc) it installs a cut down version of Windows, then runs that to open your folder containing your Macrium image backups (which of course are on an external backup disc). You choose the latest image and within about 10 minutes of the failure you are up and running where you were, up to 24 hours ago.

Using a method like the above (its all free), there is no reason for anyone to be significantly inconvenienced by the failure of the operating system or of any programs. I strongly recommend it. I sleep well.

(BTW, my internal HD with my personal files, is backed up using FreeFileSync, also strongly recommended.)

 

Here's a link to the Lenovo Support Forum, it shows you how to get into Safe Mode on the Lenovo. Hope it helps.
How to enter or boot to Safe Mode in Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10

 

To the several people who responded to my request, thanks very very much. In the end you got me back to normal. I apologize for the delay in responding but your advice took some time to implement and in the meantime, my computer was inoperable.

Again, many thanks.
Frank