Clean install Windows 10

M

Mark Clayton

Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2020
Posts
7
Hi - My HP Envy laptop developed a ghost administrator after last update. I am unable to make any changes without the password which I did not create so I want to clean install Windows 10. I purchased the USB Windows 10 Pro version but I seem unable to change the boot order in bios as there is a blue arrow which always points to the OS drive for boot up despite me changing the order. When I boot up and F9 it shows the USB which I choose and then it just goes to a black screen with a blinking minus cursor.
 
Here is the info from Amazon re the purcahse


$149.00
Item Subtotal:$149.00
Postage & Packing:$7.99
Total:$156.99
Paid by Visa:$156.99
It's easy to return an item. Visit our Online Returns Centre.
If you need further assistance with your order, please visit Customer Service.

We hope to see you again soon.
Amazon.com.au

Please also see our Returns Policy: Amazon.com.au Help to learn more about our 30 day returns guarantee which outlines that you can return items for a full refund of the item price within 30 days of receipt of item.
Learn more about how GST is calculated by visiting our help page: Amazon.com.au Help: GST & Invoices
Please note: This email was sent from a notification-only address that can't accept incoming email. Please do not reply to this message.
$149.00​
Item Subtotal:​
$149.00​
Postage & Packing:​
$7.99​
Total:​
$156.99​
Paid by Visa:​
$156.99​
It's easy to return an item. Visit our Online Returns Centre.
If you need further assistance with your order, please visit Customer Service.

We hope to see you again soon.
Amazon.com.au
Please also see our Returns Policy: http://www.amazon.com.au/refunds to learn more about our 30 day returns guarantee which outlines that you can return items for a full refund of the item price within 30 days of receipt of item.
Learn more about how GST is calculated by visiting our help page: https://www.amazon.com.au/GST
Please note: This email was sent from a notification-only address that can't accept incoming email. Please do not reply to this message.
 
You already had Win 10 pro on the computer? or Home? If you had Win 10 Pro already, you could simply download the ISO and do a clean install that way. Doing a Completely Clean Install of Windows 10 - Windows 10 Support



What I'm getting at is, it sounds as if the USB drive is not configured correctly to boot. This is only a guess based on what we've shared so far.

Also, you can get a legit Win Pro license on ebay for $3.99-$5.99, use your own USB drive with a program like RUFUS and do it yourself. I have used this method on many computers and it works every time.
 
Last edited:
I never, ever purchase Windows 10 install media. Anything that's been around long enough to make it to an online retailer or brick-and-mortar store will be out of date before it gets there.

Buying a license key, regardless of source, is a different thing, and one could need a Pro key if you had Home and wanted to upgrade to Pro.

But when it comes to reinstalling Windows 10, one should always download a fresh copy of the Windows 10 ISO from the Microsoft Windows 10 Download Page for use in any install or reinstall.

Doing a Completely Clean (Re)install of Windows 10 Using Media Creation Tool to Fetch the Win10 ISO File

Doing a Completely Clean (Re)install of Windows 10 Using Media Creation Tool to Create Bootable Win10 Install Media on a USB Thumb Drive
 
Hi BIOS settings attached. You can see the little blue arrow always points to the Hard Drive or OS Boot Manager even though I have changed the order of the boot sequence. Is there a way to move this arrow to the USB?
 

Attachments

  • BIOS settings.jpg
    BIOS settings.jpg
    479 KB · Views: 6
That "ghost administrator" account is very likely the default Administrator account which is part of the operating system. Have you tried just hitting the Enter-key? I don't think it has a password?
 
That arrow, in my experience, indicates where focus is at the moment, but has nothing to do with the actual boot order, which occurs in precisely the order listed.

In that screen shot the USB drive has precedence as the first boot device whether in UEFI or Legacy boot mode, and you have Legacy mode enabled.

I also don't know this, as there are variants, but do you have an option at boot to go into a "one time boot order" for just that single boot? If so, you could always use it to designate the USB drive as the thing to boot from. This usually appears across the bottom at some point in the boot process before the OS ever starts to load, but sometimes it's very fast to go by. I believe it may be F12 for the InsydeH20, but am not entirely certain about that.

In addition, since this is a Windows 10 install I would consider disabling Legacy Support and enabling secure boot to see if that makes a difference. That's the "general default" UEFI configuration on a Win10 box as shipped from the factory.
 
Thanks for this advice. It made no difference. I have changed the boot order but it still boots to the hard drive. I get the impression that my drive and or windows may be corrupted. It really shouldn't be this difficult but I have tried all the variations. Is there a way in via cmd? My only option is to give this laptop to an expert to undo everything and reinstall Windows 10 Pro.
 
I suggest you do take it to someone.

The step for boot order occurs entirely prior to the involvement of any OS whatsoever. If UEFI/BIOS is not allowing this it's likely that you'll need to have that attended to, or else something else is wrong somewhere with the hardware.

I can't imagine why you cannot temporarily or permanently rearrange boot order, and it's well-nigh impossible to give any sort of educated guess from distance.
 
Mark Clayton said:
Thanks for this advice. It made no difference. I have changed the boot order but it still boots to the hard drive. I get the impression that my drive and or windows may be corrupted. It really shouldn't be this difficult but I have tried all the variations. Is there a way in via cmd? My only option is to give this laptop to an expert to undo everything and reinstall Windows 10 Pro.
Click to expand...

Yes, if changing the boot order does not do it, you might wanna check the installation media. There might be some error in the bootable drive.
 
britechguy said:
I suggest you do take it to someone.

The step for boot order occurs entirely prior to the involvement of any OS whatsoever. If UEFI/BIOS is not allowing this it's likely that you'll need to have that attended to, or else something else is wrong somewhere with the hardware.

I can't imagine why you cannot temporarily or permanently rearrange boot order, and it's well-nigh impossible to give any sort of educated guess from distance.
Click to expand...
About how to install Win 10,you cannot succeed if the boot order is not correct,i think using a Win 10 installation disk is the easiest,what is more,anyone can create one.
Or call Microsoft for help.
 

Has Sysnative Forums helped you? Please consider donating to help us support the site!

Back
Top