How to Reinstall Windows Free? Use the HP Cloud Recovery Tool
What Is HP Cloud Recovery Tool
After being used for a period of time, your computer might run into a problem, slow down, or even stop working sometimes. In some cases, the issue can be solved if you search on the internet for solutions. In some cases, you have no choice but to reinstall the operating system (OS) to fix the problem. For HP users, it is a good idea to use HP Cloud Recovery Tool to reinstall the OS.
HP Cloud Recovery Tool is a tool that allows users to download HP Recovery Media for HP consumer computers from the cloud. Users can download recovery software to a USB drive and use it to reinstall Windows free.
However, not all HP computers can be recovered by this tool. It only supports consumer PCs produced in 2016 and later. In addition, it requires Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher versions with x64 architecture. To check if you can use it on your device, you can check the HP support page.
If you are sure HP Cloud Recovery Tool can be used on your PC, you can download and install it from Microsoft Store.
How to Use HP Cloud Recovery Tool
If you are wondering how to use HP Cloud Recovery Tool, don’t worry. Here is a detailed tutorial and you can follow it to complete reinstalling Windows 10 easily. Generally, you need to do three moves, including:
- Back up your important files in advance.
- Create a bootable recovery USB drive using HP Cloud Recovery Tool.
- Perform the HP system recovery with the USB drive.
Now, let’s see them one by one.
Move 1: Back up Data
Before you reinstall Windows 10 with HP Cloud Recovery, you’d better back up your important files to an external hard drive to avoid data loss.
HP Cloud Recovery Tool provides a file backup feature, but you need to select which folders or files to back up manually during the process. If you only have a few files to back up, you can use that feature in Move 3.
If you have a lot of files to back up, you can use MiniTool Partition Wizard, a reliable disk manager, to back up the whole disk to save time. You just need to connect an empty external hard drive that is large enough to store all the data to your computer and follow the steps below.
Step 1: Download and install MiniTool Partition Wizard on your PC.
Step 2: Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard and register to the Pro Ultimate edition.
Step 3: Right-click your system disk and select Copy.
Step 3: In the pop-up window, select your external hard drive as the target disk to store the backup. When a warning reminds you that all the data on your external hard drive will be destroyed, click Yes to continue.
Step 4: Configure the Copy Options and Target Disk Layout for the backup. Then click Next to continue.
Step 5: Read the note and click Finish. When you go back to the main interface of MiniTool Partition Wizard, click the Apply button to start the backup process. Then you just need to wait until the process is finished.
In addition to backing up data, here are some other preparations you need to make:
- The recovery process may take a long time and you’d better set aside 1 to 4 hours for the recovery. The time would vary depending on your Network and USB drive.
- Make sure your computer has a stable Internet connection.
- Keep the power cable connected during the process. Do not disconnect from the Internet or turn off your computer while using HP Cloud Recovery Tool to reinstall OS.
- Make sure your computer has at least 20 GB of free space on the system partition. If your system partition is not large enough, you can use MiniTool Partition Wizard to extend the system partition.
Move 2: Create a Bootable Recovery USB Drive
After you back up the needed data, you can disconnect your external hard drive and connect a USB drive that is larger than 32GB to your computer. Then follow the steps below to create a bootable recovery USB drive with HP Cloud Recovery Tool.
Step 1: Press Win + S to open Windows Search utility and search for HP Cloud Recovery Tool.
Step 2: Right-click HP Cloud Recovery Tool from the search results and select Run as administrator.
Step 3: Accept the terms in the license agreement and click Next. Then read the message on the welcome page of HP Cloud Recovery Tool and click Next.
Step 4: HP Cloud Recovery Tool will initialize and check your configuration. If a Proxy Configuration window appears, fill out the options and click Next to continue.
Step 5: If there is no proxy server, you will get the System Information Page where you need to input your Product ID for your HP system. Usually, the software would detect the Product ID for your computer automatically. If you get the message “ Product ID is Not Match or Invalid” or if you are using another computer, check I need to enter Product ID for my HP system and type the Product ID manually.
Step 6: Then HP Cloud Recovery Tool will get image information according to the Product ID you have input and check the available space to download files. In the following window, select your USB flash drive that is larger than 32GB and click Next.
Step 7: There will be a pop-up window that notes which USB drive you have selected and warns you that all the data on the USB drive will be permanently removed during the process. If you are sure about the operation, click OK to continue.
Warning: Do not restart, turn off, disconnect the power cord, or disconnect the system from your network during the process. Otherwise, the operation might fail.
Then the USB drive will be partitioned, and the Windows recovery software will be downloaded, extracted, and installed on the USB drive. You just need to wait patiently until the process is completed. Depending on your internet and USB drive speed, the process might take about one hour. Then click Finish to close HP Cloud Recovery Tool.
Move 3: Use the USB Drive to Perform the HP System Recovery
Once you created the bootable Windows recovery tool successfully, you can use it to reinstall Windows 10 on your HP computer. Here are the detailed steps.
Step 1: Save your work and turn off your HP computer.
Step 2: Disconnect all connected devices and cables, such as CD/DVD, external hard drive, printer, fax, etc. Remember to keep the monitor, keyboard, mouse, bootable USB drive, and power cord connected to your PC.
Step 3: Turn on your computer and press Esc immediately and repeatedly until you see the Startup Menu on the screen.
Step 4: In the Startup Menu, press the F9 key to access Boot Device Options. Then press the up or down arrow keys to choose your USB flash drive and press Enter. When prompted to run Recovery Manager from the hard drive or media, you need to select Run from media and click Next to continue.
Step 5: Choose a language and click OK to open Recovery Manager. Then select Factory Reset to erase the entire hard drive and reinstall Windows 10. Click Next to continue. When you get the welcome page, click Next to jump it.
Step 6: Since you have backed up your data in Move 1, select Recovery without backing up your files and click Next. A window showing the following message will appear: All user-created files and partitions, and any programs installed after purchase will be lost, and you should click OK.
Step 7: The HP Recovery Manager will erase all contents on the hard drive, and then restore the drive to its original factory image, which includes reinstalling all original software and drivers. When you are asked if you received a supplemental recovery USB drive from HP Support, click Skip.
Step 8: When you see the window “ Recovery Preparation is complete”, click Continue and click OK in the pop-up window to restart your computer.
Step 9: When the Windows recovery is complete, click Finish. Then your computer will restart.
After the PC initial setup begins, you can remove your USB flash drive and start to use your HP computer.
What is HP Cloud Recovery Tool? Can I use it on my computer? How to use it? Here is a detailed tutorial. Click to tweet
Bottom Line
If you are an HP user, it’s a good choice to use HP Cloud Recovery Tool when your computer runs into a problem and needs to be recovered. The process might be a little bit difficult, but don’t worry. You can complete it successfully if you refer to this tutorial.
You can share your experience or ideas in the following comment zone. If you encounter problems while using MiniTool Partition Wizard, you can contact our support team via [email protected] .
HP Cloud Recovery FAQ
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Position: Columnist
Sherry has been a staff editor of MiniTool for a year. She has received rigorous training about computer and digital data in company. Her articles focus on solutions to various problems that many Windows users might encounter and she is excellent at disk partitioning.
She has a wide range of hobbies, including listening to music, playing video games, roller skating, reading, and so on. By the way, she is patient and serious.
Originally published at https://www.minitool.com on February 21, 2021.
