I hate Windows.

LOL.

Trying to sort out a Hp laptop for a colleague, the screen rotated when the cat pressed some keys, I got that bit working, now the machine is coming up with all sorts of problems, can't even get the start menu. Now it have decided to check the hard drive for some reason.
So the best thing is to do a complete restore I think, I moved the user files across, I have a sneaky feeling this machine came with Windows 8, we will see after the install.

Just annoying that something that is supposed to be easy is turning into a pain.

personally I would try a repair reinstall and choose the option to keep your files.

In reply to a post by petsy:

personally I would try a repair reinstall and choose the option to keep your files.

Thanks for the link, but I have been building computers and sorting out Windows problems for a long time. . It was a statement of frustration as I have very little to do with Windows these days apart from the machine I use for games.

I backed up the few files and did an HP restore, which reverted to Windows 8 and then updated that. If I had more time I would have done a complete restore from scratch, clean installation of Windows 10, It took long enough as it is with all the updates, but the computer is going back today. Just made sure all updates are done and get rid of stuff that is not needed.

The owner don't do a lot with it, just a bit of browsing and watch videos, even connecting it back to her Wi-Fi is going to a task for her. I printed out instructions, with a photo of the globe she will have to click to get her Wi-Fi list.
It is a shame she doesn't learn to do more.

As i said, thanks anyway.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

Trying to sort out a Hp laptop for a colleague, the screen rotated when the cat pressed some keys,

Famous feature of old Intel graphics chips drivers, option can be disabled in the Intel control panel or separate application. Ctrl-Alt Up/Down/Left/Right I think. Up should be normal. Common prank in call centres, so we had to find a way to stop that!

I got that bit working, now the machine is coming up with all sorts of problems, can't even get the start menu. Now it have decided to check the hard drive for some reason.

Disk check usually happens if the dirty flag gets set or if there is a FAT partiton or USB stick plugged in. All computers (yes, even Mac) do disk checks, including the huge enterprise servers from Sun/Oracle, HP, IBM that run various propiratory Unix operating systems, as well as Linux systems. Even happens on a cloud VM.

So the best thing is to do a complete restore I think, I moved the user files across, I have a sneaky feeling this machine came with Windows 8, we will see after the install.

I'd call that way overkill. May not even fix the problem.

Just annoying that something that is supposed to be easy is turning into a pain.

This is why IT is a profession, not a hobby.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Famous feature of old Intel graphics chips drivers, option can be disabled in the Intel control panel or separate application. Ctrl-Alt Up/Down/Left/Right I think. Up should be normal. Common prank in call centres, so we had to find a way to stop that!

I tried all that, did not do anything, in the end I had to rotate using the Intel software.

Disk check usually happens if the dirty flag gets set or if there is a FAT partiton or USB stick plugged in. All computers (yes, even Mac) do disk checks, including the huge enterprise servers from Sun/Oracle, HP, IBM that run various propiratory Unix operating systems, as well as Linux systems. Even happens on a cloud VM.

I know this, just strange that it decided to to it then. anyway, I did a disk check and it came back clean.

I'd call that way overkill. May not even fix the problem.

It certainly did come with Windows 8 and it worked. took ages to update to 10 and all the updates. I think it was a good thing, as the user said it is faster now than it was, just a shame i did not get to bed until 11.30pm and I had work this morning.

This is why IT is a profession, not a hobby.

I help people out where I can, I build my own machines, well I used to before I changed to Mac. I did help my niece build a game's machine for her son before Christmas, well she built it, I watched to make sure she did it right. His face when he opened the box was a picture, he was shocked, well worth it.

Anyway, the little HP is back with its owner and working fine, apart from a small problem where she could not connect it to her Wi-fi, for some reason, but that is now fine as well.

i should stick Linux on it for her, for what she uses it for, Mint will do fine for her and will be supported longer than Windows 10

In reply to a post by jchamier:

So the best thing is to do a complete restore I think, I moved the user files across, I have a sneaky feeling this machine came with Windows 8, we will see after the install.

I'd call that way overkill. May not even fix the problem.

beyond overkill.. I would even call a driver reinstall for that an overkill - even though it would have been the 3nd quickest solution.The control solution works or https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-s...

the settings solution was there in windows 7 - i played around with that setting for a laugh back then

In reply to a post by Taras:

beyond overkill.. I would even call a driver reinstall for that an overkill - even though it would have been the 3nd quickest solution.The control solution works or https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-s...

the settings solution was there in windows 7 - i played around with that setting for a laugh back then

I could not even get settings up for some reason, the only way I could change the orientation was by using the Intel drivers own software.
There were other problems as well once the screen was the right way around, as I said, start menu would not come up for a start and when I did get to do things on it, the machine was so slow.
Considering it had no extra software on and only a few files, it was easier to start from scratch.
i did say to her about putting Linux on it at some point, certainly since Windows 10 is not being supported from next year. For what she does with it, Linux will do fine.

Two or three times a year I am given a pile of old laptops which I get as many working as possible and pass them on for free. If there is a hard drive in place, even if it boots I just do a clean install; it is so simple to do and these days th MS drivers are pretty good and will get you online then you can upgrade drivers as needed.

Its just not worth messing about the way you did.

For what you are doing, fresh reimaging makes sense. its a 10-20 minute job + plus driver install time per device.

But adrian went the long route. We've all done it in fairness...

The reason I did it the way I did was because there was a recovery partition on it, so I thought that would be the quickest way, I forgot it had Windows 8 on it originally to be honest. If it was mine I would have kept Windows 8 on it, I prefer 8 to 10, once the start screen is replaced . I was the one by all accounts that updated it to Windows 10
So when I reset it and Windows 8 came up, I thought maybe just update it to Windows 10 again, sadly it took longer.

Well she is happy with it, as it is now supper fast, well as fast as it can be.

I am thinking of sticking Linux on it, a nice Linux distro like Zorin as it looks like Windows may be fine for her. She doesn't do much with it apart from streaming stuff and browsing. It is a shame really, a laptop going to waste.