Computer with W8.1 out

[Chiron]

Now that you're sure that all your valuable data are safe elsewhere, I daresay it's worth a try. The "Advanced options / system restore" looks quite promising indeed.
But, as already said, I'm no Win8 specialist.

Sir Knight?

[Aelin]

I'm not a specialist at all. We do a great team like that 

[rrkknight3]

So, let's make some things clear. 

I use Linux almost exclusively.  I have two Windows 7 machines that are here strictly for running Poser, DAZ Studio and other mainly Windows programs like Photoshop.  The older one is always turned off unless I want to get a file from it.

When Aelin reported that she was trying to get her system operational, I googled for the HP directions on what to do for her specific laptop.  I have no experience with W8 or W8.1 other than recovering my wife's crashed W8 system by using a Dell re-installation disk, followed by a recovery from Acronis backup.

I want to be sure we're talking about the same thing.  Is the recovery disk an HP provided system recovery disk or is it a recovery drive in this sense:

Microsoft Create USB Recovery Drive

(sorry for responding so late in your and Chiron's day -- long day at work.)

[rrkknight3]

I haven't touch the W8.1 for the moment - and won't touch tonight like I don't know how many time it will ask.

So I have just to use the bootable Windows USB, then the tools in options, like on those screen captures ? Then I choose "troubleshoot", "reset your pc", it's that?

And if the recovery disk is the second one mentioned in my previous post -- the answer is "yes", although there will be a few more questions before it actually starts doing the reset.  This is Microsoft, after all.

[Aelin]

No problem on the timing of answer, I asked late already. And it's a crazy week with Halloween 'party', so I wanted not ask earlier in the week.

I have already a bootable USB That is the only way I have to move ahead after the HP screen. Otherwise, I stay with the grey/black screen after.
I guess the Recovery (D) is the hp disk, yes. All I know is it's somewhere in the machine, shown between disks when comp is turned on and works normally.

More questions during the process?

[rrkknight3]

The recovery partition is part of the possibly failing hard drive.  I'm guessing that you did not make a specific recovery usb drive, but are planning on using the one in the machine.  Is that so?

[Aelin]

Indeed, no recovery USB at the house. It seems with the bootable I can touch the options for recovery, repare... but it's all. I can't start a session.

Otherwise, during my last raid around W8.1 comp, I wanted to take some files of DS4 on a USB, to put them on external later. It appeared some files of DS4 are like corrupted... and DS4 was the program in action when the laptop has frozen

[rrkknight3]

Let's try this (from the HP website):

"Can you start HP Recovery manager for Windows 8 on your notebook computer by pressing F11 after power on?"

If it does, remember whether the screen is light colored or dark colored.

[Aelin]

Clicking on F11 I have a message:

"No bootable device --insert boot disk and press any key".

I guess it wants to I add the bootable USB

[Aelin]

With bootable key, and almost 1 minute on HP screen, I have a ble screen, with just an arrow cursor.

WAit. I have choosen language. I'm for keyboard position