HP Auction purchase and instant regret

[Benjojemin]

Hi Guys,



I recently bought an HP Z1 G8 Tower at an auction. All seemed fine ish and I could see the sign in panel. The PC has been wiped so no data for me to save. On getting home I realised I couldn’t open most of the options on the menu.



I think this computer has been infected by ransomware and then cynically sold by the company. Is there anyway to do a complete factory reset and would that work as new or have I bought a lemon?



Further to this is the PC ok to break and sell components or is the hardware also possibly compromised?



The product is still in warranty period.

Specs are below.

Many thanks

B

Operating system
Device comes with Windows 10 and a free Windows 11 upgrade or may be preloaded with Windows 11. Upgrade timing may vary by device. Features and app availability may vary by region. Certain features require specific hardware (see Windows 11 Specifications).
Operating system
Windows 10 Pro Device comes with Windows 10 and a free Windows 11 upgrade or may be preloaded with Windows 11. Upgrade timing may vary by device. Features and app availability may vary by region. Certain features require specific hardware (see Windows 11 Specifications).
Processor family
11th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor
Processor
Intel® Core™ i7-11700 (up to 4.9 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, 16 MB L3 cache, 8 cores, 16 threads)
Chipset
Intel® Q570
Form factor
Tower

 

[Benjojemin]

Thanks very much for your help guys, I have removed the HD and completely erased everything and then reinstalled. The PC is definitely more usable than before and I have access to all the settings inside Win11pro. I still have an issue when trying to install new programs. I’m trying to install Unreal engine for my son and plan to give him the PC for Xmas.

I can download the installer but when I start running it stops about 75% of the way citing an error every time. Could it be possible there is a super admin on the system blocking installations?