Laptop Windows install borked

strumpusplunket

strumpusplunket

strumpusplunket

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I have a slightly clunky laptop I use mostly for Zoom/Teams meetings and Powerpoint presentations (i3-6157, 8GB RAN, mechanical HDD).

A problem has developed with the Windows installation, such that it keeps trying to install updates and then failing and rolling back. I can pause updates of course, but this would seem to suggest something amiss with the OS in its current state.

I have tried system restore, Windows repair, and reinstalling from the recovery partition, but none of these work. I can't find anything with system scans.

I am thinking I might have little option but to reinstall Windows completely. However, I have not done this from scratch with a laptop before, so not sure of the best way to go about it.

Is Windows 10 good enough at scraping the correct required drivers that I can just rely on it doing its own thing with this? I don't know all the drivers laptops need, but I guess they are a bit different to the standard desktop ones?

As it's an OEM install, is there anything Ineed to bear in mind when reinstalling so that I can make sure it activates okay?

Any help, information or suggestions would be much appreciated.
 
Usually it's fine. I reinstalled W10 on a few laptops and it usually works out better since it doesn't have all the extra bloat manufacturers add in. If there is a missing driver, the manufacturer support page usually provides a driver download. In these cases I find it tends to be the sound driver since W10 will use the generic driver instead (Dell laptop had WavesMaxx audio for example).

It should activate itself, if it asks for a key during install just skip, as soon as it connects to the internet MS will see it's been activated before and will reactivate it.
 
Orcvader said:
Usually it's fine. I reinstalled W10 on a few laptops and it usually works out better since it doesn't have all the extra bloat manufacturers add in. If there is a missing driver, the manufacturer support page usually provides a driver download. In these cases I find it tends to be the sound driver since W10 will use the generic driver instead (Dell laptop had WavesMaxx audio for example).

It should activate itself, if it asks for a key during install just skip, as soon as it connects to the internet MS will see it's been activated before and will reactivate it.
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Brilliant. Thanks for the reassurance. I'll go ahead and do the reinstall after work.
 
wiiija said:
Off topic but swap that mech HDD out for a small SSD, will be the best thing you have ever done, will breathe life back into that laptop.
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I have been considering doing that. I remember noticing a difference with my desktop swtich to an SSD OS drive, but it was so long ago I can't remember how much of one. I was wondering how much of the laptop's clunkiness was down to the drive actually. I don't need much space on it, so it wouldn't be an expensive upgrade.
 
strumpusplunket said:
I have been considering doing that. I remember noticing a difference with my desktop swtich to an SSD OS drive, but it was so long ago I can't remember how much of one. I was wondering how much of the laptop's clunkiness was down to the drive actually. I don't need much space on it, so it wouldn't be an expensive upgrade.
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Do it, the difference will be night and day its the best low cost upgrade you can do!
 
wiiija said:
Do it, the difference will be night and day its the best low cost upgrade you can do!
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Yep, that does sound like a plan!

Philtor said:
You can pickup an Integral V2 240GB SSD for £22 delivered. Will make a massive difference if you are doing a clean install anyway :)
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Nice. Thanks for the heads-up. I reckon I'll pick one of those up. Be nice to turn this annoyance into a productive upgrade. :)
 
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