Solved Resetting "open box" laptop

highstream said:

Thanks. But does @Helmut’s suggestion contradict yours? There’s a difference between collecting files from Lenovo’s site and using its site to create the recovery disk.

Click to expand...

Hi there, my first post here so figure I'd make it a helpful one. As someone who has been strictly Lenovo for the last 10 or more years and recently went through this again... If you download the official "recovery" disk from Lenovo, you will restore the laptop to exactly as if you bought it retail, Windows will have the Lenovo wallpapers and all of the Lenovo pre-installed software (bloatware) on it, probably some version of McAfee anti-virus, Lenovo Vantage, etc. I will also have all of the Lenovo-specific drivers for all of the hardware, although some will most likely be out of date.

If you go the Rufus route, you will have Windows installed without any of the Lenovo bloatware, drivers, etc. You can then the go to the Lenovo site and update all of the drivers using either Lenovo bridge (like a browse plug-in), or download Lenovo Vantage (Lenovo drivers plus custom tools, etc.) or Lenovo System Update (just drivers).

I might add that I am assuming that the Thinkpad line has the same bloatware, Vantage, etc. I believe it does. I opted for a Slim Pro 9i this time instead of a Thinkpad so been a while since I've restored a Thinkpad.

Hope this helps.

One more thing I might add, is that if you create a Windows installer disk using Rufus, Rufus will let you customize the installer so that you can have the option to setup a local-only/non-online account, whereas with with the Lenovo restore disk won't have that option. There's some other options there as well, but can't remember off top of my head. You can search for Rufus options though if interested. Just wanted to point out

IMO you've been led around in circles here telling you to do a bunch of unnecessary stuff and make a simple process difficult.. There is no need to clean install windows, backup drivers, backup a key, yada yada yada.
Open settings>system>recovery >reset pc. Choose the reset and remove everything option.
Once it resets and reboots, you will come up in OOBE-(out of box experience) just as if you had broken the seal and unboxed a brand new device.

If you set up using a MS account, the default location of your user folders will be Onedrive. If you set up using a local account the default location of your user folders will be your system drive.

To use a MS account just follow the steps all the way through. To use a local account follow this method at this step.

Select the keyboard layout (ex: "US") you want, and click/tap on Yes. (see screenshot below)




15 If you are installing a Windows 11 Home or Pro edition and want to set up a local account, then do not click/tap on Skip on select additional keyboard layout screen but follow the steps below: (see screenshot below)


A) Press the Shift + F10 keys to open a command prompt.


B) Type either command below in the command prompt, and press Enter.


start ms-cxh:localonly


OR


start ms-cxh://setaddlocalonly


Reference: ms-cxh and ms-cxh-full handlers | Hexacorn





C) Enter a user name you want for this local account. (see screenshots below)


D) Enter and Re-enter to confirm a password you want for this local account.


If you do not want this local account to have a password, leave the password field empty, and go to step 15H below.


E) Select a security question (1 of 3) you want from the drop menu, and type your answer.


F) Select a security question (2 of 3) you want from the drop menu, and type your answer.


G) Select a security question (3 of 3) you want from the drop menu, and type your answer.

H) Click/tap on Next, and go to step 21G to finish setting up your local account after a restart.

glasskuter said:

IMO you've been led around in circles here telling you to do a bunch of unnecessary stuff and make a simple process difficult.. There is no need to clean install windows, backup drivers, backup a key, yada yada yada.
Open settings>system>recovery >reset pc. Choose the reset and remove everything option.
Once it resets and reboots, you will come up in OOBE-(out of box experience) just as if you had broken the seal and unboxed a brand new device.

If you set up using a MS account, the default location of your user folders will be Onedrive. If you set up using a local account the default location of your user folders will be your system drive.

To use a MS account just follow the steps all the way through. To use a local account follow this method at this step.

Click to expand...

The clean method is failing at 7% resetting. Tried twice. Unspecified problem. Tried twice. With the media creation tool, I created a USB flash drive with the file installation version and plugged it in before starting the reset. On restart, I've indicated the USB FDD drive, Local reinstall, Yes to clean data and No to download and reinstall Windows, since I'm using the USB flash drive plugged in. Should I have used ISO? Do I need to change the default start up in BIOS to USB? Not sure if I'm doing something wrong or there's another problem.

Follow up: Tried with USB-ISO. Same result: 7%. What next?

Just tried "keep the files" method. Got to 52% or so, then stopped. What is going on here?

The installation usb should not have been inserted to do a reset. You use that for a clean install and some repair options.
You can try again with it disconnected. This time try to do a reset and remove everything from recovery environment. Turn the laptop off.
Hold down the shift key (keep it held) and power the laptop on. It should boot to the recovery environment. Go to advanced options to reset.
I won't give you further instructions until you report back. If it fails again make note of any failure message.

Are you on this forum using another device?

Correction. From within recovery environment your find "reset" under troubleshoot

Thanks to glasskuter (Mama Glass) the problem of my becoming the Admin (owner) is solved w/o needing to do a reset. Wow, really great help.

Megahertz said:

Reset Windows 11 PC

This tutorial will show you how to reset Windows 11 and Remove everything or Keep my files. You can reset Windows 11 when your PC isn’t working well and it’s been a while since you installed an app, driver, or update. Resetting reinstalls Windows 11, but lets you choose whether to keep your...

www.elevenforum.com

There are thee options to reset. Choose the one you want

Click to expand...

Which one of these option, if any is best suited to:

Two laptops arrived Friday
Installed OS from Keys Saturday, installed programs
Set up Network and printers Sunday
GUI Boinky on Monday

MrBeaujhangles said:

installed programs.....GUI Boinky on Monday

Click to expand...

If you installed any app that alters the GUI, uninstall it and restart to see if the issue is resolved. I suggest using Revo Uninstaller Free.

Revo did not Fix. Tried downloading the ISO from Win 11 site to a Thumb Drive and when using said file was corrupted. Went back to redo to system and wouldn't let me do anything. Is there some kind of cool down period ?

@MrBeaujhangles No cool down period. I suggest you open a thread of your own rather than highjacking this one since this user's problem is solved. Describing exactly what is happening in the GUI that it is boinky might be of help to us.

I should probably explain for anyone coming across this thread that ultimately the solution to get me ownership of the laptop without the need to reset involved three steps (with restarts): 1) creating a user account for me: 2) giving the existing “Owner” account a password; and then 3) removing the Owner account (can’t be removed w/o a pw). One thing in addition was to make my account local, which thankfully eliminated OneDrive’s involvement. Credit to glasskuter for simplifying the process.

MrBeaujhangles said:

Revo did not Fix. Tried downloading the ISO from Win 11 site to a Thumb Drive and when using said file was corrupted. Went back to redo to system and wouldn't let me do anything. Is there some kind of cool down period ?

Click to expand...

Sorry but that is funny. Just the thought that someone would be so PO'd they'd need a cool down period, like when buying a firearm . Microsoft / Windows can certainly get the BP up sometimes for real though.

I hear about folks running into that several times a week in all phases of commerce.

a) UPS is supposed to deliver between 2:00 and 3:00 ...I have a 4:30 appointment. I check the map at 3;15 to see where the truck is, its like 1/4 mile away. I check again at 3:45,it's a mile away ... I check again at 4;15, ... now I am locked out and can't look anymore.

b) I have surgery ... I have an FSA w/pre-tax money in it which can use to pay medical bills. A month later, I get an email saying I need to submit documentation .. they don't say what. I call the surgeon and am told they already submitted everything. I log into the site,using the log-in credentials stored on the PC, before entering, I check the screenshot I took,they match I try and enter ... I check against the text file I recorded the login in and password in... I try and enter: "You have tried to enter the site too many times [ One (1) ] ...you will be locked out ...."

c) I have had issues w/ health insurance providers... so when company switched providers,before choosing one I wanted to compare with a medicare advantage plan I could get on my own as when I had one, it provided better and cheaper coverage. The e-mailed me saying things I needed were covered. I asked for written confirmation ....and got it, Dc writes script ..denied .. rinse and repeat 4 times,denied. Each call says submit it again. I engage a health advocate, we have a conference call, each time UHC says covered, denied. I needed surgery and it was going to be postponed if I wasn't on this routine. I finally say just gimme the thing, I will pat out of pocket....I didn't have $1,970 on me. Another round conference calls and finally they say "No representation, whether verbal or in writing made by any employee is binding on the company". That was 2 days after I could have walked away from the commitment.I responded "I don't condone what the guy did, but now I understand why that guy shot your CEO."

The system is designed tojust delay,delay delay until folks get tired of fighting . Oh before I forgot ... the rejection message saying I,blocked from downloading the ISO says "If I feel that I have been denied in error, contact microsoft ... no way of doing that is presented of course.

Ever call your credit card company and protest a charge ? Far more often than you would guess, once folks see the charge refunded, they don't go back and look afterwards...often they just recharge you, telling MasterCard or Visa that "we worked it out and now customer is satisfied. Neither actually asks the customer before putting it back.

Be careful out there. Meanwhile, Im still blocked.

glasskuter said:

@MrBeaujhangles No cool down period. I suggest you open a thread of your own rather than highjacking this one since this user's problem is solved. Describing exactly what is happening in the GUI that it is boinky might be of help to us.

Click to expand...

I'm still blocked from downloading anything from the site.

MrBeaujhangles said:

I'm still blocked from downloading anything from the site.

Click to expand...

Sorry, but I'm not sure what you mean by blocked. AFAIK this site does not block anything. Please explain.