elitebook 8540w: need a factory system image

Hi everyone,
I have an elitebook 8540w /i5 2,5 ghz/ full hd/ 250 gb /win 7 pro. Here is ( I think) the version I have :

https://www.amazon.com/HP-EliteBook-Mobile-Workstation-8540w/dp/B004ZY7CA8

I need to reset it to factory settings but I can't access windows anymore to create an image of the system.
Could a good samaritan with the same laptop create a system factory image from his machine and give it to me so I can fix my laptop.

It's a second hand laptop so I don't have any original CD with me...
Thank you in advance and sorry for my mistakes in english.

 

Just go and download windows 7 from microsoft, install it and install the drivers. It's way better than an image, due to massive bloatware.

 

I would do that but my authentification key is no longer readable under my laptop and I don't know how to retrieve it.

Maybe by using a live cd? I'm typing from Malekal win 7 live CD right now... maybe someone can suggest an other one which has some tool to find the product key. I don't even know if my Windows 7 is OEM or not. More likely, yes.
Can I even reinstall a windows with an OEM product key?

 

You can even install windows 7 without a key at all, it will run out in a month tho. I don't know if your BIOS contains your CDkey, probably not, since I believe they started doing that since Windows 8. In the worst case you can just buy a windows 7 key, they cost like 5-10 bucks depending on where you buy it.

 

A windows 7 pro key would cost only 10$!
Are you sure?
How come?
Where could I buy at such a cheap price? Is it legit?

 

Idk why they are so cheap. Don't ask me.
I still got some keys around in my stash. I don't know if they work or not, they come from broken notebooks which were beyond saving. Yay for the junkyard.
I'll send you one per Private Message.

 

Wow!
If it really works, I really thank you for that.
So it would be an OEM product key then if I understand you right?
I hope it gonna work...
Again, thanks a lot!

 

I will update on this working or not...

 

I wiped out my entire HD (delete+format). After installing, when windows had to restart, I got a BSOD with a different code from before:
stop 0x0000007e 0xffffffffc0000005, 0xffff 88004ef80cf...

Maybe a RAM stick problem after all... I'm running Memtest86+ right now, see where it goes...

 

Memtest didn't find nothing...
I'm going with "Disk Sanitizer" in the BIOS now with "optimal" option. Maybe after that I should be able to install Win 7 with your key.
I'm relatively optimistic... It's been more than a week I've been fighting this thing now.

 

Stop 0x07 means hard drive trouble in general. What was your original issue with accessing windows? I mean... could it have been a broken hard drive? If there is hard drive diagnostics in the bios, run it.

Regarding your windows key, it's not worth digging it out of your system. It was/is 74T2M-DKDBC-788W3-H689G-6P6GT because every single HP Win7 Pro in the world is preinstalled with the same key... That key alone will not activate your windows like a normal key would.

 

Looks like dead harddrive to me. Do you have more HDDs around?

 

Looks like Hidclass.sys is related to usb.
I've just read that if you install win with a device pluged in one of your usb slot you get that error... And I've been trying to repair this freaking machine with my microsoft wireless mouse pluged in since day one.
I feel like a fool right now since I formated my drive, disambled the laptop to check the ram sticks and burned different kind of CD and DVD and bootable usb sticks...
I'm doing a last Disk sanitizer round and going to install Win

WITHOUT A MOTHERFLIPPING MICROSOFT WIRELESS MOUSE!

and see the result...

@KLF: I'm pretty sure my HD is all right since I could read it with an external HD reader in an other computer. I saved all my important datas thanks to this.

 

Check this:

https://www.hanselman.com/blog/FIXEDBlueScreenOfDeathBSOD7EInHIDCLASSSYSWhileInstallingWindows7.aspx

 

ALLEUIA !
I have a brand new Win 7 pro 64 in my hand it seems (crossing fingers).
@Danishblunt your key seems to work. I have to dowload the drivers I wiped out during this trip and see how the pc behave with this new wave of datas especially the driver of the wifi card and the windows updates coming after I will be connected to the web...
To be continued...

Again, Danishblunt thank you for the free key!

I will close the thread when all the drivers and peripherics devices are safe and sound.

Thank you all and remember, never trust the mice.

 

You're welcome. It's not like I need those keys anyways, so giving 1 away was no biggie.

 

As promised,I close the thread since everything works fine now: drivers updates and all.
Au revoir tout le monde.

 

Final note : The key Danishblunt gave me doesn't work. It must be an OEM key so it can't work on my pc I guess...
I got a notification saying my activation has been blocked...