loss of operating system

Going out on a limb here. I am looking for software for the HP W8340f. the computer said the OS was Windows Vista. I have this gut feeling i am going to have to restore this thing and the previous owner installed Window 10 on it. I greatly appreciate any help on this.

Edited by hamluis, 24 January 2024 - 11:33 PM.
Merged topics - Hamluis.

Hi, that would be correct : https://support.hp.com/ca-en/drivers/hp-pavilion-elite-m9300-desktop-pc-series/model/3740324?sku=KQ497AAR

EDIT : Not correct Support Page mistake 9 for a 8.

You can try : from a DOS Command Prompt from START | type cmd.exe into the start search box | RIGHT-click on cmd.exe | select "Run as Administrator" then Copy/Paste --> :
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command then Enter    if it finds problems then reboot. (Completed Successfully : means reboot)
Then :
After : please Open another Admin Command Prompt and please run Copy/Paste --> SFC /SCANNOW into the Dos window or Powershell and Enter.  Reboot after.

You do not mention the issue your having but you can Reset Windows 10

As well if your Version of Windows is current you can do a : Repair Upgrade Install.

Edited by Pkshadow, 25 January 2024 - 06:26 PM.

To add to BC_Advisor's recommendation, in hardware that old, you might also try Linux or one of the BSDs like OpenBSD.  Of the three major BSD OSes (FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD), in my opinion OpenBSD is the most desktop/laptop oriented.  Once you get to extreme age like that, finding drivers that work in the Windows world, if the class drivers don't work, it's often not worth the hair-pulling to get the PC fully working.

There's several versions (distributions) of Linux to choose from:  Ubuntu, Debian, OpenSuSE, and many more.  You can find them and their variants easily via your favorite search engine.

ok, the problems are typical. previous owner upgraded to Windows 10, only has 4 gig of ram. so i need to buy more ram. although all 4 ram slots are full, i will have to correct this. This PC from HP came with a light scribe cd-r / dvd-r, so i would like to get that to work. but tonight, when i turned the pc on, it powered up and then went to the blue screen. luckily i clicked the restore icon and just walked away. 1 hour later it had freshly reinstalled  Windows 10. As you all know this PC has all the bells and whistles with the remote for the tv system and all. i'm really not into that. back when it came out, i remember that was a snazzy option. but today? not interested. 

Hi, there's a point that you do need to think of Linux as Windows 10 End of Life is Oct 2025.

All the above are worth thinking of in Linux as well : Linux Mint Cinnamon Edition : https://linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=299  Most like Windows. : https://www.linuxmint.com/rel_vera_cinnamon_whatsnew.php

FAQ's plus Minimum Requirements : https://linuxmint.com/faq.php

Less Command Line stuff than others. Check out the videos : https://www.google.com/search?q=linux+mint+cinnamon&client=firefox-b-d&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjzu4eQ-8L8AhViAzQIHSZ2D8oQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1536&bih=671&dpr=1.25

It Comes with Software as well there is tons of Software available : Open Source : https://alternativeto.net/platform/linux/?license=opensource check free and ....

This is your best option and should consider it after what has been mentioned to you.

Today i got home from work and i started up this new to me computer i purchased off Facebook. it is a HP w8340f, all original on the inside. the previous owner took it from Windows Vista to Windows 10. yesterday it had a problem loading and the blue help screen popped up. and i went through and did a system restore. after that it seemed ok. now today? it loaded the blue help screen. i tried every option it offered and nothing happened. so i finally rebooted and here are the screens shots of what popped up on the screen. it has been years since i had to manually restore a computer, but the hard drive on this is, as you know, partitioned 3 times. i am looking and asking if anyone had the original cd's that came with this, but i am still looking. i am looking for help on how to reload an operating system back on this thing. 

Edited by Hotolds442, 24 January 2024 - 08:32 PM.

If the Original Restore Partition is there : https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=restore+to+factory+HP+Pavilion+Elite+m9340f

can try again : https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

Nothing will fix 4gig of ram other than Linux.

Blue Screen you posted it mentions BIOS as I also did.

Hard Drive failure or corrupted so bad that it finds nothing or you choose the wrong partition to start up from.

Did you not run DISM and SCF as was suggested ?

EDIT : Note IMHO do not spend more money on this.  If have no parts, sell the parts and chip for your next system.

Edited by Pkshadow, 25 January 2024 - 12:45 AM.

The BSOD screen you posted indicates that the failure was caused by an exception from which the kernel couldn't recover (from the 0x7E bugcheck). Argument 1 contains an exception code of 0xC0000005, which is a memory access violation and the driver apparently at fault was pci.sys. This is a Windows driver (so it's not faulty) but it does suggest that the BSOD may have been caused by a PCIe device (a graphics card for example). You might check that all PCIe cards are properly inserted - pop them out and reseat them.

That said, I agree completely with the advice that 4GB is way too little RAM to run Windows 10 successfully, 8GB is really the absolute minimum. This PC is really only good for Linux, as advised. Windows 10 support ends in October 2025 in any case....

  thank you all for the information. it is time for me to start processing the information. a little back ground info, i use to play around with computers and build them back in the simpler days. I messed around with then until January 2003. then i had to get ready to go to Iraq to do my job. when i came back i wasn't interested in pc's like i was before i left. 

  Some of the acronyms being used are Greek to me. i will have to google them and understand their meaning, none of them ring a bell. I was just starting to understand splitting the hard drives back in 2000, so i will have to learn about this. In my man cave i have 4 PC's, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP and Windows 11 (new purchase). Also, i had the VA dr explain to me to find a indoor hobby that excites the mind and keeps me occupied, so i went back to computers. but man, a lot has changed in 21 years since i last messed around with these now old units.  I am not looking into making this HP surf the next, i already have one for that. i just wanted to take it back to somewhat original, and as you know this thing is fully loaded. and play around with it. I still have my old games and other things that will play on this.  

  so, give me some time, i have to research all that was sent, and start reading books again on how to load an operating system on this thing. it's not like loading windows on a windows 98 pc, lol.

  Again, thank you all.

Hi, NOTE EDIT : to Post # 2.  There is no Support Page available for your model that can find unless have the full info to go into this page https://support.hp.com/ca-en/drivers

Basically trying to find the drivers and Bios page and there also maybe a on-line Diagnostic but have a feeling it is too old and page is now gone.

no not like Win98 for sure.   Is a large learning curve and I have to google for answers to most questions to get a good fix.  It is a matter of knowing what I need to google for that provides a fast and concise answer.

Just keep reading stuff and know that Windows comes with a Reset.

The recommendation for Linux is due to the 4gig of ram.  32gig to 64gig is gaming now.   16gig will do but certain games have limitations.

We are only suggesting this so it is more or less usable and prolongs the life of a 4gig system as that is minimum for Linux.

Installing and learning Linux would be about the same, Mint is most like Windows so less Command Line stuff you have to figure out than other flavours.

It is also a learning curve but might be exactly what you need.  Never know :=}   In any case always feel free to comeback and ask questions.  We have no idea of level of skill unless told or can you walk me through that is mentioned.

Youtube Videos are good but double check what they say as some are not as good as others good.

A useful site is howtogeek.com is useful for computers and toasters and all things end up running across (with limits).

BC Advisor, 

   i forgot all about linux. i just watched the video you suggested. i am intrigued about it. i know 20 plus years ago there was talk about this, but Microsoft kind a strong arm the public with windows. 

   so now i will start watching more videos and learn how to download it somehow and put it on this project pc and then study and see what i have been missing over the years.

  Thank You 

Hi, Welcome.

There is a Linux Forum here so can ask questions if feel the need to ask.

As well a How to Directory : https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/f/100/linux-how-to-and-tutorial-section/