How to Factory Reset a Victus Laptop Without HP Recovery Partition

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If you’re trying to set up a new HP Victus gaming laptop but find that the cloud recovery tool isn’t working, it might be because the notebook was originally shipped with FreeDOS instead of Windows. Many models that come with FreeDOS don’t support the cloud recovery option out of the box.

To get Windows running on your notebook, here’s a simple way to do it:

First, you’ll need a Windows 11 installation USB drive. You can create one easily using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool. Just go to the official Microsoft website, download the tool, and follow the instructions to make a bootable USB. During the installation, choose the option that says “I don’t have a product key” if you don’t have one ready. This allows you to install Windows without entering a key, and if your PC previously had Windows 11 installed, it might activate automatically later.

If you own a product key, make sure you have it ready; otherwise, Windows won’t activate after installation. Once Windows is installed, you can enter your product key, or purchase one separately if needed.

Before purchasing a product key, confirm that Windows successfully installs on your machine. It’s best to ensure this first, to avoid wasting money on a key that might not activate.

If your laptop had Windows 11 before, it’s possible it will activate automatically after installation, as Microsoft sometimes recognizes previously used hardware.

To help with drivers and updates, visit the support page for your specific model. For the Victus 16 series, HP’s driver page provides all the necessary software, including the AMD Neural Processing Unit driver, which is important for optimal performance.

Keep in mind, if your motherboard’s part number ends with “-001,” it likely doesn’t have a Windows product key stored in the BIOS. Only those with part numbers ending in “-601” have built-in keys for Windows activation.

Following these steps should get your notebook up and running with Windows, even if it originally shipped without it. Remember to double-check your installation to ensure everything runs smoothly before you purchase an activation key.