Problems on installing Windows 10 on a Lenovo Thinkpad

Operating Systems & Open Source Windows
1

Background: My uncle purchased a refurbished Thinkpad T450s cheap (her wife is a worker in Lenovo) and requested me to transfer his files from the old computer.

Please bear the long story.

When I logged into the window (in windows 10), I noticed that most of the drivers are having some issues. Graphics driver (nvidia) is not working, can't connect to the internet (wireless nor cat6), and there is some programs that my uncle definitely don't use.

I realise that the windows 10 might be upgraded from windows 8.1 and the previous customer returned the computer after the upgrade as the drivers are not compatible.

So I think reset the windows might be the best idea, and here's where the screwup starts.

The computer failed to reset - it stucked at 37% for hours. I force restart the computer and after a few restarts - the computer starts in windows 8.1! (huh????)

Then I tried to reinstall the windows 10 through USB bootable, however it can't. ( I'd even turned off bootsecure). (USB bootable works fine on my computer)

Then I tried install windows 10 from inside windows, and it stated the windows 10 cannot proceed as there is no product key. Checking the system in control panels reveals the windows 8.1 is not activated. (Whaaaat?????)

It has become such a headache now.... Is it possible a failed reset causing the windows key to be lost? O r what happened actually? How should I proceed from here?

Edit: Or is it possible the windows in the computer is not geniune in the first place? very unlikely right?)

TLDR: Try to reset a refurbished laptop, reset failed, unable to reinstall the computer, found out the original window in the laptop is not geniune.

3

When you turned off boot secure, you turned off the efi chip that windows 8 and up needs to get the product key... Gotta have that turned on as modern laptops store the COA in the chip, hence why the stickers on the back have no COA. Hopefully you didn't clear it

4

Turned on bootsecure. Still having problem with the activation.

5

Efi and such is enabled as well? How about hardware, have you tested the hard drive?

6

I'd not tested the hard drive yet. It is a hybrid afaik (its a 16gbsd with 1 tb hdd)

I did not mess with the EFI and it's enabled.

7

you're still stuck in win 8?

8

The windows 8.1 is working fine afaik, but i need to change it back to windows 10. Can't install windows 10 as the windows 8.1 itself is not geniune.

Maybe some1 can suggest why I cant bootup form usb directly, then I might be able to install windows 10 directly? But I'm worry that won't be geniune either.

9

Hmmm. What does activation say? Still unactivated? Do you have network in win8?

10

I can access the internet fine now. Activation failed, my plan is to call up microsoft and see how tomorrow as it is 3 am in the morning now lol.

11

Where did you get the iso? Might just need to reformat. How'd you set it up?

12

I forgot where I got the ISO from actually. Might be torrent? I setup the USB bootable using Rufus and tried it on my computer which works fine.

13

Rufus is good to use. Hmmm. Might need to get the iso again. Thing is, win10 encodes your COA to your hardware config. If it activated legit it should already be good to try again. You might wanna try a fresh install on win 10, just remember to backup stuff. Sometimes there is a setting for bootable USB, and you might have to switch it up to legacy mode to get it to show

14

Thanks for the help. Will get back once I settle the activation issue with Microsoft cm. TBH I did not check the activation status of the original version of windows 10 that I resetted is geniune or not. I just assumed that its geniune since its a Thinkpad and theres a windows pro sticker on the lappy lol.

If I can activate the windows tomorrow, I think install windows 10 directly from Microsoft. This laptop has given me enough headache.

15

I understand. Keep in mind though, the free activation period is over. Plus if you have a bad HD or RAM, that might have caused it. The migration isn't always friendly and I've done a ton of these upgrades that have went wonky.
Keep us updated, I'll do what I can to help

16

What I worried the most is the previous owner who returned the laptop actually installed a pirated windows on the laptop lol. (piracy is quite prevalent at my region)

I never trust the windows 8 upgrading to windows 10, but I'm more worried about the activation status of the window now.

Also cfs scan is normal.

17

ah I see. I mean in this case, if you're lucky they left the COA on the EFI chip, and you can still use it. But that process might be more cumbersome than just installing win 10, since you would have to go win 8>win 10. I'm pretty sure the free upgrade period is over

18

Found the culprit. Error 0x80072f8f during activation, which after some search points to an inaccurate date. Fixing the date allows the activation process to go through. I'm currently running a windows 10 setup system and will update once done.

1 Like
19

Aha yeah lol that would do it, needs the right date to authenticate lol

20

I'd managed to install windows 10 properly and currently dealing with the driver. However the computer seems quite slow / sluggish, even for its specs. Its a core i7 vpro 5600U CPU @2.5GHz with 8Gb Ram. However its a hybrid drive, 16gb Sandisk SSD with 1gb of HDD.

I'm not sure whether its due to driver or something is wrong with the HDD. I'll run a crystalmark and report back. However its seems unresponsive (maybe I'm used to SSD machines).

21

Windows has always been notoriously heavy on resources and a 16 gb ssd on a HDD wont fit the full OS so more then likely its using it as some sort of cash drive. A proper ssd will speed things up significantly.