I have an ASUS UX461F laptop.
You mean, if I don't have the "restore factory settings" option in the Windows restore process? (the one I did and had only 2 options)
So if I'll have to do a clean install then I'm basically losing my windows digital license that was registered on it when I bought the computer, and will have to buy a new license key?
Also, is there a tutorial for that, too?
All OEM computers (Dell, HP, Asus) that I have seen has a Factory Restore option on BIOS to allow people to reinstall the OS as it came from Factory. If will format the C: partition and load an image from the Restore partition.
First thing to do is save your data to an external disk.
A link on how to do a Factory restore ASUS UX461F
How to Restore an ASUS Laptop to the Factory Settings | Chron.com
Try fist "Recover Windows to First Partition Only
As Factory restore option is almost a clean install, this is a suggestion to try before you do it.
- Try to down grade Win 10 Pro Enterprise to Win 10 Home. Go to change key and insert a Home Key to see if it downgrade to Win 10 Home. Use this generic Key: YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7
Open Disk manager (C:\Windows\System32\diskmgmt.msc), expand all columns so we can see them and with sniping tool take a snapshot of whole window. Save the image file to a folder on the computer. Post it here as an attachment. Use the paper clip on the advanced quick answer screen.
I already explained this in an earlier post and I also have posted a tutorial for a clean install in an earlier post as well.
1. Retail off-the-shelf computers that come from the factory with Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 have the product keys for that version of Windows stored in their firmware (BIOS or UEFI). Windows 10 will read this product key during setup (even if it is a Windows 8.1 product key) and if the user does not intervene by modifying certain setup files on the USB flash drive, Windows setup will automatically install the correct edition of Windows 10 to match the product key and it will be activated. This is completely different than the OEM:SLP activation method of Windows 7 that @Megahertz incorrectly applied to Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. The product keys stored in firmware for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 allow for clean, vanilla, non-factory activations of the proper edition of Windows whereas the OEM:SLP keys from Windows 7 did not. The Windows 7 OEM:SLP keys only allow factory images to be activated. That is why Windows 7 computers came with a COA label with a product key printed on it and Windows 8.1/10 computers do not have product key labels.
2. Even setting aside fact #1 above - when Windows 10 is first activated on a computer, if the computer is ever connected to the internet, a digital license for that version of Windows 10 for that computer is stored on Microsoft Activation Servers. This is based on the unique Hardware ID of the computer (not just the LAN MAC address as @Megahertz incorrectly posted). So, even on home built computers which do not have product keys stored in firmware - all subsequent clean installations of the same edition of Windows 10 on that computer will still activate without a product key by retrieving the stored digital license from Microsoft when Windows sends the computer's Hardware ID to the activation servers.
3. The clean install tutorial is:
Clean Install Windows 10
Notice this quote from the tutorial:
"If this is an OEM PC that has a valid product key embedded in its UEFI firmware chip, then you will not be prompted to enter a product key. Windows 10 will automatically use the embedded product key if its valid for the edition being installed. If needed, you can change the product key after installation has finished."
On your retail computer, a clean install from a standard Windows 10 installation flash drive will not even ask you for a product key or which version you want to install.
Do look in UEFI (BIOS) settings first for a factory restore option.
A clean Install will erase everything on the disk. It's a good solution on a non OEM computer but you will loose everything from Asus. It's also the only solution if your disk drive fails.
There may are other solutions using the Recover image from Asus on the recover partition.
How can I restore my system from WIM files? - Super User
Please post the Disk manager Image.
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As I see, your actual windows can't be fixed.
The best option should be a Factory Restore. A clean install should be the last option as you'll be cleaning all disk and you wont have the programs from Asus and you will have to install some specific Asus drivers.
As I wrote before, OEM computers has a backup image (restore.wim or factory.wim etc) on a restore partition. A small program that you launch from BIOS will restore this image to C: partition. It seems that you're not being able to launch it but the restore.wim should be there.
What you need to do is to expand the restore.wim image to the C: partition (after formatting) and to do it you must boot from Win PE as you can't do it under your current windows.
The windows PE you can download from Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk
If you want to do a fresh install as Navy suggested, here is the M$ link for Win 10 1809 Home &Pro in Hebrew
The link is valid for 24 hours
Win10_1809Oct_v2_Hebrew_x64.iso
- Format your Flash Drive as FAT32 .
- Mount the Win 10 iso file (win 10) and copy all files and folders to the Flash Drive. That's all you need to boot as UEFI. It won't boot as Legacy.
Before you get started installing Windows 10, be sure that you temporarily disable Secure Boot and Fast Boot in your UEFI firmware settings until finished. Some motherboards do not support booting from a USB flash drive with these enabled.
Boot from the Flash Drive and proceed as described on Clean Install Windows 10
Once installation has finished, you can enable Secure Boot and Fast Boot again if you like.
Use uefi install Clean Install Windows 10
Last edited by Megahertz; 09 Jun 2019 at 14:57.
FWIW, I see manuals both English and Hebrew on this page for ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 UX461FA (didn't find UX461F): ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 UX461FA Manual | 2-in-1 PCs | ASUS Global
The English manual says factory restore is achieved by using Reset this PC and choosing "Remove Everything".
No mention of using BIOS for factory restore.
Note, the manuals are for UX461FA, not UX461F. I also found manuals for UX461FUN giving identical instructions for factory reset.
If it was me and I hadn't installed more than a half dozen apps/programs and I truly want my machine as initially out of the box, I would follow prior advice and back up personal data and do the proper factory reset.
But that's only my small voice among a lot of advice.
Last edited by Word Man; 10 Jun 2019 at 11:29. Reason: Minor typo
Wow, I really don't know why I didn't think about the option to look in the manual! Haha, thanks man it was useful! I read this part and it does say that the "remove everything" option is to do a factory-reset, so that's what i need, i guess.
Will try that later today and hope all goes well :)
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So... I just finished doing the "Remove Everything" reset option. I did pick the 1st option after that, which is if I'm keeping the computer, and not the 2nd option which is if I sell the computer, or something like that.
It's a completely new Windows setup, and everything got deleted, BUT my Windows is still not activated, and still appears as Windows 10 Enterprise non-activated.
Was I supposed to click on the 2nd option under "Remove Everything"? There was nothing about those options in the ASUS manual...
I'm really frustrated about all that. Feels like whatever I do, I can't get my laptop back to its' original state.
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