Retaining the ability to reset my laptop to factory default Windows 8.1 after the clean installation of Windows 10?

[adamamerica]

Hi,

I have the Windows 10 November 1511 Upgrade running on my Lenovo Z 710 laptop.
The laptop came with the preinstalled Windows 8.1 system and of course with the OEM recovery partition from Lenovo.

I am going to clean install Windows 10 using the free ISO file or a bootable USB stick
(both created by using the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool).

Right now I can I restore my system to 'out of box' state (ie. reinstall Windows 8.1 from the Lenovo recovery partition) via:

Update & Security ----> Recovery ---> Reset this PC --> Restore factory settings

or via the Lenovo OneKey Recovery (Novo Button)

I would like to retain the functionality of the OneKey Recovery (Novo Button),
especially to be able to reinstall Windows 8.1 from the Lenovo recovery partition.

Will the clean installation of Windows 10 leave the Lenovo recovery partition intact?
Will I still be able to restore my system to 'out of box' state (Windows 8.1) using
the Novo Button or will the Novo Button be rendered unusable?

Thanx for reading,

Adam

 

[Math Geek]

it will leave it intact if you don't remove it yourself. however, once you upgrade your win 8.1 key is no longer valid and after 30 days you can no longer go back to win 8.1

so the restore will still be there but it should not activate windows 8.1 again if you use it. i did the same thing with another laptop with win 7 on it. i restored back to win 7 and then did a clean install of win 10. tried to restore back to win 7 again weeks later and it installed but refused to activate for me leaving me with "not genuine" windows.

 

[adamamerica]

Thank You for the response.
It might well be the case, the RE-activation problem.
Obviously, this is something I will perhaps encounter while doing the clean install of Windows 10.
I've browsed through many Internet articles and I haven't encountered any info about any activation
problems in this particular situation. But I shall see.
I've had the November 1511 Upgrade for over three months now. I'm not interested in the 30-day period during which one can roll back to the previous version of the Windows (7, 8, 8.1).

When I do the custom install - clean install - I will not touch the hidden Lenovo recovery partition,
which also contains the One Key Recovery software.
From what I've read on the Internet, I can clean install in the primary partition - the C: partition - in this case.

I'd like to be able to use the Novo Button to go back to the Lenovo factory default system Windows 8.1
any time I wish. But perhaps it is impossible?

Cheers,

Adam

 

[USAFRet]

The best way to do this is to invoke the process that allows you to create your own Factory Reset DVD. Rather than relying on that partition on the drive.

That DVD will not be overwritten or corrupted.

Your problem may be...will the original Win 8.1 license still work, after being Upgraded to Win 10? That is not a given.

 

[adamamerica]

Thank you very much.
It's a good idea, but ....
but the ability of using the One Key Recovery button (Novo Button) to restore to Lenovo-preinstalled Windows 8.1 is so cool and tempting that I cannot resist it.
You see, I still have it now, but having only an Upgrade and not a clean install of Windows 10.

 

[USAFRet]

Thank you very much.
It's a good idea, but ....
but the ability of using the One Key Recovery button (Novo Button) to restore to Lenovo-preinstalled Windows 8.1 is so cool and tempting that I cannot resist it.
You see, I still have it now, but having only an Upgrade and not a clean install of Windows 10.

Upgrade of that Win 8.1 license, or clean install with that 8.1 license....same thing.
That license is consumed with the Upgrade to Win 10.
You don't permanently retain the ability to go back and forth.

Having a button is cool? Its just an OS....choose one or the other and leave it.

 

[adamamerica]

Hi USAFRet,

Thank you very much for your reply.

The following clinches the matter:

"You don't permanently retain the ability to go back and forth."


Cheers,

Adam

 

[hell01234]

You are most likely not to be able to roll back to Windows 8.1 after upgrade. Though the recovery partition stays there intact, the partition layout changes of system disk. Most importantly, the Novo Button works also based on some settings to system partition. After upgrade, the system partition is sure changed, thus, Novo Button is most likely not work.
Just as USAFRet said, you can create your own factory reset media, either use Lenovo OneKey Recoveery or a third party program, say AOMEI OneKey Reocvery, http://www.backup-utility.com/okr/lenovo-y510p-recovery-media-1234.html