Electric IT Hub | Reinstalling Windows Operating System Post Wipe

When performing remote wipe operations on Windows machines through MDM, the outcome can vary significantly depending on several key factors.

Different wipe commands execute distinct processes that may interact differently with the underlying Windows operating system. Specific Windows versions, system configuration, Bitlocker encryption status, device connectivity at the time of wipe operation, and hardware capabilities all influence how successfully a wipe operation completes and in what state it renders the device.

In the event a Windows wipe operation renders the laptop in a state that appears “bricked”, it is important to note that there are several restoration programs that can be used and the device is still indeed reusable.

Option 1 - Preferred Recovery Method

Reinstall Using the OS

• The user can sign into the machine and go to Settings > Recovery > Reset this PC

• Have the user select Remove Everything and choose whether to reinstall using the Cloud or the recovery partition on the device.

• If the user can’t sign in, restart the machine and hold the Shift key.

  • This should boot them into the UEFI screen. They can then go to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC and select Remove Everything.

Option 2

Manufacturer Recovery Tool

Please only use this method if reinstalling from the OS fails.

Requirements

1. 32GB USB flash drive

2. 20GB of HDD space for Windows download

Manufacturer Links:

• Dell:https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000123667/how-to-download-and-use-the-dell-os-recovery-image-in-microsoft-windows

• HP: https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_4511095-4511141-16

• Lenovo:https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht103653-lenovo-digital-download-recovery-service-ddrs-download-the-files-needed-to-create-a-lenovo-usb-recovery-key

Follow the manufacturer instructions to set up recovery media, on an Admin level device.

• This will help you prepare a USB drive that will contain the correct recovery image with drivers for your chosen device.

• Insert the drive into the machine and boot to the USB to start the recovery process. The process may require network connectivity for the device using the recovery drive.

Option 3

Send to Electric Warehouse

• Electric offers Warehousing through a simple interface. Shipping to and from the Warehouse, plus the ability to quickly identify what assets are warehoused, is possible.

• Warehousing a device with Electric might incur additional costs.

• Please reach out to product support to learn more about this option via product-support@electric.ai.