Hp Pavilion Dv7 Windows 10 Compatibility

[Carri Seargent]

Whenwindows 10 first became available i downloaded it from Microsoft. My computer worked fine for a short time and then would not open. I gave it to a friend that can get around computers and he reloaded windows 7 and it seems ok. I checked later for compatibility and found my laptop was not compatible. is that still true and can i do something to make it compatible? I am looking at a new HP ENVY 17t-cvg000 laptop since security is an issue continuing to use Windows 7.

Microsoft seriously changes Windows 10 every six months, and with each new version, demands more and more of the hardware to make it work. This has been evident over time when Win7-era PCs originally upgraded to Win10 without issues but folks trying to upgrade the same PCs years later ran into compatibility issues.

I don't personally trust any MS Compatibility Tool -- as I ran that on my DV6 laptop and was also told it was not compatible with Win10. But I ignored that, did the upgrade anyway, and have been happily using Win 10 on the laptop for years now -- it even runs Win10 v20H2 build 804 (the very latest released build) without issues.

Hello

it would be necessary to know the exact model of the computer!

But to answer the question, you have already had the experience!

Maybe you've had some trouble with new windows upgrades.

But in terms of making the computer compatible, this is most likely not possible.

Since components would have to be replaced, an older computer may indeed run Windows 10, but it is not suitable for the recommended configuration.

all you can do is possibly add more memory, but for the rest there is certainly not much to do

Try what you have been told, but since you want to change your computer, do it!

Keep this one in order to use your old programs if necessary which worked with windows 7

If you no longer use it too much for the internet, security concerns are not too important, with a good antivirus

I have read your post and understand that your HP Pavilion dv6 is operating slowly. I have researched the issue and have come up with a possible resolution. First, please perform a hard reset. Once that is complete, please follow the steps in this document:

If the document did not help you resolve the issue, try restoring the BIOS and then check for windows updates. For more specific information please provide your product model using this link "Find my Product".

First, DV6s don't do well on Win10 Upgrades. The problem you're up against is that Microsoft only supplies drivers with the most basic functionality, and what you really need for FULL functionality in laptops is the specialized drivers written for the specific hardware found in laptops -- and unfortunately, there are no HP Win10 drivers for your laptop. HP only guarantees Win10 compatibility for machines made after August, 2013. HP does not have any schedule indicating when, or IF, they will be producing drivers for the older machines.

Second, with a laptop that old, it's likely that the slowdown is an indication of a failing hard drive. I have a DV6 and I already have replaced the drive due entirely to this problem. Please follow the instructions in the linked thread to test the hard drive: Testing a Hard Disk from the BIOS HP Customer Support

Thanks for the product number, and as I suspected, there are no HP Win10 drivers for that model PC. So, it's never going to be fully operational under Win10 because the special drivers needed for the laptop components are not supplied by MS.

Although the computer is now running Windows 10, all the (applications) software that came with the original system have disappeared, and there is no evidence of a recovery partition (no last resort fall-back). I must have missed the warning (if there was one) about the consequences of a "free" upgrade to Windows 10. Do I have to buy recovery media and software to replace what was lost when the computer was "upgraded" to Windows 10 ?

Unfortunately, the Win10 Upgrade is know, in some cases, to corrupt the Recovery partition stored there by the OEM that built the original machine. This pretty much guarantees that no HP Recovery is going to work.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the problem you're up against is that Microsoft only supplies drivers with the most basic functionality, and what you really need for FULL functionality in laptops is the specialized drivers written for the specific hardware found in laptops -- and unfortunately, there are no HP Win10 drivers for your laptop. HP only guarantees Win10 compatibility for machines made after August, 2013. HP does not have any schedule indicating when, or IF, they will be producing drivers for the older machines.

This means that your PC is most likely NEVER going to be fully functional under Win10 because the drivers is needs for full functionality simply do not exist!

That said, here are some troubleshooting steps you can try: How to Resolve Post-Win10 Upgrade Issues on HP Laptops ... - HP Support Forum - 5209825

Regarding reverting back to Win7 ... While Microsoft tells you that there is no risk in the Win10 Upgrade, because they let you believe that you can always revert back to your original OS and setup within 30 days, the ugly faction of the matter is that the Win10 GoBack function has proven to be unreliable -- and when it fails, it can leave machines in a corrupted state -- which doesn't always happen, but it does happen often enough to be a problem and you won't get any warning in advance that it is going to trash your PC!

What will work is restoring your machine to its original factory condition using HP Recovery Media. This is a set of DVDs and a CD, or USB stick, that will erase the hard drive (removing all data, settings, and applications, reinstall the original OS, drivers, and some HP Utilities. In some cases, you may be able to order a USB stick instead of disks. You have to order these from HP; they can not be downloaded.

You can look online for Recovery Media starting with the linked paged: -en/drivers

Once there, input your Product name or number. On your Software and Drivers Download page, select your Operating System and and Version. Click "Update". If HP Recovery Media is available for your machine, down near the bottom of the page, you will see an entry for Order Recovery Media-CD/DVD/USB. Click the "+" symbol to expand that entty and click on Order Media for details.

Or, if you prefer, you can do the same by contacting HP Customer Service:

If you live in the US or Canada, contact information is on this page: -hp/phone-assist.html#section1

If you live elsewhere, contact information is on this page: -hp/ww-contact-us.html

NOTE: After you get through, stay on the line until you are finally able to talk to some one -- it can take a while!

Note that if HP no longer provides Recovery Media for your model, a couple of other sites you can check are: and

Be sure to read through the material in the linked thread BEFORE you attempt the recovery: -en/document/c00707939

I tried a few things in Win10 and they alll seeme to work (30 mins, basic things) I read HP's suppport on upgrading to windows 10 paying particular attention to pre-2013 section. I don't remember reading of any driver issues, but I do remember a minumum & recommended H/W table. I accept what you say about driver issues, however.

I will try to get recovery media, I haven't ever had to use it in more than 10 years of using HPs except maybe in one which is awaiting attention. However the format of HP support pages is mucked up on this PC at present (presents as some kind of plain text, links included though) and I am unable to use the telephone.

I must not have made myself clear: I am not having problems with the forums, and I can see the specification page for this model, it's when when I select any other link for support - like 'drivers and upgrades' which is the other result I get from searching for this model, or when I try linking from a websearch item (this is often a better option for searching the HP website than HP's own search engine as often turns up pages in the website that HP does not)

I just tried the first link, computersurgeons, and it opened right to the HP and Compaq Recovery Kits page. So, I don't know what the problem is, but since you're running Win10, my suggestion, if you are using Edge, is NOT to use that.

Can you recommend a generic recovery 'kit' or one for another model which is sufficiently similar ? I plan to upgrade the memory to 8GB anyway, so it strictly be a dm4-1140sa anymore...The models seem to differ by the actual variation of the CPU installed (if they are socketed that may not make make too much difference, as the only other difference in the CPU is the clock speed), the amount of RAM (all run at PC8500, but higher speed RAM of compatible 'density' will be downclocked), HDD size (and manufacturer, which should not make any difference ?), and most importantly probably the motherboard (system board) type. If two models have the same system board (denoted by HP p/n) I think little else matters, but finding system board numbers for given machines is very difficult if not impossible.

I have just upgraded to windows 11, I find that the product drivers and downloads page does not contain the word windows 11. Though the system has compatibility with windows 11, there is no extra support provided by HP, for this laptop model.

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