Question Bare minimum bootable drive for dead laptop being sent for repair

[Fletchasus]

Sending a dead Windows laptop in for repair under warranty. I had replaced the original 1TB m.2 with a 4TB and then reformatted the original 1TB drive for external junk storage.

They are insisting that there be a drive installed to boot from and so want to just put the oriiginal 1TB one back in. However, the laptop is completely dead and so I have no way to interactively create a clean install of Windows 11 on the drive in the laptop.

I have a full backup, including the recovery partitions. What I'd want to do is have enough on the drive so they can boot/test the laptop, but nothing more. I do have a Windows 11 desktop and both Macrium Reflect and AOEMI Partition Magic (full version) that I can use to create, but just don't know the process. Is there an easy way to accomplish this?

Alternatively, can I create a Linux generic install on the disk to accomplish the same thing?

Thanks.

 

[USAFRet]

Sending a dead Windows laptop in for repair under warranty. I had replaced the original 1TB m.2 with a 4TB and then reformatted the original 1TB drive for external junk storage.

They are insisting that there be a drive installed to boot from and so want to just put the oriiginal 1TB one back in. However, the laptop is completely dead and so I have no way to interactively create a clean install of Windows 11 on the drive in the laptop.

I have a full backup, including the recovery partitions. What I'd want to do is have enough on the drive so they can boot/test the laptop, but nothing more. I do have a Windows 11 desktop and both Macrium Reflect and AOEMI Partition Magic (full version) that I can use to create, but just don't know the process. Is there an easy way to accomplish this?

Alternatively, can I create a Linux generic install on the disk to accomplish the same thing?

Thanks.

A Windows OS installed on a drive in a different system is unlikely to be 'bootable" in this defunct laptop.

Odd that they are needing a bootable drive.

If it works enough for you to install a Linux whatever, do that.
But if it works well enough for that, what are you sending it back for?

 

[TerryLaze]

Get any PC that works.
Remove every drive except for the drive you want to send off.
Start the normal windows installation but at the point it asks to restart do not restart but turn the PC off.
Move the drive to the laptop.

If they manage to fix the laptop it will start to finalize the windows installation, they will also have access to the recovery, but in any case it would be enough for them to see if it works.

 

[geofelt]

Download memtest to a usb stick.
That should boot and be a simple functional test.