Made an on-the-spur visit to Chichester yesterday and
had a browse round the BHF shop. It's huge, I seem to
recollect it was a Waitrose 45 years ago.

The electrical section had the usual collection of
toasters, irons, radios, DVD players and computer
monitors, mostly of the old smaller pre-widescreen
type but hidden amongst them was one with an intel
i3 logo, marked up as hp pc monitor, £25. No keyb
or mouse or disks though.

I casually asked the shop girl how they had tested it
(it had a tested-by xxx sticker). She said they make
sure electrical things power up and appear to work.

I bought it after using a library PC to google its
manufacturer code -

HP Pavilion 23 All-in-one
Product No K4S07EA£ABU (hash for £)
Model 23-g127na

Seems it is an i3-4150t @ 3.00 GHz with 8Gb ram
and a 1Tb WD disk WD10EZEX60M2NAO, with Win 10
Home version 1909 but Google finds a data sheet
where it was supplied with Win 8.1.

I went into Windows Update and a big list of updates
including 22H2 was waiting so I just let it update.
Just over 4 1/2 hours later it finished !. Now on
Win 10.0.19045

Windows error logging has nothing prior to 2020 and
not much in 2021 so I guess it was upgraded to Win10
from Win 8.1 in 2020.

It seems to have 5 partitions on the disk but only
two have letters, C: is windows, and D: is marked
Recovery Image but the first partition is 1023 MB
called Recovery Partition too, followed by 360 MB
'EFI system partition', then C: 95.84GB 'Boot file,
data file, Crash dump', then 863MB another Recovery
Partition marked as Partition 5, then D: showing
as 13.35GB 'Recovery Image' (Basic Data Partition).

Having updated to 22H2, do I have manually update
the recovery partitions ?. Since this PC is digitally
licensed, presumably I could just get another copy
from Microsoft anyway.

A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.

Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
all-in-one PC's ?

On 12/03/2023 in message <tukqjr$347ps$1@dont-email.me> Andrew wrote:

>A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
>powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
>CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
>Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
>cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
>some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.
>
>Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
>all-in-one PC's ?

I've got inside a Dell All in one and the method was good preparation -
lie it face down on a towel or similar to protect the screen, check the
manual in case there are screws to come out, a couple of spudgers for the
clips then gently Bentley. Be prepared for frightening breaking noises.

I found getting it back on more tedious, a lot of patience, examine it
closely and line up the clips carefully.

Check the manual for the CMOS battery type, the one on my Dell laptop
needed replacing but it's not a bog standard CR2032, it has wires soldered
to it and is wrapped in plastic - no problem to replace but you need to
source one (I used eBay).

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation

On 12/03/2023 15:36, Jeff Gaines wrote:
> On 12/03/2023 in message <tukqjr$347ps$1@dont-email.me> Andrew wrote:
>
>> A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
>> powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
>> CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
>> Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
>> cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
>> some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.
>>
>> Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
>> all-in-one PC's ?
>
> I've got inside a Dell All in one and the method was good preparation -
> lie it face down on a towel or similar to protect the screen, check the
> manual in case there are screws to come out, a couple of spudgers for
> the clips then gently Bentley. Be prepared for frightening breaking noises.
>
> I found getting it back on more tedious, a lot of patience, examine it
> closely and line up the clips carefully.
>
> Check the manual for the CMOS battery type, the one on my Dell laptop
> needed replacing but it's not a bog standard CR2032, it has wires
> soldered to it and is wrapped in plastic - no problem to replace but you
> need to source one (I used eBay).
>
>

The HP AiO I opened some years back had a standard battery and HP's
video for the Pavilion 23 shows the same

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd9thXqbyek

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On 3/12/2023 11:20 AM, Andrew wrote:
> Made an on-the-spur visit to Chichester yesterday and
> had a browse round the BHF shop. It's  huge, I seem to
> recollect it was a Waitrose 45 years ago.
>
> The electrical section had the usual collection of
> toasters, irons, radios, DVD players and computer
> monitors, mostly of the old smaller pre-widescreen
> type but hidden amongst them was one with an intel
> i3 logo, marked up as hp pc monitor, £25. No keyb
> or mouse or disks though.
>
> I casually asked the shop girl how they had tested it
> (it had a tested-by xxx sticker). She said they make
> sure electrical things power up and appear to work.
>
> I bought it after using a library PC to google its
> manufacturer code -
>
> HP Pavilion 23 All-in-one
> Product No K4S07EA£ABU (hash for £)
> Model 23-g127na
>
> Seems it is an i3-4150t @ 3.00 GHz with 8Gb ram
> and a 1Tb WD disk WD10EZEX60M2NAO, with Win 10
> Home version 1909 but Google finds a data sheet
> where it was supplied with Win 8.1.
>
> I went into Windows Update and a big list of updates
> including 22H2 was waiting so I just let it update.
> Just over 4 1/2 hours later it finished !. Now on
> Win 10.0.19045
>
> Windows error logging has nothing prior to 2020 and
> not much in 2021 so I guess it was upgraded to Win10
> from Win 8.1 in 2020.
>
> It seems to have 5 partitions on the disk but only
> two have letters, C: is windows, and D: is marked
> Recovery Image but the first partition is 1023 MB
> called Recovery Partition too, followed by 360 MB
> 'EFI system partition', then C: 95.84GB 'Boot file,
> data file, Crash dump', then 863MB another Recovery
> Partition marked as Partition 5, then D: showing
> as 13.35GB 'Recovery Image' (Basic Data Partition).
>
> Having updated to 22H2, do I have manually update
> the recovery partitions ?. Since this PC is digitally
> licensed, presumably I could just get another copy
> from Microsoft anyway.
>
> A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
> powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
> CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
> Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
> cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
> some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.
>
> Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
> all-in-one PC's ?

You have to go to near the end of the video, to see
the motherboard cover off the motherboard area here.

The CMOS battery should be somewhere on that motherboard.
I prefer take-apart sites with fixed camera shots for this,
as the materials can be clearer in the photos.

"HP Pavilion 23 Disassembly"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmcKpUPDUTM

Paul

On 12/03/2023 15:20, Andrew wrote:
> I bought it after using a library PC to google its
> manufacturer code -
>
> HP Pavilion 23 All-in-one
> Product No K4S07EA£ABU (hash for £)
> Model 23-g127na

Sod googling, go to the horses mouth :)

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/product/hp-pavilion-23-g100-all-in-one-desktop-pc-series/6885206/model/7579615/manuals?sku=K4S07EA

There is a PDF service manual there with step by step disassembly
instructions.

--
Adrian C

On 2023-03-12 15:20:27, Andrew wrote:
>
> I bought a:
>
> HP Pavilion 23 All-in-one
> Product No K4S07EA#ABU
> Model 23-g127na
>
> Seems it is an i3-4150t @ 3.00 GHz with 8Gb ram
> and a 1Tb WD disk WD10EZEX60M2NAO, with Win 10
> Home version 1909 but Google finds a data sheet
> where it was supplied with Win 8.1.
>
> I went into Windows Update and a big list of updates
> including 22H2 was waiting so I just let it update.
> Just over 4 1/2 hours later it finished !. Now on
> Win 10.0.19045
>
> Windows error logging has nothing prior to 2020 and
> not much in 2021 so I guess it was upgraded to Win10
> from Win 8.1 in 2020.
>
> It seems to have 5 partitions on the disk but only
> two have letters, C: is windows, and D: is marked
> Recovery Image but the first partition is 1023 MB
> called Recovery Partition too, followed by 360 MB
> 'EFI system partition', then C: 95.84GB 'Boot file,
> data file, Crash dump', then 863MB another Recovery
> Partition marked as Partition 5, then D: showing
> as 13.35GB 'Recovery Image' (Basic Data Partition).
>
> Having updated to 22H2, do I have manually update
> the recovery partitions ?. Since this PC is digitally
> licensed, presumably I could just get another copy
> from Microsoft anyway.
>
> A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
> powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
> CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
> Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
> cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
> some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.
>
> Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
> all-in-one PC's ?

Yes, thanks.

If you haven't already, log in to a Microsoft account you own,
e.g. hotmail, on the PC, to let MS associate the digital
license with you.

Search Google with the model number, product name & number. You
should find useful information on hp.com and youtube videos
showing disassembly. Information on other HP all-in-one models
should be generally relevant though there are some differences.

Lay the unit screen down on e.g. a towel with access to what is
normally the bottom edge. You should find a couple of what look
like screws. Depending on model they may be actual screws, captive
screws or 1/4 turn fasteners. Release them. In the backpanel recess
containing the connectors there may be a small stud acting as a
security fastener to hold the back cover on. On the unit I worked
on this was parked on a spare thread so it didn't retain the cover.

Use preferably non-metallic spudgers to pop the back cover off
(various clips around the edges). It just pushes back on.

This should give you access to the hard disk (in a cage) and the
RAM. If you can't see the CMOS battery you'll have to do some
more disassembly to reveal the motherboard.

I have one that sped up considerably after fitting an SSD. If
you go down that route you may as well install Windows 10 from
scratch (with an image on a usb stick) rather than migrating
the existing HD image. That will automatically sort out the
various extra partitions. Initially, at least, log in with
the same MS account you logged into the HD system with earlier.

At 8 GB it has a reasonable amount of RAM. You could try the
crucial.com scanner to see if it will take any more.

After fitting an ssd and maxing out the RAM my all-in-one has
become a usuable PC for general office work. It will never
be a games machine. Mine doesn't have the TPM 2.0 module
required to install Windows 11 (at least without jumping
through more hoops than I can be bothered with) and it's
unlikely you'll find one either.

--
Graham Nye
news(a)thenyes.org.uk

On 12/03/2023 16:14, Robin wrote:
> On 12/03/2023 15:36, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>> On 12/03/2023 in message <tukqjr$347ps$1@dont-email.me> Andrew wrote:
>>
>>> A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
>>> powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
>>> CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
>>> Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
>>> cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
>>> some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.
>>>
>>> Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
>>> all-in-one PC's ?
>>
>> I've got inside a Dell All in one and the method was good preparation
>> - lie it face down on a towel or similar to protect the screen, check
>> the manual in case there are screws to come out, a couple of spudgers
>> for the clips then gently Bentley. Be prepared for frightening
>> breaking noises.
>>
>> I found getting it back on more tedious, a lot of patience, examine it
>> closely and line up the clips carefully.
>>
>> Check the manual for the CMOS battery type, the one on my Dell laptop
>> needed replacing but it's not a bog standard CR2032, it has wires
>> soldered to it and is wrapped in plastic - no problem to replace but
>> you need to source one (I used eBay).
>>
>>
>
> The HP AiO I opened some years back had a standard battery and HP's
> video for the Pavilion 23 shows the same
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd9thXqbyek
>
>

That video is a bit light on the unclipping stages. It would be a shame
to break the clips, after all.

Googling "HP Pavilion 23 All-in-one open" produces quite a few videos
that may provide more details.

On 12/03/2023 16:14, Robin wrote:
> On 12/03/2023 15:36, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>> On 12/03/2023 in message <tukqjr$347ps$1@dont-email.me> Andrew wrote:
>>
>>> A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
>>> powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
>>> CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
>>> Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
>>> cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
>>> some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.
>>>
>>> Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
>>> all-in-one PC's ?
>>
>> I've got inside a Dell All in one and the method was good preparation
>> - lie it face down on a towel or similar to protect the screen, check
>> the manual in case there are screws to come out, a couple of spudgers
>> for the clips then gently Bentley. Be prepared for frightening
>> breaking noises.
>>
>> I found getting it back on more tedious, a lot of patience, examine it
>> closely and line up the clips carefully.
>>
>> Check the manual for the CMOS battery type, the one on my Dell laptop
>> needed replacing but it's not a bog standard CR2032, it has wires
>> soldered to it and is wrapped in plastic - no problem to replace but
>> you need to source one (I used eBay).
>>
>>
>
> The HP AiO I opened some years back had a standard battery and HP's
> video for the Pavilion 23 shows the same
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd9thXqbyek
>
>

Ah yes, that looks just like the style of case. The plastic
back must just clip into those prongs that seem to be sticking
out of the main part of the case.

I'll have to try and track down a non-Duracell Cr2032, because
that's all the supermarkets seem to sell. Duracell batteries
are rubbish these days. If it has a single 8Gb ram bank and
an empty ram slot I might try and get another.

That just leaves the question of the D: recovery partition and
the system restore partition. I need to refresh one or both
of these before I put any data on - I think, don't really know.
I am assuming that the original HP Win 8.1 install is lurking
in there somewhere.

I think I will shrink down the C: partition to about 200Gb and
create an E: partition in the recovered space for data only.

The product spec for the i3-4xxx chip seems to suggest that
it has 2 cores but when I use the performance monitor in
Windows I see four little CPU windows. Strange.

On 12/03/2023 16:35, Adrian Caspersz wrote:
> On 12/03/2023 15:20, Andrew wrote:
>> I bought it after using a library PC to google its
>> manufacturer code -
>>
>> HP Pavilion 23 All-in-one
>> Product No K4S07EA£ABU (hash for £)
>> Model 23-g127na
>
> Sod googling, go to the horses mouth :)
>
> https://support.hp.com/gb-en/product/hp-pavilion-23-g100-all-in-one-desktop-pc-series/6885206/model/7579615/manuals?sku=K4S07EA
>
> There is a PDF service manual there with step by step disassembly
> instructions.
>

Oh great. I tried entering the code 23-g127na and the product
code K4S07EA£ABU into a search box on the HP site and got zero
hits !.

On 12/03/2023 16:37, Graham Nye wrote:
> On 2023-03-12 15:20:27, Andrew wrote:
>>
>> I bought a:
>>
>> HP Pavilion 23 All-in-one
>> Product No K4S07EA#ABU Model 23-g127na
>>
>> Seems it is an i3-4150t @ 3.00 GHz with 8Gb ram
>> and a 1Tb WD disk WD10EZEX60M2NAO, with Win 10
>> Home version 1909 but Google finds a data sheet
>> where it was supplied with Win 8.1.
>>
>> I went into Windows Update and a big list of updates
>> including 22H2 was waiting so I just let it update.
>> Just over 4 1/2 hours later it finished !. Now on
>> Win 10.0.19045
>>
>> Windows error logging has nothing prior to 2020 and
>> not much in 2021 so I guess it was upgraded to Win10
>> from Win 8.1 in 2020.
>>
>> It seems to have 5 partitions on the disk but only
>> two have letters, C: is windows, and D: is marked
>> Recovery Image but the first partition is 1023 MB
>> called Recovery Partition too, followed by 360 MB
>> 'EFI system partition', then C: 95.84GB 'Boot file,
>> data file, Crash dump', then 863MB another Recovery
>> Partition marked as Partition 5, then D: showing
>> as 13.35GB 'Recovery Image' (Basic Data Partition).
>>
>> Having updated to 22H2, do I have manually update
>> the recovery partitions ?. Since this PC is digitally
>> licensed, presumably I could just get another copy
>> from Microsoft anyway.
>>
>> A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
>> powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
>> CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
>> Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
>> cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
>> some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.
>>
>> Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
>> all-in-one PC's ?
>
> Yes, thanks.
>
> If you haven't already, log in to a Microsoft account you own,
> e.g. hotmail, on the PC, to let MS associate the digital
> license with you.
>
Ah, I don't have a microsoft account - something that it and my
main Win 10 PC keep nagging me about. The digital licence key
may or not be linked to its previous owner then.

> Search Google with the model number, product name & number. You
> should find useful information on hp.com and youtube videos
> showing disassembly. Information on other HP all-in-one models
> should be generally relevant though there are some differences.
>

Another poster posted a link to the HP service document.

I had no idea there were so many language variations for DVD-drive.
Maybe its time the computer industry invented a common language
just for IT and its associated hardware :-). Something a bit more
descriptive than Ikea assembly instructions :-).

Esperanto ???

> Use preferably non-metallic spudgers to pop the back cover off
> (various clips around the edges). It just pushes back on.
>
> This should give you access to the hard disk (in a cage) and the
> RAM. If you can't see the CMOS battery you'll have to do some
> more disassembly to reveal the motherboard.
>
> I have one that sped up considerably after fitting an SSD. If
> you go down that route you may as well install Windows 10 from
> scratch (with an image on a usb stick) rather than migrating
> the existing HD image. That will automatically sort out the
> various extra partitions. Initially, at least, log in with
> the same MS account you logged into the HD system with earlier.
>

The 1TB WD Blue hard drive running at 7200 is quiet though. The
whole thing is a revelation compared to my 6-core AMD desktop.

There seem to be plenty of ebay ads for this model for more
than the £25 I paid for the whole thing !.

> At 8 GB it has a reasonable amount of RAM. You could try the
> crucial.com scanner to see if it will take any more.
>
> After fitting an ssd and maxing out the RAM my all-in-one has
> become a usuable PC for general office work. It will never
> be a games machine. Mine doesn't have the TPM 2.0 module
> required to install Windows 11 (at least without jumping
> through more hoops than I can be bothered with) and it's
> unlikely you'll find one either.
>
>
>
No TPM 2.0 module in mine. The product flyer is dated 2014.
I didn't think that hard drives of 1TB were cheap enough in
2014 to be fitted to entry-level PC's though.

On 12/03/2023 17:31, Andrew wrote:
> On 12/03/2023 16:14, Robin wrote:
>> On 12/03/2023 15:36, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>>> On 12/03/2023 in message <tukqjr$347ps$1@dont-email.me> Andrew wrote:
>>>
>>>> A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
>>>> powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
>>>> CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
>>>> Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
>>>> cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
>>>> some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.
>>>>
>>>> Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
>>>> all-in-one PC's ?
>>>
>>> I've got inside a Dell All in one and the method was good preparation
>>> - lie it face down on a towel or similar to protect the screen, check
>>> the manual in case there are screws to come out, a couple of spudgers
>>> for the clips then gently Bentley. Be prepared for frightening
>>> breaking noises.
>>>
>>> I found getting it back on more tedious, a lot of patience, examine
>>> it closely and line up the clips carefully.
>>>
>>> Check the manual for the CMOS battery type, the one on my Dell laptop
>>> needed replacing but it's not a bog standard CR2032, it has wires
>>> soldered to it and is wrapped in plastic - no problem to replace but
>>> you need to source one (I used eBay).
>>>
>>>
>>
>> The HP AiO I opened some years back had a standard battery and HP's
>> video for the Pavilion 23 shows the same
>>
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd9thXqbyek
>>
>>
>
> Ah yes, that looks just like the style of case. The plastic
> back must just clip into those prongs that seem to be sticking
> out of the main part of the case.

One thing to watch on AIO boxes is that there are no USB things plugged
in when you attempt to dismantle. I remember one dell that had a
wireless keyboard transceiver that "pinned" the back of the case on if
left plugged in.

> I'll have to try and track down a non-Duracell Cr2032, because
> that's all the supermarkets seem to sell. Duracell batteries
> are rubbish these days. If it has a single 8Gb ram bank and
> an empty ram slot I might try and get another.
>
> That just leaves the question of the D: recovery partition and
> the system restore partition. I need to refresh one or both
> of these before I put any data on - I think, don't really know.
> I am assuming that the original HP Win 8.1 install is lurking
> in there somewhere.
>
> I think I will shrink down the C: partition to about 200Gb and
> create an E: partition in the recovered space for data only.
>
> The product spec for the i3-4xxx chip seems to suggest that
> it has 2 cores but when I use the performance monitor in
> Windows I see four little CPU windows. Strange.

i3 CPUs have "hyperthreading" - so they can internally multiplex each
physical core into two logical processors. So the CPU itself will run 4
threads at a time - but via time slicing each core to support two threads.

So task manager will typically show twice the number of core graphs as
there are actual cores. If you look at the bottom right of the CPU
window it will normally tell you how many physical cores there are...
(along with the number of CPU sockets on the mobo, the base clock speed,
and the amounts of L1, L2, and L3 cache. So on mine it says 8 cores, 16
logical processors.

I think with an i3 AIO box, the thing that will hit its performance the
hardest is if it still has a HDD. I would be tempted to install a new
SSD. Run the Win 10 installer from a bootable USB drive and install a
completely new system. You can use the serial number on the HP web site
to get links to any system specific drivers if you need them (you
probably won't unless it is a bit exotic like ones having a touch screen).

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

On 12/03/2023 17:57, Andrew wrote:
> On 12/03/2023 16:37, Graham Nye wrote:
>> On 2023-03-12 15:20:27, Andrew wrote:
>>>
>>> I bought a:
>>>
>>> HP Pavilion 23 All-in-one
>>> Product No K4S07EA#ABU Model 23-g127na
>>>
>>> Seems it is an i3-4150t @ 3.00 GHz with 8Gb ram
>>> and a 1Tb WD disk WD10EZEX60M2NAO, with Win 10
>>> Home version 1909 but Google finds a data sheet
>>> where it was supplied with Win 8.1.
>>>
>>> I went into Windows Update and a big list of updates
>>> including 22H2 was waiting so I just let it update.
>>> Just over 4 1/2 hours later it finished !. Now on
>>> Win 10.0.19045
>>>
>>> Windows error logging has nothing prior to 2020 and
>>> not much in 2021 so I guess it was upgraded to Win10
>>> from Win 8.1 in 2020.
>>>
>>> It seems to have 5 partitions on the disk but only
>>> two have letters, C: is windows, and D: is marked
>>> Recovery Image but the first partition is 1023 MB
>>> called Recovery Partition too, followed by 360 MB
>>> 'EFI system partition', then C: 95.84GB 'Boot file,
>>> data file, Crash dump', then 863MB another Recovery
>>> Partition marked as Partition 5, then D: showing
>>> as 13.35GB 'Recovery Image' (Basic Data Partition).
>>>
>>> Having updated to 22H2, do I have manually update
>>> the recovery partitions ?. Since this PC is digitally
>>> licensed, presumably I could just get another copy
>>> from Microsoft anyway.
>>>
>>> A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
>>> powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
>>> CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
>>> Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
>>> cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
>>> some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.
>>>
>>> Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
>>> all-in-one PC's ?
>>
>> Yes, thanks.
>>
>> If you haven't already, log in to a Microsoft account you own,
>> e.g. hotmail, on the PC, to let MS associate the digital
>> license with you.
>>
> Ah, I don't have a microsoft account - something that it and my
> main Win 10 PC keep nagging me about. The digital licence key
> may or not be linked to its previous owner then.

To be fair that is good advice if you are going to make substantial
changes to the machine such that it would be deactivated once done - say
a motherboard swap. That can allow the original license to be brought
back. If however all you are doing is reinstalling windows (with a small
change like a HDD to SSD conversion) it will reactivate automatically
anyway - since it will recognise that hardware profile as already licensed.

>
>> Search Google with the model number, product name & number. You
>> should find useful information on hp.com and youtube videos
>> showing disassembly. Information on other HP all-in-one models
>> should be generally relevant though there are some differences.
>>
>
> Another poster posted a link to the HP service document.
>
> I had no idea there were so many language variations for DVD-drive.
> Maybe its time the computer industry invented a common language
> just for IT and its associated hardware :-). Something a bit more
> descriptive than Ikea assembly instructions :-).
>
> Esperanto ???

Oh the computer industry certainly has it own language already... :-)

>
>> Use preferably non-metallic spudgers to pop the back cover off
>> (various clips around the edges). It just pushes back on.
>>
>> This should give you access to the hard disk (in a cage) and the
>> RAM. If you can't see the CMOS battery you'll have to do some
>> more disassembly to reveal the motherboard.
>>
>> I have one that sped up considerably after fitting an SSD. If
>> you go down that route you may as well install Windows 10 from
>> scratch (with an image on a usb stick) rather than migrating
>> the existing HD image. That will automatically sort out the
>> various extra partitions. Initially, at least, log in with
>> the same MS account you logged into the HD system with earlier.
>>
>
> The 1TB WD Blue hard drive running at 7200 is quiet though. The
> whole thing is a revelation compared to my 6-core AMD desktop.

WD Blue drives are not that quick IME... The "Black" ones are better -
but still not a match for a SSD.

>
> There seem to be plenty of ebay ads for this model for more
> than the £25 I paid for the whole thing !.
>
>> At 8 GB it has a reasonable amount of RAM. You could try the
>> crucial.com scanner to see if it will take any more.

It probably will - but depending on what you do with it, you may not see
much improvement.

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

On 2023-03-12 18:53:02, John Rumm wrote:
> On 12/03/2023 17:57, Andrew wrote:
>> On 12/03/2023 16:37, Graham Nye wrote:

>>> If you haven't already, log in to a Microsoft account you own,
>>> e.g. hotmail, on the PC, to let MS associate the digital
>>> license with you.
>>>
>> Ah, I don't have a microsoft account - something that it and my
>> main Win 10 PC keep nagging me about. The digital licence key
>> may or not be linked to its previous owner then.
>
> To be fair that is good advice if you are going to make substantial
> changes to the machine such that it would be deactivated once done - say
> a motherboard swap. That can allow the original license to be brought
> back. If however all you are doing is reinstalling windows (with a small
> change like a HDD to SSD conversion) it will reactivate automatically
> anyway - since it will recognise that hardware profile as already licensed.

True. I bumped the RAM and fitted an SSD to my Aio without a Microsoft
account and without having licence issues. I did boot it between fitting
the RAM and the SSD. Still, it's a free precaution.

You can sign up for a Microsoft account at https://outlook.live.com/owa/
You don't have to use it for anything other than maintaining your
licence. My desktop (Win 10) and laptop (Win 11) have one Microsoft account
each. The rest are non-Microsoft local accounts. (Win 11 is a bit fussier
here. The first account has to be a Microsoft one. Further ones don't.)

>>> I have one that sped up considerably after fitting an SSD. If
>>> you go down that route you may as well install Windows 10 from
>>> scratch (with an image on a usb stick) rather than migrating
>>> the existing HD image. That will automatically sort out the
>>> various extra partitions. Initially, at least, log in with
>>> the same MS account you logged into the HD system with earlier.
>>
>> The 1TB WD Blue hard drive running at 7200 is quiet though. The
>> whole thing is a revelation compared to my 6-core AMD desktop.
>
> WD Blue drives are not that quick IME... The "Black" ones are better -
> but still not a match for a SSD.

I fitted a SSD to my desktop PC without changing the RAM (already
maxed out). It's still chalk and cheese in performance.

>>> At 8 GB it has a reasonable amount of RAM. You could try the
>>> crucial.com scanner to see if it will take any more.
>
> It probably will - but depending on what you do with it, you
> may not see much improvement.

If you need less than 8 GB of RAM it will work fine. If you
need more (look at the performance tab in Task Manager) it
will swap really slowly to a mechanical hard disk.

--
Graham Nye
news(a)thenyes.org.uk

On 12/03/2023 16:14, Robin wrote:

> The HP AiO I opened some years back had a standard battery and HP's
> video for the Pavilion 23 shows the same
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd9thXqbyek

My HP Pavillion had screws in the base plate AND another under the
keyboard. Two little plastic strips/clips kept the keyboard in place
and on removing them the keyboard lifted out to reveal the hidden screw.

Even with all screws removed the case still clipped together and, as
Geoff has written, need to be prised apart using spudgers (thin butter
knife) and be prepared for disturbing cracking noises.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 12/03/2023 20:48, Graham Nye wrote:
> On 2023-03-12 18:53:02, John Rumm wrote:
>> On 12/03/2023 17:57, Andrew wrote:
>>> On 12/03/2023 16:37, Graham Nye wrote:
>
>>>> If you haven't already, log in to a Microsoft account you own,
>>>> e.g. hotmail, on the PC, to let MS associate the digital
>>>> license with you.
>>>>
>>> Ah, I don't have a microsoft account - something that it and my
>>> main Win 10 PC keep nagging me about. The digital licence key
>>> may or not be linked to its previous owner then.
>>
>> To be fair that is good advice if you are going to make substantial
>> changes to the machine such that it would be deactivated once done - say
>> a motherboard swap. That can allow the original license to be brought
>> back. If however all you are doing is reinstalling windows (with a small
>> change like a HDD to SSD conversion) it will reactivate automatically
>> anyway - since it will recognise that hardware profile as already
>> licensed.
>
> True. I bumped the RAM and fitted an SSD to my Aio without a Microsoft
> account and without having licence issues. I did boot it between fitting
> the RAM and the SSD. Still, it's a free precaution.

Indeed - not saying you should not do it, just you can do without for a
clean install on a machine that is already activated. Having the key
associated with an account if you have a mobo failure since you won't
have the option of tying they license to to account after a failure!
(although microsoft will reactivate if you send them a copy of the
receipt for the new mobo IME)

> You can sign up for a Microsoft account at https://outlook.live.com/owa/
> You don't have to use it for anything other than maintaining your
> licence. My desktop (Win 10) and laptop (Win 11) have one Microsoft account
> each. The rest are non-Microsoft local accounts. (Win 11 is a bit fussier
> here. The first account has to be a Microsoft one. Further ones don't.)

Win 11 pro is easy to setup without a MS account - just take the "domain
join" option in the OOBE.

With 11 Home, it takes a bit more creativity. Apparently there are some
dummy MS accounts you can enter that will cause it to bail on the
account setup. Enter the MS account of test@test.com with no password
will raise and error saying that account is locked for security and has
been deactivated - then it will prompt for a local account instead.
(there are a couple of other addresses that will work).

Other options include opening a command prompt (CTRL+F10) during install
at the start of the MS account setup bit, and do an "ipconfig /release"
command to drop the network access while still keeping it as showing
media connected.

>>>> I have one that sped up considerably after fitting an SSD. If
>>>> you go down that route you may as well install Windows 10 from
>>>> scratch (with an image on a usb stick) rather than migrating
>>>> the existing HD image. That will automatically sort out the
>>>> various extra partitions. Initially, at least, log in with
>>>> the same MS account you logged into the HD system with earlier.
>>>
>>> The 1TB WD Blue hard drive running at 7200 is quiet though. The
>>> whole thing is a revelation compared to my 6-core AMD desktop.
>>
>> WD Blue drives are not that quick IME... The "Black" ones are better -
>> but still not a match for a SSD.
>
> I fitted a SSD to my desktop PC without changing the RAM (already
> maxed out). It's still chalk and cheese in performance.
>
>>>> At 8 GB it has a reasonable amount of RAM. You could try the
>>>> crucial.com scanner to see if it will take any more.
>>
>> It probably will - but depending on what you do with it, you
>> may not see much improvement.
>
> If you need less than 8 GB of RAM it will work fine. If you
> need more (look at the performance tab in Task Manager) it
> will swap really slowly to a mechanical hard disk.

Oh yes - I really "feel" the difference when I go back to trying to use
a machine like that these days!

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

On 3/12/2023 4:48 PM, Graham Nye wrote:

>
> If you need less than 8 GB of RAM it will work fine. If you
> need more (look at the performance tab in Task Manager) it
> will swap really slowly to a mechanical hard disk.

Modern windows has two stages. It has a Memory Compressor.
The reason it hardly ever uses the pagefile.sys now, is
to avoid wear and tear on SSDs used as OS drives. The pagefile.sys
can still be tricked into usage, during "fast transient" memory
behavior (start two tasks that use up memory, at the same time,
may cause a "spike" of activity to pagefile.sys).

At one time, you could see the Memory Compressor in Task Manager.
Today, you might have to run Sysinternals Process Explorer to see it.

You could run the Windows OSes in a virtual machine, then
crank down the RAM assigned to the machine. The Memory Compressor
would rail on one core when you did that. The earliest version
of Windows 10 would run with 256MB of RAM, and you could open
Notepad. At that level, that's barely enough RAM space for the kernel
to be stored in RAM.

Windows 11 has some "baggage" that makes the minimum requirement 4GB
of RAM. However, you can experiment with that, and the "core part"
needs 2.6GB of RAM. And if subsystems are switched off, because the
hardware does not support virtualization well, or in the way needed,
the memory requirement dips below 2.6GB. The kernel still needs only
250-350MB, and the rest of the space was being used for an "OS image"
used for sandbox operation or something. But without documentation
of the design, who really knows what they're doing in there.

You can install Windows 11 on a "capable" machine, then move the hard
drive to an "incapable" machine and Windows 11 boots just fine. Then,
you may notice the RAM usage has dropped as well (subsystems turned off).

As for the recovery partition issue (a multitude of like-named partitions),
a person can use

reagentc /info

to better understand whether one of those recovery partitions
is being used. The pointer should point to a WinRE.wim , if it is
using it. When Windows won't boot, it's possible WinRE.wim is used
while the three repair attempts are made. On my other computer,
by studying reagentc output, I could figure out which two superfluous
partitions could be removed. A recovery partition which is 15GB in
size, is more likely to be an OEM reinstallation partition (from Win7
or Win8 era). But again, a lack of documentation means we can't
always decode what these things are for.

600-700MB WinRE.wim container for emergencies
When multiple of them exist, only one is in actual use.
About half the time, reagentc may be "unhooked", which is annoying.
4GB partition Could be a Win10 or Win11 OEM reinstall.
Some computers seem to have nothing, and regen from WinSxS.
15GB partition Could be a Win7 or Win8 OEM reinstall partition.
Because compression is involved, a hex editor may not
tell you what the thing is.

Paul

On Sun, 12 Mar 2023 18:53:02 +0000, John Rumm
<see.my.signature@nowhere.null> wrote:

>>>
>> Ah, I don't have a microsoft account - something that it and my
>> main Win 10 PC keep nagging me about. The digital licence key
>> may or not be linked to its previous owner then.
>
>To be fair that is good advice if you are going to make substantial
>changes to the machine such that it would be deactivated once done - say
>a motherboard swap. That can allow the original license to be brought
>back. If however all you are doing is reinstalling windows (with a small
>change like a HDD to SSD conversion) it will reactivate automatically
>anyway - since it will recognise that hardware profile as already licensed.

I recently changed the mb, cpu and ram in my self-build pc and booted
it from the SSD that had the OS from the orevious set up on it. After
Windows had sorted itself out I was aked if components had been
changed when I reactivated Win 11. Answering yes and the process was
completed without bother. (Which I know is what is supposed to happen
but it is very satisfying when it does.)

On 12/03/2023 18:46, John Rumm wrote:

>
> I think with an i3 AIO box, the thing that will hit its performance the
> hardest is if it still has a HDD. I would be tempted to install a new
> SSD. Run the Win 10 installer from a bootable USB drive and install a
> completely new system. You can use the serial number on the HP web site
> to get links to any system specific drivers if you need them (you
> probably won't unless it is a bit exotic like ones having a touch screen).
>
It has a 1TB WD Blue disk running at 7200 rpm and seems to be
error-free.

It doesn't have a touch screen. It's initially an emergency PC in
case my AMD desktop dies just when I need to do some online
financial transactions. However, it is nice and quiet unlike the
AMD so I might get rid of the AMD but the latter is Win 10 Pro/32 and
has some applications that I might not be able to run in 64 bit mode,
like Lightroom V3 (*). Also the HP is a 24 inch IPS monitor but I
use a 32 inch IPS iiyama monitor with my AMD and am reluctant to
revert to a smaller screen. The HP does not drive an external
monitor but I already had a plan to dump the AMD box and get a
mac M2 mini, so acquiring a decent Win10 pc for £25 for things
that need a Windows box is a bargain.

Speed is not an issue, and without TPMS it cannot run W11 so
I am reluctant to spend too much upgrading a 2014 PC.

I might investigate getting one of those Win10 PRO licences that
seem to be for sale on fleabay because it is only on Win 10 Home.

(*) I have had Lightroom since V1 and have all the upgrade disks
for V2 and 3 plus downloaded updates to 3.6.1 but I think these
predate the 64-bit vsn.

On 12/03/2023 18:53, John Rumm wrote:
> On 12/03/2023 17:57, Andrew wrote:
>> On 12/03/2023 16:37, Graham Nye wrote:
>>> On 2023-03-12 15:20:27, Andrew wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I bought a:
>>>>
>>>> HP Pavilion 23 All-in-one
>>>> Product No K4S07EA#ABU Model 23-g127na
>>>>
>>>> Seems it is an i3-4150t @ 3.00 GHz with 8Gb ram
>>>> and a 1Tb WD disk WD10EZEX60M2NAO, with Win 10
>>>> Home version 1909 but Google finds a data sheet
>>>> where it was supplied with Win 8.1.
>>>>
>>>> I went into Windows Update and a big list of updates
>>>> including 22H2 was waiting so I just let it update.
>>>> Just over 4 1/2 hours later it finished !. Now on
>>>> Win 10.0.19045
>>>>
>>>> Windows error logging has nothing prior to 2020 and
>>>> not much in 2021 so I guess it was upgraded to Win10
>>>> from Win 8.1 in 2020.
>>>>
>>>> It seems to have 5 partitions on the disk but only
>>>> two have letters, C: is windows, and D: is marked
>>>> Recovery Image but the first partition is 1023 MB
>>>> called Recovery Partition too, followed by 360 MB
>>>> 'EFI system partition', then C: 95.84GB 'Boot file,
>>>> data file, Crash dump', then 863MB another Recovery
>>>> Partition marked as Partition 5, then D: showing
>>>> as 13.35GB 'Recovery Image' (Basic Data Partition).
>>>>
>>>> Having updated to 22H2, do I have manually update
>>>> the recovery partitions ?. Since this PC is digitally
>>>> licensed, presumably I could just get another copy
>>>> from Microsoft anyway.
>>>>
>>>> A minor niggle is that the clock loses time when
>>>> powered down, which with a normal m/b means a new
>>>> CR2032 is needed, but this has an HP M/B code 2B0D
>>>> Version A01 and I'm not sure how to get the back
>>>> cover off or what I would find. I guess there are
>>>> some hidden plastic clips all around the edge.
>>>>
>>>> Has anyone managed to get inside one of these HP
>>>> all-in-one PC's ?
>>>
>>> Yes, thanks.
>>>
>>> If you haven't already, log in to a Microsoft account you own,
>>> e.g. hotmail, on the PC, to let MS associate the digital
>>> license with you.
>>>
>> Ah, I don't have a microsoft account - something that it and my
>> main Win 10 PC keep nagging me about. The digital licence key
>> may or not be linked to its previous owner then.
>
> To be fair that is good advice if you are going to make substantial
> changes to the machine such that it would be deactivated once done - say
> a motherboard swap. That can allow the original license to be brought
> back. If however all you are doing is reinstalling windows (with a small
> change like a HDD to SSD conversion) it will reactivate automatically
> anyway - since it will recognise that hardware profile as already licensed.
>
>
>>
>>> Search Google with the model number, product name & number. You
>>> should find useful information on hp.com and youtube videos
>>> showing disassembly. Information on other HP all-in-one models
>>> should be generally relevant though there are some differences.
>>>
>>
>> Another poster posted a link to the HP service document.
>>
>> I had no idea there were so many language variations for DVD-drive.
>> Maybe its time the computer industry invented a common language
>> just for IT and its associated hardware :-). Something a bit more
>> descriptive than Ikea assembly instructions :-).
>>
>> Esperanto ???
>
> Oh the computer industry certainly has it own language already... :-)
>

It has too many languages. My background in IT was Data General
assembler, Univac assembler, Fortran77 and Cobol85 on Vax/Alpha
and C on embedded systems.

I never really got to grips with C++ or anything to do with browsers.
Then there is Java, Perl, Forth and now something called 'Rust' ??.
All a bit of a mystery.

On 13/03/2023 06:32, Paul wrote:

> As for the recovery partition issue (a multitude of like-named partitions),
> a person can use
>
>    reagentc /info
>
> to better understand whether one of those recovery partitions
> is being used. The pointer should point to a WinRE.wim , if it is
> using it. When Windows won't boot, it's possible WinRE.wim is used
> while the three repair attempts are made. On my other computer,
> by studying reagentc output, I could figure out which two superfluous
> partitions could be removed. A recovery partition which is 15GB in
> size, is more likely to be an OEM reinstallation partition (from Win7
> or Win8 era). But again, a lack of documentation means we can't
> always decode what these things are for.
>
> 600-700MB      WinRE.wim container for emergencies
>                When multiple of them exist, only one is in actual use.
>                About half the time, reagentc may be "unhooked", which
> is annoying.
> 4GB partition  Could be a Win10 or Win11 OEM reinstall.
>                Some computers seem to have nothing, and regen from WinSxS.
> 15GB partition Could be a Win7 or Win8 OEM reinstall partition.
>                Because compression is involved, a hex editor may not
>                tell you what the thing is.
>
>    Paul

The product flyer for this PC says it is supplied with Win 8.1.
The error logging has no entries before 2020 when I suspect Win 10
Home was installed (or updated with).

On 13/03/2023 16:13, Peter Johnson wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Mar 2023 18:53:02 +0000, John Rumm
> <see.my.signature@nowhere.null> wrote:
>
>
>>>>
>>> Ah, I don't have a microsoft account - something that it and my
>>> main Win 10 PC keep nagging me about. The digital licence key
>>> may or not be linked to its previous owner then.
>>
>> To be fair that is good advice if you are going to make substantial
>> changes to the machine such that it would be deactivated once done - say
>> a motherboard swap. That can allow the original license to be brought
>> back. If however all you are doing is reinstalling windows (with a small
>> change like a HDD to SSD conversion) it will reactivate automatically
>> anyway - since it will recognise that hardware profile as already licensed.
>
> I recently changed the mb, cpu and ram in my self-build pc and booted
> it from the SSD that had the OS from the orevious set up on it. After
> Windows had sorted itself out I was aked if components had been
> changed when I reactivated Win 11. Answering yes and the process was
> completed without bother. (Which I know is what is supposed to happen
> but it is very satisfying when it does.)

If you originally had a retail version of Windows I believe you
could do whatever you wanted. If you had an OEM installation disk
though I always thought you were stuck with that M/C ? (apart
from JR's note about sending a copy of the invoice of a replacement
MB to Microsoft)

On 3/13/2023 12:13 PM, Peter Johnson wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Mar 2023 18:53:02 +0000, John Rumm
> <see.my.signature@nowhere.null> wrote:
>
>
>>>>
>>> Ah, I don't have a microsoft account - something that it and my
>>> main Win 10 PC keep nagging me about. The digital licence key
>>> may or not be linked to its previous owner then.
>>
>> To be fair that is good advice if you are going to make substantial
>> changes to the machine such that it would be deactivated once done - say
>> a motherboard swap. That can allow the original license to be brought
>> back. If however all you are doing is reinstalling windows (with a small
>> change like a HDD to SSD conversion) it will reactivate automatically
>> anyway - since it will recognise that hardware profile as already licensed.
>
> I recently changed the mb, cpu and ram in my self-build pc and booted
> it from the SSD that had the OS from the orevious set up on it. After
> Windows had sorted itself out I was aked if components had been
> changed when I reactivated Win 11. Answering yes and the process was
> completed without bother. (Which I know is what is supposed to happen
> but it is very satisfying when it does.)

That's actually an amazing story. And should not have happened :-)

The things you learn. That's the first time I have heard of such a thing happening.

Your MAC address changed, and you should have been denied.
You should have been "put through hell", so to speak.

The only way I can see for this to happen, is the Win7SP1 or Win8.1
used for the Free Upgrade, was an actual (more expensive) Retail Edition.
With OEM or System Builder editions (the norm), you should be denied.

winver # version check

slmgr /dlv # read out license status

Paul

On 13/03/2023 16:41, Andrew wrote:
> On 12/03/2023 18:46, John Rumm wrote:
>
>>
>> I think with an i3 AIO box, the thing that will hit its performance
>> the hardest is if it still has a HDD. I would be tempted to install a
>> new SSD. Run the Win 10 installer from a bootable USB drive and
>> install a completely new system. You can use the serial number on the
>> HP web site to get links to any system specific drivers if you need
>> them (you probably won't unless it is a bit exotic like ones having a
>> touch screen).
>>
> It has a 1TB WD Blue disk running at 7200 rpm and seems to be
> error-free.
>
> It doesn't have a touch screen. It's initially an emergency PC in
> case my AMD desktop dies just when I need to do some online
> financial transactions. However, it is nice and quiet unlike the
> AMD so I might get rid of the AMD but the latter is Win 10 Pro/32 and
> has some applications that I might not be able to run in 64 bit mode,
> like Lightroom V3 (*).

32 bit apps run on 64bit windows using the standard WoW64 framework.

> Also the HP is a 24 inch IPS monitor but I
> use a 32 inch IPS iiyama monitor with my AMD and am reluctant to
> revert to a smaller screen. The HP does not drive an external
> monitor

You could add an extra USB based display adaptor to drive the external
screen.

> but I already had a plan to dump the AMD box and get a
> mac M2 mini, so acquiring a decent Win10 pc for £25 for things
> that need a Windows box is a bargain.
>
> Speed is not an issue, and without TPMS it cannot run W11 so
> I am reluctant to spend too much upgrading a 2014 PC.

Win 11 can be coaxed into running without a TPM. You need to set a
registry key before running the upgrade installer.

> I might investigate getting one of those Win10 PRO licences that
> seem to be for sale on fleabay because it is only on Win 10 Home.
>
> (*) I have had Lightroom since V1 and have all the upgrade disks
> for V2 and 3 plus downloaded updates to 3.6.1 but I think these
> predate the 64-bit vsn.

--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

>>
>> Speed is not an issue, and without TPMS it cannot run W11 so
>> I am reluctant to spend too much upgrading a 2014 PC.
>
> Win 11 can be coaxed into running without a TPM. You need to set a
> registry key before running the upgrade installer.
>

you can use Rufas to install win11 without TPM
or the memory/cpu restrictions

--

On 3/13/2023 8:03 PM, Mark wrote:
>
>>>
>>> Speed is not an issue, and without TPMS it cannot run W11 so
>>> I am reluctant to spend too much upgrading a 2014 PC.
>>
>> Win 11 can be coaxed into running without a TPM. You need to set a
>> registry key before running the upgrade installer.
>>
>
> you can use Rufas to install win11 without TPM
> or the memory/cpu restrictions

Just be aware, if you do this, that Rufus breaks
the "maintainability" of the OS installation.
If the 23H2 Upgrade is offered by Windows Update,
it will try... but roll back. And it is because
some "win10 materials" have been substituted, to
take the Win11 installer and pacify it.

When 23H2 shows up, you can certainly make another
Rufus on a USB stick or whatever, and get around the
rollback (run Setup.exe on the USB stick, while
the OS is running). What I'm warning about, is expect to have to
do some extra work, if this is your daily driver installation.
Rufus is not entirely a free lunch for the next ten years.

And if Microsoft decides to clamp down on this practice,
that would be over and above anything said above. I think
there is a good chance, Rufus will be targeted at some point.
If they can remove the OSK.exe hack, they can do other things too.
In the name of, um, "security" :-) Like breaking my copy of Internet
Explorer on my Win7 yesterday. That kind of overreach.

Paul