Really. I said I'd never buy another HP.

I did get it all sorted though, and found Win7 drivers.

So I am successfully dual booted now. Dunno for sure why, because it's there, I guess.

I seldom give up easily. Now that I've done it, I ask my self why...lol.

HP simply told me that an OEM machine with a UEFI BIOS and OS installed in UEFI mode could not restore from a system image backup, other than a factory recovery.

From OP.

Downside is I have to leave UEFI and Safeboot disabled, but without an SSD, I'm not seeing that fast of a boot anyway.

 I sort of liked the idea of all-in-one PCs, with just a keyboard and mouse to reckon with space-wise, but I'm not so sure now.  I suppose, though, it depends on expectations and intended usage.  I don't think I'd have dual boot issues, however, so perhaps an all-in-one could fill a void where an easily movable machine is needed... like moving from the guest bedroom to a more public area when the grandkids are over..

I would of course have to get over my dislike of OEM machines - all the bloatware and hoops they expect you to jump through - but if it were just set up as a guest machine I don't suppose it would matter too much.

As for cuss words and the fear of repetition, I tend to use variations of well used ones to break up the monotony, and when I'm on a roll [using strings of cuss words when I'm really upset/stressed] some very interesting and unusual sounds can come henceforth from my mouth... a bit like Dick Dastardly but XXX rated.

And don't get me started about support personel who seem to have less of a clue than you do... or who are deliberately withholding because it's company policy.  When it's the former I ask to speak with someone a few levels up, and hang up if my request is not met... and when it's the latter I just say "Bye' and hang up.  I have zero tolerance of being feched around by people over the phone, so it usually doesn't take long before I hang up and get back to trying to fix things myself. Thankfully, with DIY PCs, there's no tech support to be frustrated by.... besides the fact that the forums here at WC/Stardock are often the best source for assistance there is.

And where have you been for the last couple of days, good sir?  There haven't been any major race events of late, so I take it you've been hiding under a rock as Ragnarok came and went.

For those who do not know what Ragnarok is, it is the apocalyptic end of the world in Norse Mythology, where the major Norse Gods, Odin, Thor, Loki and others do battle and the Earth is split asunder.  It was supposed to have happened on Saturday... but then Odin may have found and wed his Frigg [his beloved] and averted this cataclysmic end for humanity and all living things.

I thought you would have given up even reading apocalyptic propaganda after December 21, 2012 failed to cause the end of the world.

Still, if one really wants to cook in fear, there are plenty of horror movies that can sate that longing... maybe see how many horror movies you can watch in a row before you have a stroke or heart attack.  NOTE: I accept no liability for people who are addicted to fear and adrenalin so much that they would actually try this.  What you consume, is what you produce.

Make love, not war, or it will kill you.

I tried but discovered I was missing out on too many conspiracy theories... and one does have to justify the cost of these tin foil hats.

World Superbikes [SBK] at Phillip Island....round one...2014...but I'm back again....

Ah, the Superbikes!  Didn't know they were on again... but then I haven't been tuning into the news lately, so I would have missed any media info on the event.  Oh well, it's not like I could have attended even if I had known.

And no sign of Ragnarok down that way?

I got up Saturday morning hoping to see a bit of mischief and hammer throwing, but alas, neither Loki or Thor were anywhere to be seen... nor Odin for that matter.  Yeah, I'm beginning to think these legendary predictions of apocalyptic endings are part of a greater conspiracy, being as so many of them occur on weekends, days off. 

Frankly, I think it's a conspiracy by bosses old and new [as in ancient and modern] to make people feel on edge and unable to relax on their weekends/days off... and if they can't relax they might just as well be back at work.

It's like when Russian bosses, way back when, tried to get churches outlawed and closed permanently... cos churches taught that God rested on the 7th day, and thus it was the Sabbath.  Well they didn't want people thinking they were entitled to Sundays off so they lobbied the newly formed Communist government to shut 'em all down.

Well, you've got that neat pirate suit, that Doc provided to you for free - that can help make up for the til foil hats.

Let me tell you a little story about that free pirate suit and why I can't wear it as much as I'd like. 

And why I can't bend over in it....

Doc thought it hilarious to design it like St Pauls Cathedral... with no ballroom.