Boot issue

[JeffH65]

Computer won't boot up, I get "Boot Device Not Found" error "Hard Disk (3fo)".  My computer is HP Slim Desktop S01-pF1025se, Windows 11 Home, Intel® Core™ i3, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD

[Alden4]

Hi @JeffH65,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The "Boot Device Not Found" error (3FO) typically means the system is unable to detect the drive from which it should boot, such as your SSD or HDD. Here are some steps you can follow to troubleshoot this issue.

Check BIOS/UEFI Settings

• Restart your computer and press F10 (or the key specific to your HP model) to enter the BIOS/UEFI settings.
• Once in BIOS, go to the Boot Options or Boot Order tab.
• Ensure that your SSD or HDD is listed as the first boot device. If it’s not listed, it may indicate a hardware connection issue or a drive failure.
• Save changes and exit BIOS.

Check the Storage Device Connection

• Power off the system and unplug it from the power source.
• Open the case and make sure the SSD and HDD are securely connected to both the power and data cables.
• If you have another computer, you can try connecting your drives to it to check if they are functional.

Run Hard Drive Diagnostics

• If your HP has built-in diagnostics, you can run it by pressing ESC during startup and selecting Diagnostics or F2 to enter HP PC Hardware Diagnostics.
• Run a Hard Drive Test to check for any drive errors.

Check for Drive Failure

• If the diagnostics show no issues but the problem persists, there might be an issue with your SSD or HDD itself. In that case, it could be a failing drive that might need replacement.

Reinstall Windows or Repair Boot Sector

• If the drives are detected but Windows fails to boot, you may need to repair the boot sector. You can do this by:
  • Booting from a Windows installation USB drive.
  • On the installation screen, select Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
• If startup repair doesn't work, you may need to manually rebuild the boot configuration using the Command Prompt.

Check for Corrupted System Files

• If your system boots to the repair menu, you can also try running a System File Check (SFC) or Check Disk command to repair corrupted system files:
  1. Open Command Prompt (from Advanced options).
  2. Type chkdsk /f and press Enter.
  3. After checking, try rebooting again.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4

HP Support 

[JeffH65]

Sorry I haven't responded, all lot of other things going on right now. I tried the everything I could on the computer, which are limited, but no luck. So my next step was to reinstall Windows, I have tried to install the cloud recovery tool from hp, but I am having issues with that process. I have downloaded the installer application, and per the instructions, I right click on it and select run as administrator. But that just reopens the hp cloud recovery tool page the Microsoft store. If it makes a difference, the computer I'm using to download the recovery tool is running Windows 10 and cannot be upgraded to 11 (insufficient processor). Any suggestions to solve this roadblock to my fixing the actual problem would be HUGELY helpful. Thanks, Jeff