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HP Recommended

The test found a problem with your hard drive and it may need to be replaced. If possible, back up your personal files to a flash drive or external hard drive as soon as you can. 

 

 

please. someone help

1 REPLY 1
HP Recommended

@pablowith3ablos,

 

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

 

Thank you for reaching out -I'm sorry you're going through this. The message you're seeing means that your hard drive is likely failing or already has incurred some damage. This can sometimes lead to data loss, so the most important first step is to back up your personal files immediately if you still can.

 

Here’s what you can do:

 

Step 1: Back Up Your Data ASAP:

 

  • If the system still boots into Windows:

    • Plug in a USB flash drive or external hard drive.

    • Copy your important documents, pictures, and other files manually.

  • If Windows doesn’t boot:

    • Try using HP Recovery Environment (press F11 repeatedly at startup) and choose Backup if the option appears.

 

Step 2: Confirm the Drive’s Status:

 

  • If you're not sure what test ran, press ESC repeatedly at startup > choose F2 (System Diagnostics) > run the Hard Drive Test again.*

  • If it fails the "SMART" or "Short DST" test, the drive is indeed faulty.

 

Step 3: Replace the Hard Drive:

 

  • You’ll need to replace the hard drive with a new one (preferably an SSD -they’re much faster).

  • After installing the new drive, you can reinstall Windows using:

 

Let me know your PC model and whether you can still get into Windows -I can walk you through the backup or replacement steps in more detail.

 

* F2 System Diagnostics option: here's how it typically works:

 

  1. Power on the HP computer (or restart it).

  2. Immediately press the ESC key repeatedly (once every second) until the Startup Menu appears.

  3. On the Startup Menu, you'll see several options:

    • F1 – System Information

    • F2System Diagnostics

    • F9 – Boot Device Options

    • F10 – BIOS Setup

    • F11 – System Recovery

  4. Press F2 to enter HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI.

 

Once you're in, you can:

 

  • Run a Quick Test or Extensive Test on the Hard Drive and other components.

  • If a hard drive test fails, it usually returns an error code and failure ID (e.g., "SMART Check Failed" or "Short DST Failed") -helpful for warranty claims.

 

Tip:

 

If F2 doesn't work directly, go through ESC first, then F2.

 

Let me know the specific HP model if you'd like steps tailored to that system.

 

You're not alone -I’ll help you through this.


Kind Regards,

 

NonSequitur777


† The opinions expressed above are the personal opinions of the authors, not of HP. By using this site, you accept the <a href="https://www8.hp.com/us/en/terms-of-use.html" class="udrlinesmall">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="/t5/custom/page/page-id/hp.rulespage" class="udrlinesmall"> Rules of Participation</a>.