HP Pavilion 14 notebook won’t boot

[JI_the1st]

For the past week and a half my laptop has been slowing down, and the previous night I was trying to open Google chrome but couldn’t wait for it to open any longer, so I disconnected the charger and closed the laptop before going to bed. The next day the laptop was drained of its power so I plugged it back into the charger but when I tried to power it on, it would load for several minutes before saying the computer needs to be restarted and then it would restart by itself. It did this twice, and the third time it rebooted it said preparing automatic repair then the screen turned black and I waited an hour but nothing happened, so I turned it off manually then turned it back on but it would continue to load for a while before saying preparing automatic repairs. I tried powering it off again and pressing F11 to enter recovery mod, and the laptop would say please wait and then the screen turns black and nothing happens. What should I do no fix this?

[Nal_NR]

Hi @JI_the1st,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

It sounds like your HP Pavilion Notebook - 14-v124ca is facing a combination of software and possibly hardware-related issues. The sequence of events you described—slowing down, problems booting, and the "Preparing Automatic Repair" screen followed by a black screen—can be caused by several things, including file system corruption, a failing hard drive, or Windows software issues. 

Here's how you can troubleshoot and potentially fix the problem:

1. Perform a Hard Reset

Sometimes a simple hard reset can clear temporary errors and allow your system to boot properly.

Steps to Perform a Hard Reset:

Shut Down the Laptop:

• Disconnect the charger and remove any external devices (USB drives, external hard drives, etc.).

Remove the Battery (if removable):

• If your model has a removable battery, take it out. If the battery is non-removable, skip this step.

Hold the Power Button:

• Press and hold the Power button for 15-20 seconds to drain residual power.

Reconnect the Battery and Charger:

• Reinsert the battery (if removable) and plug the charger back in.

Power On:

• Turn on the laptop and see if it boots normally.

2. Boot Into Safe Mode

If the laptop still gets stuck or goes to a black screen, try booting into Safe Mode, which loads Windows with only essential drivers.

Steps to Boot into Safe Mode:

Interrupt the Boot Process:

• Force the laptop to shut down by holding the Power button until it turns off.
• Repeat this process 2-3 times until you see Preparing Automatic Repair or a message like Diagnosing your PC.

Advanced Startup Options:

• Once the Advanced Startup Options screen appears, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.

Enable Safe Mode:

• After the laptop restarts, press F4 or 4 to boot into Safe Mode.

Check System Health:

• If you can boot into Safe Mode, this means your issue might be related to a software or driver conflict.
• Try uninstalling any recently installed programs or updates that may have caused the issue.
• Run a virus scan to ensure there’s no malware slowing down your system.

3. Use System Restore

If Safe Mode doesn't work or doesn't fix the issue, use System Restore to revert your computer to an earlier state when it was functioning properly.

Steps to Use System Restore:

Advanced Startup Options:

• As in the previous step, access the Advanced Startup Options screen.

Choose System Restore:

• Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.

Restore to a Previous Date:

• Follow the prompts to select a restore point from a date when your laptop was working well.

Let the Process Complete:

• The system will reboot and restore your computer to the selected point. Once restored, check if the laptop operates normally.

Please find the remaining steps in the next post.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @JI_the1st ,

Please find the remaining steps below.

4. Check for Hard Drive or File System Issues

The black screen and slow performance can sometimes indicate a failing hard drive. You can use Windows' built-in tool to check for hard drive errors.

Steps to Check and Repair Disk Errors:

Boot into Safe Mode (if possible):

• If you can access Safe Mode, open File Explorer.

Run CHKDSK:

• Right-click the C: drive, select Properties > Tools > Error checking > Check.
• You can also run Command Prompt as an administrator and type:

• This command will check for file system errors and repair them.

Run HP Diagnostics (BIOS level):

• Restart the laptop and press Esc or F2 repeatedly to enter the HP Diagnostics Utility.
• Run the Hard Drive Test to check for signs of failure.

5. Automatic Repair Loop

If you're stuck in the Automatic Repair Loop, and nothing else is working, you can try to disable the automatic repair feature temporarily:

Steps to Disable Automatic Repair:

Boot to Advanced Options:

• Force shutdown the laptop until you access the Advanced Startup Options again.

Enter Command Prompt:

• Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.

6. Reinstall Windows

If all else fails, and you suspect that the issue is with the operating system, reinstalling Windows may be your last option. This will delete all your files, so it's important to back up any data you can access.

Steps to Reinstall Windows:

Create a Windows Installation USB:

• Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from the Microsoft website.
• Follow the instructions to create a bootable USB drive.

Boot from USB:

• Insert the USB into the laptop and restart it, pressing Esc or F9 to enter the boot menu.
• Select the USB drive and follow the prompts to reinstall Windows.

Clean Installation:

• Choose the option to do a clean installation and delete any existing partitions on the hard drive.

Reinstall Drivers:

• After reinstalling Windows, download and install the necessary drivers from HP’s website.

7. Check for Hardware Failure

If the laptop still doesn’t boot after reinstalling Windows, the issue may be hardware-related. A failing hard drive, RAM, or other components could be causing the problem.

Steps to Check Hardware:

• Run the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics from the BIOS menu (press F2 during startup) to check for hardware issues.

By following these steps, you should be able to identify the cause of the issue and restore your HP Pavilion Notebook - 14-v124ca to working condition.

Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[JI_the1st]

Thanks for replying, I went into the HP diagnostic test in the BIOS and performed a hard drive quick test, and the results said that it failed the hard drive short DST check with failure ID PTVUW4-7H5C85-MFPV6K-60WT03. Then I inserted the hard drive into an HDD enclosure and connected it to my other computer and used CrystalDiskinfo to see the SMART attributes and it showed a decimal number of 18 for current pending sectors. What do these results mean?

[JI_the1st]

Last night I used my desktop to try to repair my laptops hard disk drive by connecting it and executing CHKDSK E:/r in command prompt which took a few hours to complete, roughly 4 hours. After that when I checked the SMART attributes again this morning the current pending sector value raw value increased to 35 from 18 before I ran CHKDSK e:/r, what does this mean?

[Raj2111]

Hi @JI_the1st 

Welcome to the HP support community.

I understand that you are facing an issue with your computer, I am glad to assist you today.

Please try this link, Clikc HERE

I hope this helps! Keep me posted.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
 

-Regards
Raj
HP Support

[JI_the1st]

I want to know about the SMART attributes, in particular the current pending sector attribute, for my laptop it says 34 after I converted it to decimals. What exactly does this attribute and number mean?

[Raj2111]

Hi @JI_the1st 

Welcome to the HP support community.

I understand that you are facing an issue with your HP device, I am glad to assist you today.

Please find below the information.

The SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) attributes provide insights into the health of your hard drive or SSD. The "Current Pending Sector" attribute specifically indicates the number of sectors on the disk that the drive's firmware has marked as potentially problematic.

What It Means:

• Current Pending Sector Count: A value of 34 means that there are 34 sectors on your drive that the system has identified as unreadable or unstable. This could indicate that those sectors are starting to fail, which could lead to data loss.

Implications:

• Potential Data Loss: If the sectors are indeed failing, you might experience issues like data corruption or loss, especially if files are stored in those sectors.
• Need for Backup: It's crucial to back up your data as soon as possible to avoid losing important files.
• Drive Health: A high number of pending sectors often indicates that the drive is nearing the end of its lifespan. It may be time to consider replacing the drive.

Next Steps:

1. Run Diagnostics: Use built-in tools or third-party software to perform a thorough diagnostic on your drive.
2. Backup Data: Immediately back up any important files.
3. Replace the Drive: If the pending sector count continues to increase or if you encounter more boot issues, it’s advisable to replace the drive.

If your HP Pavilion 14 notebook is not booting, the hard drive may be a contributing factor, so addressing the SMART attributes is essential.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
 

-Regards
Raj-HP Support

[JI_the1st]

one more question, is 34 current pending sectors considered a lot?

[Raj2111 · Accepted solution]

Hi @JI_the1st 

Thank you fpr your post.

To answer your question, In the context of computer systems, particularly with regard to storage (like hard drives or SSDs), having 34 current pending sectors is generally considered a warning sign. Pending sectors are areas on a hard drive that are unstable and may not be readable. While it’s not an immediate crisis, it suggests that the drive may be developing problems.

In this case, it would be advisable to back up your data and consider monitoring the drive closely or replacing it to prevent data loss

I hope this helps! Keep me posted.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
 

-Regards
Raj-HP Support