Hard disk replacement due to failure in HP Pavilion Gaming 17-cd0005nq

[Larron77]

Hi, I have recently got an "imminent failure" message for my HDD. Luckily the operating system is installed on the SSD. My question is, how do I choose a new HDD or SSD to replace the old one? What do I need to take into consideration other than capacity? I'm thinking of physical dimensions, voltage (?), and so on. Is there a website that can tell me the compatible options based on my laptop? Also, do I need to reinstall the operating system even if it is currently running on the SSD, not the HDD in order for the system to recognise the replacement? Thank you.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

You can install any brand/capacity 2.5 x 7.0 mm mechanical or SATA SSD up to 2 TB.

It will fit in the same space as the existing drive and use the same mounting components and hard drive connector.

I would recommend a 2.5" SSD because they are faster, lighter and use less power than a mechanical drive.

They may also generate less heat as well.

Suggested replacements: Western Digital Blue, Crucial MX 500, Sandisk SSD Ultra.

Budget friendly models: Kingston A400, PNY CS900

Below is the link to the service manual where you can find the hard drive removal and replacement procedures.

Maintenance and Service Guide HP Pavilion Gaming 17 Laptop PC

You will not need to reinstall the operating system since that resides on the SSD, but since the drive is used for storage and it will be brand new (no matter whether you buy another mechanical drive or SSD), you will need to initialize the drive so that it can be seen in Windows explorer.

Initialize new disks | Microsoft Docs