Boot Device Not Found; Startup Repair couldn't repair your PC." Lofgfile: srttrail.txt

[Oski_Testudo]

I've exhausted my knowledge and skills and could sure use some additional expertise.  Sorry for the long descrtption below.  Thanks for any help you can provide.  Here's the entire saga:

At startup,  laptop gives errors:

Boot Device Not Found

Please install an OS on your hard drive.

Hard Disk (3F0)

I then press F2 and run UEFI diagnostics.  Everything passes except HDD.  Get message:  No hard drive installed.

Check HDD and ribbon cable connecting HDD to motherboard---seems OK.  Why no HDD installed? Is HDD sick?

Remove HDD and connect it to USB port using a "SATAWIRE" converter.  Change boot sequence in BIOS to boot from USB.

System boot starts and fails,  then starts running Automated Repair.   Automated Repair fails and gives message:

"Startup Repair couldn't repair your PC."   Lofgfile:  c:\windows\system32\logfiles\srt\srttrail.txt

Move drive from laptop USB and connect to USB on another desktop.  Drive is alive.  Can open MS Office files,  etc...seems healthy.

Open the srttrail.txt log and find the following (among a bunch of "completed successfully" tests):

Root cause found:

---------------------------

Unspecified changes to system configuration might have caused the problem.

Repair action:

Result: Failed. Error code =  0x32

Time taken = 1468 ms

Repair action: System files integrity check and repair

Result: Failed. Error code =  0x57

Time taken = 4891 ms

Googled around a found recommendation to fix the errors via:  "rebuild the Boot Configuration Data file and repair the Master Boot Record file"  using three commands:

bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd

bootrec.exe /fixmbr

bootrec.exe /fixboot

The first two commands completed successfully,  the third didn't,  giving a  message about authorization.  Laptop still won't start.

Things I'm considering as next steps:

Reinstall Windows 10 on this HDD and thereby repair the BCD and MBR?  Can BCD and MBR be repaired w/o reinstall of Windows10?

Do I need a new HDD,  with a clean Windows 10 install from a recovery USB? 

Any ideas as to what's going on here?  And what are next steps to resolve? 

Thanks.

[CherylG]

Sounds like you have a failing hard drive and need to replace it. Even though files on it can be opened via usb connection on another computer that is no indication of health of the hdd. It may have enough life left in it to browse it but it takes a lot more life to boot Windows on it.