Cannot install windows, eMMC not listed

[juhoosifrat]

Hello,

I have an HP Stream Laptop 110ah0XX which will no longer boot after an update. I have tried to boot to a windows bootable USB, and when I choose to install, my eMMC is not listed, and I am only given the option of selecting a driver to install. However, there are no drivers listed on HP's support website, it just says you have to do it through windows update (impossible for me to access without booting).

I have also tried a linux bootable usb, which will run, but I cannot install linux either. I get a read/write error when I open Gparted or when I try to install ubuntu on the disk. It says the whole disk is unallocated and/or an unrecognized format. It will not let me write write a partition table.

Thanks for reading. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[WAWood]

@juhoosifrat 

Ordinarily, when a laptop no longer boots into Windows, this means that the boot records (known as the BCD) have become corrupted due to a failing drive and running diagnostics confirms this to be the case. Folks then replace the laptop drive, use the HP Cloud Recovery option and a 32GB USB stick to make recovery media, boot their laptop from that media and do a full restore.

With a Stream, this is a much more difficult situation.

First, the Stream does not actually have a laptop hard drive. Instead, it has a memory stick configured to work like a "disk drive" -- so, it has a stick of EMMC memory instead of an HDD. This is very small, usually 32GB, so it is too small to do any major Windows Updates since Windows takes up nearly all of the "drive".

Second, the SSD, unlike the SATA SSDs in other laptops, can not be replaced by the consumer. So, when it fills up, you can't replace it with a larger one. And when it fails, you can't replace it with a new one.

Thus, you can try running diagnostics to test the drive -- but if it fails, you will have to take the Stream to a laptop repair facility to have them replace the SSD. You can not replace it yourself.

To check the drive you have to follow these steps:
1) Press Esc key repeatedly, several times a second, while rebooting the laptop. Do NOT hold the key down, just press it over and over.
2) Eventually, you will see an HP Startup Menu
3) Press the Function key for testing the hard drive (usually F2) and let it run.

[juhoosifrat]

Thank you so much for your input. I forgot to mention that I ran the diagnostic utility, but it did not give me a result. When I select "Storage Test" from the main menu, it prompts me to select "Quick Check" or "Extensive Check." No matter what I select, it just pauses for a second and goes back to the main menu. It's weird because it almost acts like I do not have a drive installed at all, even though when I boot into ubuntu from a USB, it does show the drive as being there and can even show the amount of storage it has, but just does not have read/write capability. That's why I thought maybe I need a driver (which I probably cannot obtain). Does that information help at all?

Again, thanks for your help.

[juhoosifrat]

 .

[WAWood]

@juhoosifrat 

The Ubuntu boot does not have read/write capability to the "drive" because Win 10 comes with a new hibernation feature that keeps Windows mounted even when the PC is turned off.  That will prevent Ubuntu from mounting the drive -- so unlike with older Windows versions, you can't use Linux to recover files and folders from Win10.  You have to go into Win 10 and disable Fast Startup -- but you clearly can not do that if you can't get into Windows.

[juhoosifrat]

Thanks again for your reply. I actually had Ubuntu installed before these issues started, do you still think Fast Startup is the cause of that?  Do you think I should just give up at this point? I hate throwing away/recycling electronics that should still be usable but I can't waste too much more time trying to salvage this. 

[WAWood]

@juhoosifrat 

Fast Startup is the hibernation function that prevents Linux distros from mounting the Windows file system.  In some cases, you can Force the mount, but that runs the risk of totally corrupting the Windows File system.

If you need to recover files, there is another approach that might work, but it involves using another Windows PC, installing a free app, and using that to create USB boot media for your PC.  If you want information on that, let me know.

[juhoosifrat]

I'm actually totally fine losing all the data. I just want the laptop to function again.

[juhoosifrat]

Well WAWood, I think you're my last hope at saving this laptop. Any additional insight you can give me would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks again for everything so far.

[WAWood]

@juhoosifrat 

Sorry, but with the Stream models, instead of a normal "drive", they not only have a 32GB memory stick, that is also soldered to the system board -- so it can not be easily removed or replaced.

If you are determined to salvage the laptop, you would have to do the following:

1) Take it somewhere that a technician can open it and remove the EMMc card by desoldering it

2) Replace the EMMc card with a new one 

3) Have the new one mounted in the PC.

4) Use another PC with a 32GB memory stick and this information to download and create HP Recovery Media:

Here is the link: https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06162205

5) Boot your PC from that media and restore it from the Recovery Media.