HP Laptop Reporting "No Hard Drive Installed"

[Abouttocry]

Drink spilled on laptop, tried to remove as much liquid as I could. I chose to power laptop down for better access, though when I powered it back on came up with a message saying my operating system was not installed on my hard disk. Tried the information and instructions on the link with the message. No dice.

Really need help, information relating to housing, employment, and education that I need urgently.

[WAWood]

Turn the laptop OFF -- and do NOT turn it back ON!!

Spilling liquid on a laptop is the second-most damaging thing you can do to it (first is dropping it on a hard floor).

You need to turn the laptop on its side or end to let the water drain out -- and leave it that way, propped up so it does not fall over, for at least two DAYS. Any less time risks some internals still being we when you turn it back on.

However ... it's most likely that SOME damage was done, regardless of how quickly you turned off the laptop and what you did afterward. The key problems are only the surface and almost certainly, more damage was done than that.

The ONLY way to know for sure is to take or send it to an HP Service Center and pay a LOT of money for them to run full diagnostics on it, and after that, to disassemble it to repair or replace any damaged components.

And, if the motherboard is damaged, the cost of repair can easily exceed the cost of replacing the laptop -- because (as far as I know) liquid spill damage is NOT covered under the warranty.

Since you live in the U.S., here is a link to the HP Service Repair Centers:
https://www.service-center-locator.com/hp-hewlett-packard/hp-hewlett-packard-service-center.htm

If that link does not give you the information you need, here is the general support link:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/contact-hp?