Hard drive test failure

[AdityaPanch]

Hi, my pc goes in to a loop of automatic repair saying " Preparing automatic Repair" on start screen and then after sometime switches off and repeat. When I run hardware diagnostics pressing F2, Hard drive optimised DST check failed with error code 6CQG7W-72X9AV-MFPWWK-61TC03. Please Help

[WAWood]

@AdityaPanch

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but according to HP, that error message means that your primary storage drive (i.e., hard drive) is in imminent danger of failing. While it could last for several more days, it could also fail immediately! The more you use the drive, the less likely you'll be able to recover anything on it.

So, there are four issues to address here:
1) Data Recovery
2) Drive replacement
3) Recovery Media
4) System restoration

---------- Data Recovery ----------

Your best bet for recovering data now is to do the following:
1) Remove the hard drive from the PC
2) Purchase a USB-to-Hard Driver adapter kit
3) Download and install this utility on a working PC: http://www.majorgeeks.com/news/story/recover_data_in_3_steps_with_minitool_power_data_recovery_free_...
4) Connect the old drive to the working PC
5) Run the data recovery utility to see what can be retrieved from the old drive.

If that tools does not find what you need, an alternative is Recuva: http://www.piriform.com/recuva

And, if that does not work well, the best tool out there is this one, but only the trial version is free: http://www.file-recovery.com/

---------- Drive Replacement ----------
The drive will need to be replaced. When you remove it, you will see that it is a 2 1/5 inch laptop SATA drive.

You can replace this with any similar laptop drive of the same capacity or larger.

If the PC is still under the original one-year HP warranty, or if you have purchased an Extended Warranty and that coverage is still in place, you should be able to get the drive replaced by HP at no charge. To explore that option, you would have to contact HP Customer Support.

If you live in the US or Canada, contact information is on this page: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/phone-assist.html#section1

If you live elsewhere, contact information is on this page: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/ww-contact-us.html

NOTE: After you get through, stay on the line until you are finally able to talk to some one -- it can take a while!

If you have trouble finding a phone number, then try: 1 (800) 474-6836
---------------------------------------

However, HP Customer Support is generally not available on the weekends, so you might have to wait until Monday to contact them.

---------- Recovery Media ----------

Once you have the replacement drive, you will need to use something known as HP Recovery Media to restore your PC to working condition. This is a set of DVDs and a CD, or USB stick, that will erase the hard drive (removing all data, settings, and applications, reinstall the original OS, drivers, and some HP Utilities. In some cases, you may be able to order a USB stick instead of disks. You have to order these from HP; they can not be downloaded.

You can look online for Recovery Media starting with the linked paged: http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers

Once there, input your Product name or number. On your Software and Drivers Download page, select your Operating System and and Version. Click "Update". If HP Recovery Media is available for your machine, down near the bottom of the page, you will see an entry for Order Recovery Media-CD/DVD/USB. Click the "+" symbol to expand that entry and click on Order Media for details.

Or, if you prefer, you can do the same by contacting HP Customer Service (see contact info above)

If HP no longer provides Recovery Media for your model, another site you can check is: http://www.computersurgeons.com/

---------- System Restoration ----------

While you are waiting for the media to arrive, read through this: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00006110

Good Luck

[AdityaPanch]

Thank you very much sir for the solutions provided. I have a couple of questions

1. Can I use this hard-disk as external hard-disk with any possible repair or you mean to say that it is going to get damaged permanently?

2. If I replace my hard-disk and get a new one, what about my operating system, I got preloaded windows 8.1 which got updated to windows 10 later. Is there any way I can get the product key from this existing system?

---

@WAWood wrote:

@AdityaPanch

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but according to HP, that error message means that your primary storage drive (i.e., hard drive) is in imminent danger of failing. While it could last for several more days, it could also fail immediately! The more you use the drive, the less likely you'll be able to recover anything on it.

So, there are four issues to address here:
1) Data Recovery
2) Drive replacement
3) Recovery Media
4) System restoration

---------- Data Recovery ----------

Your best bet for recovering data now is to do the following:
1) Remove the hard drive from the PC
2) Purchase a USB-to-Hard Driver adapter kit
3) Download and install this utility on a working PC: http://www.majorgeeks.com/news/story/recover_data_in_3_steps_with_minitool_power_data_recovery_free_...
4) Connect the old drive to the working PC
5) Run the data recovery utility to see what can be retrieved from the old drive.

If that tools does not find what you need, an alternative is Recuva: http://www.piriform.com/recuva

And, if that does not work well, the best tool out there is this one, but only the trial version is free: http://www.file-recovery.com/

---------- Drive Replacement ----------
The drive will need to be replaced. When you remove it, you will see that it is a 2 1/5 inch laptop SATA drive.

You can replace this with any similar laptop drive of the same capacity or larger.

If the PC is still under the original one-year HP warranty, or if you have purchased an Extended Warranty and that coverage is still in place, you should be able to get the drive replaced by HP at no charge. To explore that option, you would have to contact HP Customer Support.

If you live in the US or Canada, contact information is on this page: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/phone-assist.html#section1

If you live elsewhere, contact information is on this page: http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/ww-contact-us.html

NOTE: After you get through, stay on the line until you are finally able to talk to some one -- it can take a while!

If you have trouble finding a phone number, then try: 1 (800) 474-6836
---------------------------------------

However, HP Customer Support is generally not available on the weekends, so you might have to wait until Monday to contact them.

---------- Recovery Media ----------

Once you have the replacement drive, you will need to use something known as HP Recovery Media to restore your PC to working condition. This is a set of DVDs and a CD, or USB stick, that will erase the hard drive (removing all data, settings, and applications, reinstall the original OS, drivers, and some HP Utilities. In some cases, you may be able to order a USB stick instead of disks. You have to order these from HP; they can not be downloaded.

You can look online for Recovery Media starting with the linked paged: http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers

Once there, input your Product name or number. On your Software and Drivers Download page, select your Operating System and and Version. Click "Update". If HP Recovery Media is available for your machine, down near the bottom of the page, you will see an entry for Order Recovery Media-CD/DVD/USB. Click the "+" symbol to expand that entry and click on Order Media for details.

Or, if you prefer, you can do the same by contacting HP Customer Service (see contact info above)

If HP no longer provides Recovery Media for your model, another site you can check is: http://www.computersurgeons.com/

---------- System Restoration ----------

While you are waiting for the media to arrive, read through this: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00006110

Good Luck

---