Hard Drive Crash

[JohnMiller2]

My Hard drive has crashed.   It will not be recognized by the BIOS.  I have removed and reseated the Hard drive a couple of times, including the flat cable assembly, and still it cannot be seen by the BIOS.  How can I get a replacement drive with the OS on it?  it has a 1TB drive on it (not an SSD).  I am an Information Technology Professional, and I can replace the drive myself.  I just don't know how to procure the drive.

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

Its not going to have the OS on it. HP does have a CLoud Recovery option. 

HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool (Windows 10, 7) | HP® Customer Support

You have a 1 TB 5400 rpm 2.5 inch SATA hard drive. You could upgrade to an SSD for much better performance. Hard drives are generic, interchangeable. Any brand will work as long as it is the right dimensions and connection. 

Service Manual 

See pp. 34-51 for "how to". You can ignore the parts about removing the screen and anything other than the hard drive. 

Here is a straight up replacement. You will have to reinstall the OS, which automatically activates: no Key Code needed. 

You can likely even recover files from the old drive. 

Amazon.com: Western Digital 1TB WD Blue Mobile Hard Drive - 5400 RPM Class, SATA 6 Gb/s, 128 MB Cach...

Post back for further discussion but please accept as solution if this is the info you needed. 

[JohnMiller2]

Huffer, 

 Thanks for your quick response.  I hadn't considered an SSD, but you are right.  in your experience, should the following SSD work?

AmazonSmile: Western Digital 1TB WD Blue 3D NAND Internal PC SSD - SATA III 6 Gb/s, 2.5"/7mm, Up to ...

Again... thanks for your help!

[JohnMiller2]

Not sure my last attempt to reply worked.  Thanks for your quick response... I hadn't thought about a SSD but it makes sense.  would this SSD work do you think?

AmazonSmile: Western Digital 1TB WD Blue 3D NAND Internal PC SSD - SATA III 6 Gb/s, 2.5"/7mm, Up to ...

Also... how do you install the recovery tool if the computer has no OS on it?  

THanks again!!!

[Huffer]

You make a thumb drive from the recovery tool on any other computer first and use the thumb drive to reinstall Windows. If you use the HP recovery tool specific for your model it will have drivers included. 

Microsoft also has Windows 10 as a free download from the "Media Creation Tool" site (google it) but that is a bare metal version which will need drivers added. Still very easy to do. 

That SSD would work fine as a plug and play replacement for the hard drive. Not to complicate but your laptop will do dual storage, with both a 2.5 inch disk and then an M.2 "gumstick" SSD at the same time.