How do I fix "Please install an operating system on your hard disk " error?

[Exhornjaneo]

Good day. After a little update update, my laptop started jamming and then it blacked out. I tried switching it on but it kept saying "Please install an operating system on your hard disk ". I tried restoring the BIOS , I even bought a new SSD but nothing is changing. It is too slow when it when it turns on. Everytime I switched it on , when it was working normally, it showed one white mini light on the left side but now it show two and it turns the fan on every time I turn it on. I'm helpless. I just don't know what to do, I only used it for six months though... Please help.

[WAWood]

Most folks think SSDs can't fail because they have no moving parts -- but I have had to replace several of them -- because they have failed.

You said you swapped SSDs, so how did you reinstall Windows on the replacement SSD?

[Exhornjaneo]

My laptop is off. It requires this operating system on my sand disk but I can only access BIOS and other settings that can be accessed by pressing ,For example, F1 to F11. Every time I switch it on it says boot device not found "Please install an operating system on your hard disk " then it stop there. I need help with how to solve this type of issue. Perhaps a guide on how to install windows on a hard disk will do, Just to know what to do once it start working after a proper change of an SSD.

[WAWood]

You said you bought an SSD but nothing is changing -- leading me to believe that you were NOW using the SSD in place of the old drive, which means you would have had to install Windows onto the SSD.

So, are you telling me the SSD is just sitting there with nothing on it?

And if so, are you still interested in using an SSD in place of the old drive?

[Exhornjaneo]

Yeah, you're right. I even tried returning it to the store where I bought it because my PC cannot find it.  I don't know how to install windows onto an SSD . That's the kind of information I need. The thing is , when I go to hardware diagnostics UEFI and do storage tests the results say "No hard drive installed".  And , one other thing, can one install windows using only BIOS settings? Cuz I can only access BIOS setting and not windows.

[WAWood]

Sorry but you're in a bad situation. That error message indicates the drive has failed and needs to be replaced -- so there is basically no way to "clone" that drive to an SSD and then run off the SSD.

What you have to do is use the HP Cloud Recovery tool to create Windows install USB and use that to reinstall windows -- but these tools sometimes require a drive with the same capacity as the original hard drive, so it might not install to a smaller capacity SSD.

If your PC is a 2016 model or newer, you should see if you can make a bootable USB recovery drive using the HP cloud recovery tool on a working PC.

The recovery drive can then be used to install Windows and the HP drivers and utilities that originally came with your PC.

You will need a working PC and a 32GB USB stick to hold the recovery files. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmtXOU40vxk

You use the Microsoft Store to download the actual tool:

https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9mtks9pr7r3n?rtc=1&hl=en-us&gl=us

If you use a different PC to run the tool, you will have to provide your PC's product number. Here is an HP link for finding that information:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_2039298-1862169-16

Here's a video from HP Support about using the Cloud Recovery Tool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7AwuKNJKS4