How to load the necessary drivers to a new hard drive

[resistencia]

How old is your windows 10 ? did you download the latest version of windows 10 from the Microsoft website and create a new USB installation ?

[marneo]

"How old is your windows 10?" I don't know where or how to check that. "Did you download the latest version of windows 10 from the Microsoft website and create a new USB installation?" Yes. I created a bootable USB Windows 10 installation flash drive with the Microsoft media creation tool at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10?msockid=399a0214610f66c7394d17e860896731 2 days ago and that is what I had plugged into the problem machine.

[resistencia]

test the disk, when turning on the laptop press the F2 key several times, select the disk, run the test and check if it is approved or has a failure ID.

[marneo]

I assume by "the disk", you are referring to the brand new disk/hard drive I just installed. I've already pressed the F2 key to run the diagnostics test of the new hard drive and it passed.

[resistencia]

Use diskpart, see this link for initialize new disk

Micro Center - How to use the Diskpart Utility preparing to install Windows

[marneo]

Thanks again Resistencia. I will give this process a try tomorrow. The one instruction which has me a little gun-shy however is Step #3 which says "Type list disk and then press enter on the keyboard. This will show a list of numbered drives in the system starting at 0. Carefully check for the disk number that is to be cleaned." If I see for example a Disk 0 and a Disk 1, how will I know which one to select to be cleaned?

[resistencia · Accepted solution]

disk 0 is where windows is installed, it is the main disk, I think you should have only one disk, I do not think you have two disks, at least you have not indicated that in your query.

[marneo]

Hello again Resistencia. I'm back with an update.

First of all, you were correct. I only had the one disk installed so my earlier question about running the Diskpart Utility was silly in retrospect.

As I mentioned earlier, I had already pressed the F2 key to run a diagnostics test of the newly installed hard drive and it passed. Likewise I went through each step to use the Diskpart Utility and, just as with the diagnostics test, it seemed the hard drive was being recognized. I was able to get through each step on the screen of that link to which you sent me and exactly what it showed could be expected to be seen on the screen is exactly what happened so I was and am baffled as to why no matter how many times I tried to bring up the Windows 10 installation screen, the machine could not read the presence of my newly installed hard drive.

It occurred to me however that it was possible I had inflicted some damage on the data cable after having opened the machine and removed and reinstalled the drive several times. I originally opened the machine a few years ago for the same reason - to remove the hard drive in order to capture all its data via a 2.5-inch SATA enclosure and then reinstall the same drive but, before I ever had a chance to unplug it at the drive end, the clip which connects it to the circuit board had given way and allowed the cable to pop out at that end so, subsequently, I always just connected and disconnected it there at the end with the blue tab as can be seen in the images on this Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TTNGB8C?psc=1&smid=A1AALNH99KC4F5&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

I decided to order this replacement cable from Amazon and, with the drive plugged in with the new cable, I was finally able to bring up the Windows 10 installation screen and get through the process.

I remain baffled though as to why or how in some instances the drive could be recognized and in others not and I'd be interested in any theory you might have that could explain that. In any case, my Pavilion 17-g121wm is again up and running and I thank you profusely for all of your help.

[resistencia]

Happy that the problem is solved, the cable can happen the movement of the laptop and small vibrations can make the cable does not make good contact, those happen more frequently with the laptop screen.