Can't reinstall Windows 10 - doesn't see the SSD

[MikeInSwitzerla]

Last night, Windows 10 quietly installed an update on my 2-week-old HP laptop... and it has completely broken my laptop.  I started the day with Blue Screen of Death, and it's just got worse from there. 

Uninstalling the "Quality update" didn't work, restoring from a previous Restore Point didn't work, and I've repeatedly seen messages saying it's trying to fix the problem, but it fails miserably.   I even ended up with a Blue Screen of Death in German, and  a Blue Screen of Death where only the top eighth of the QR-code was visible.  It's a mess.

Now, I was able to go through the bootup menus, type in the 48-digit BitLocker code (?!!) to get to a Command Prompt, so I could  backup my C: files onto a USB disc.   So, my 1Tb HP SDD  is in there, and can be read.

But....   out of desperation, I grabbed a Windows 10 install USB stick, went through the menus, but it doesn't recognise that my laptop has a 1Tb SSD in it.   The Windows installer doesn't see it... so I can't even reinstall Windows.

Reading through the blogs, some users have suggested going into the BIOS and turning off "Secure Boot", I've done that, but it made no difference.

How do I get the Windows 10 installer to recognise that my laptop has a 1Tb SSD in it ?

(Disclaimer: before this morning, I hadn't reinstalled Windows, or changed any of the hardware which came from HP two weeks ago...)

[MikeInSwitzerla]

Does anyone have any suggestions, before I box this laptop up, and send it back to HP ?

Nothing seems to work on it.....

If I open a Command Prompt, there's no C: drive.

If I go into DISKPART, and do "List disk", "List partition" or "List volume"... just nothing is listed.

My C: drive seems to have disappeared completely now.

(A bit of researching later...)

When I boot up my laptop, if I hit F2 repeatedly, it brought up a "HP PC Hardware Diagnostic UEFI test" screen.
Now, this says that I do have an SSD in my laptop, and that it's working perfectly.  

I then followed the HP AutoBot's suggestion of hitting F11 whilst booting up, going into Command Prompt and running "wmic recoveros set AutoReboot = False"     I restarted the laptop, but same problem.

(By now, I think I've entered that 64-digit BitLocker key over 50 times times.... this is ridiculous.)

I then found another  suggestion on the HP website, to hit Shift a few times during bootup, and from there, you can ask for Windows to be reinstalled.   It all looked good.... but it just got stuck at "Resetting this PC  4%".   Aggggh !!

One last attempt though:  I'm going to see if HP's Cloud Recovery Tool can bring my 2-week-old laptop back to life...

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06162205

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

There is an extra step you need to take in order to install W10 on PC's with the Intel 11th gen core processors.

See the info at the link below.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-15-f2000-laptop-pc-series/35900344/model/35900346/document/c...

The link they direct you to the HP support site doesn't work.

Here is the link to the driver you need...

This package contains the Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver for the supported notebook models and operating systems. The Intel Rapid Storage Technology is designed to provide functionality for the Intel Storage Controllers. The driver improves Serial ATA (SATA) disk performance with Native Command Queuing.

18.0.1.1138

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp108501-109000/sp109000.exe

There is another thing I don't understand in that document, and that is where HP tells you to right click on the Intel driver file and select Extract to

When I ran through the steps, I don't get an Extract to option when I right click on the file.

So, if you have the same issue, download and install the free 7-zip file utility from the link below.

The 2nd file at the top of the page is for 64 bit.

7-Zip (7-zip.org)

Then you can right click on the exe file, select 7-Zip from the menu, and select Extract to: and let it extract the file into its folder name (sp109000), and copy that folder to your USB flash drive, and continue with the instructions.

[MikeInSwitzerla]

Thank you so much for your advice.

The "Software and Driver Downloads" page was hopeless though...  I entered my serial number, a few JavaScript errors occurred, and it didn't ever return any results.

I downloaded the "Factory Reset" USB image from the HP website... it got as far as 55%... then froze.

Using your driver for the SSD, yup, my Windows 10 installation USB stick could see the drive, but it got as far as 34% copying... and then it froze.

Tried again with the "Factory Reset" USB image from the HP website...  and it just fell over with this...

This two-week-old laptop is just broken.   It doesn't work properly.

My next problem...  how do I talk to a human being about returning this ?   

• I go onto the Warranty check page
  https://support.hp.com/us-en/contact-hp
• I enter my serial number
• I click on "Contact a support agent"
• I click on "Contact an HP agent for Support"
• But, it just shows me this screen, asking if I want to talk to a Virtual Agent, or if I say I want help on my laptop, it sends me back to the screen asking for my serial number.  And repeat.
• https://support.hp.com/us-en/contact-hp

I live in Switzerland, and the only Service Center apparently only supports HP printers.

if I use the Virtual Agent and say that I want to create a Case, it eventually takes me to this webpage, but again, it asks for my serial number, but there's nowhere to proceed from there.  I can't create a Case.

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

Why does HP make it so difficult ?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Yes, there must be a hardware issue of some kind, because W10 should have installed with no hiccups using the method I posted.

Sometimes the cloud recovery tool doesn't work, but the clean install of W10 should have.

Send it back.  Unfortunately, you got a lemon.

[MikeInSwitzerla]

Yup, I definitely got a lemon.

After spending way too many hours trying to reinstall Windows 10 yesterday, this morning, I accidentally found the hardware tests option (when you first turn on the laptop, hit the F2 button) and I ran some tests.

The tests all ran fine, except for the the memory test.

This "hung" each time I ran it  (sometimes at 1%, sometimes at 8%).   

And once it hung, I couldn't hit Escape to cancel... all I could do was turn the thing off.

Game over...  my laptop definitely has a hardware fault.

Weird though...  the laptop was running fine for 2 weeks... 

I've never heard of memory going wrong after such a short time.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Sorry that happened to you.

I haven't heard of memory going bad that fast either.

It's good that you have the option to return it since it is within a return window.

If you were unable to return it, you would have to send it in to HP for warranty work.

I know if that happened to me and I had no option to return it, I would find and replace the bad memory chip myself rather than sending in the PC for warranty work. 

I would be too concerned that I would get the notebook back in worse condition than when I sent it in.

Chapter 1 of the service manual indicates the memory is onboard (soldered to the motherboard), but chapter 5 shows that it is under a metal cover, and is removable.

Maintenance and Service Guide HP Pavilion x360 14 Convertible PCIMPORTANT! This document is intended...

Anyway, glad you can box it up and either get a different model or an exchange.

[stevecomputer]

Is your drive encrypted? I think it has to be decrypted and bitlocker off to reinstall.