Getting Failure Message "Boot Device Not Found.....Please Install Operating System..." on New Laptop

[Readtomedad]

Bought a Pavillion (Model 15-eh3085cl) laptop from Costco. In the process of setting it up, after loading favorites, passwords, etc., from Microsoft Account, and connecting Outlook to my email account, I suddenly got the blue screen error message Boot Device Not Found....Please install and operating system on your hard disk....  etc.  I hit the F2 button mentioned in the message and got a "passed" on the first couple tests. But when I got to the storage test, it said hard drive not found (or something like that). I then pushed the power button to shut down and then again to start back up, and the computer ran fine. I called Costco Tech Service and was told to see if it happened again within 48 hours.  It didn't.  It happened again 4 days later.  So, I returned the laptop as defective, as the initial Costco tech had suggested, and got a replacement.  When setting up the new laptop, in the second day of the process (this is new to me and I'm slow), after having transferred my stuff via Microsoft Account and my files via an external hard drive, I got the same failure message.  This time I called HP tech service.  The technician linked to my phone and watched as he directed me through the diagnostics (F keys on start-up) which all showed no hardware problems.  He said this happening once, let alone twice to the same person on two new computers was highly unusual.  He'd never seen or heard of it before.  His only thought was that there could be a virus that affected my operating system.  I ran complete scans on both my old laptop and the new one, using Microsoft Defender on the old one and both McAfee (pre-installed on the new one) and Defender on the new one.  Nothing found.  He suggested re-installing the operating system from a flash drive and staring over.  He sold me an HP Cloud Recovery flash drive.  I have the flash drive now but have no confidence that the same thing won't happen again after re-installing the operating system from the flash drive, since it's already happened on two new HP computers with freshly installed operating systems.  I'm also concerned that even if I return the computer to Costco and buy a different brand, the same thing will happen again, since having happened twice on two separate new computers, it seems unlikely it's a problem with the computer itself. (BTW, I also just bought a new Lenovo all-in-one and went through the same set-up process and haven't gotten that error message.  It's been up and running for a little over a week.)

So, has anyone ever seen this before or know how to fix it?  Am I the only one on the planet with this situation??  Thanks for any help and advice you can give.  

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Readtomedad ,

Welcome to HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I'm sorry to hear about the issues you're facing with your HP Pavilion laptops. The "Boot Device Not Found" error can be caused by various factors, and it's good that you've already taken several troubleshooting steps.

Here are some additional suggestions and steps you can take:

Check the Hard Drive Connection:

• Ensure that the hard drive is properly connected to the laptop. Loose connections can sometimes cause such errors. If you're comfortable doing so, you can try reseating the hard drive.

BIOS/UEFI Settings:

• Access the BIOS/UEFI settings on your laptop (usually by pressing F10 or another function key during boot) and check if the hard drive is detected. If not, there might be an issue with the hard drive or its connection.

Update BIOS/UEFI:

• Check if there is a BIOS/UEFI update available for your laptop on the HP support website. Sometimes, firmware updates can address compatibility issues and improve system stability.

Perform a System Test:

• Run a comprehensive system test using HP Diagnostics or similar tools that may be available. This can help identify any hardware issues.

Reinstalling the Operating System:

• If you're comfortable, you can proceed with reinstalling the operating system from the HP Cloud Recovery flash drive. Make sure to back up your important data before doing this, as it involves a complete system wipe.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.-

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[Readtomedad]

Thank-you for taking the time to respond.  A few comments: When I spoke to the hp tech on the phone and he ran through all the diagnostics with me using the function keys on start-up (BIOS/UEFI, system tests, etc., etc.,), he confirmed that everything was correct and working properly and that there were no hardware issues. This is a brand-new, current computer I got from Costco. I don't think it's been sitting around for a while. There shouldn't be any updates needed.  I shouldn't have to check for loose connections or reseat the hard drive.  This is the second, replacement new computer that has done this after the first one did it twice within the first week of my owning it.  Unless you tell me that loose hard drive connections or the need to reseat the hard drive on a brand new hp laptop is a common problem, and that the hp tech was not being honest with me when he said he hadn't heard of this and that he's never seen this happen before on a new computer, I can't imagine a loose connection being the problem.

It's now been a week since the first case of getting the blue screen message, and so far, it hasn't happened again. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  If it happens again and turns into a chronic problem, I can try re-installing the operating system, which I also shouldn't have to do on a brand-new computer that I spent many hours setting up and trying to figure out the OneDrive versus on-computer storage file system, but I don't see why that would fix the problem.  I started off with a newly installed operating system, twice, and it happened both times.  I have 90 days to return the computer to Costco for a refund, so, if necessary, I will do that and buy a different computer.

[A_Gayathri]

@Readtomedad ,

Thank you for your reply!

I'm sorry to hear that

It's frustrating to experience such issues with a new computer. Based on your description, it seems like you've already gone through several troubleshooting steps, and the HP tech has confirmed that there are no hardware issues. Given that it's a brand-new laptop from Costco

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Take care and have a great day ahead!

[Readtomedad]

UPDATE - It's happened again, twice!  After the 2nd new computer gave me the same blue screen failure message, and I forced a shutdown by holding down the power button then turned the computer back on, it seemed to stop happening.  I hadn't had the issue, and the computer was working fine.  (Remember, the first one did it twice within four.)  Then, about a week ago, more than a month since the first occurrence on this second computer, I walked into the room and there it was on the screen.  The same blue screen message telling me to install and operating system.  I shut the computer down and re-started it, and it ran fine.  Then about 1/2 hour later, it did it again.  Again, I shut it down and re-started.  Now it's been about a week and the message has yet to re-appear.  In a response that for some reason I don't understand appeared on the forum but not on this discussion thread, there's at least one other person who has experienced this same problem with this computer that he bought in Dec. 2023 from Costco.  He thinks this is a common problem with this computer.  If it is, HP (and Costco?) should know about it but so far have not admitted it.  Whatever the situation, it's clear to me that this HP makes crap computers.  I don't understand how the warranty works.  Costco says you have 90 days to return it for a refund, so how does their 2-yr warranty apply if there's a problem that nobody seems to be able to diagnose and fix?  When I spoke directly to HP, the tech confirmed it's not a hardware problem and therefore a software problem.  Does that wash their hands of it?  Do they only warranty their hardware and not the software they put on a new computer?  I need to return this crap computer to Costco before the 90 days runs out and then start all over again looking for a new computer and then setting it.  Dang!