HP Chromebook 14" Missing-Damaged OS

[JoeyF1]

My Chromebook out of box on first boot presented with an error "Chrome OS Missing or Damaged, remove all devices and start recovery"

I generated a recovery USB using the Chromebook Recovery Utility from another PC. I rebooted and the restore progressed, but in the end fails with an error:  "An unexpected error has occurred"

I looked on Google's support and it says sometimes that error can be the USB drive, so I tried another, and another - three different drives attempted all with the same error. Google now says to contact HP for support.

The unit comes up as under warranty through August 2020, however it says it is no longer supported in my region (US) so it does not give me any contact info for support. 

Any ideas how I resolve this?

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Hi

Normally I would say HDD is at fault, however if the PC is failing to boot then it may be terminal.

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/products/identify?q=HP%20Chromebook%2014&filter=-1&origin=pdp

Matching products for United Kingdom (18)

Generic info....

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/product/hp-pavilion-14-c000-chromebook/5330565/document/c03665293

A system recovery completely erases any local files or settings and returns the computer to its original factory-shipped state.

• If a hard reset does not resolve your issue OR your Chromebook shows the error message Chrome OS is missing or damaged, you might need to perform a system recovery. For detailed instructions go to Chromebook Help Center and search for Recover your Chromebook.
• If a system recovery still does not resolve the issue, contact HP support. To check the warranty of your laptop, go to HP Customer Support - Product Warranty Check.

[JoeyF1]

Hi,

Unfortunately looking up the serial number says it is covered, but says no support options available for this model - which makes no sense, how is it covered, but not supported? 

What I need next is a number to call - HP hides support numbers on their site like no other!

Thanks!

[JoeyF1 · Accepted solution]

I was able to locate a phone number[edit].

They verified warranty status, and are shipping me a box to send it in for repair/replacement. Thanks!