HP Notebook will not boot when installing SSD

[Blamage]

I have a laptop from  2017 and the current HDD is failing to run well due to its life. The drive is at 100% just opening file explorer. I purchased a new SSD (WD Blue  500GB) to replace the current HDD. I have done this on my desktop and built two other PCs so this is not my first time.

I installed the new SSD and inserted the bootable USB stick with the recovery files. I have the BIOS set to boot from this drive first. When I start the computer it just goes to the HP logo with the black screen and sits there. After about 30 seconds I get "static" on the screen. If I hit escape, I am able to run diagnostics, which state everything is fun. I can click "Recovery" however it goes to the same black HP screen. I've done a hard reset on the power, I tried changing the BIOS to Legacy mode and tried resetting BIOS to default - all with no luck.

If I remove the USB stick and turn the computer on, I get an error stating there is no bootable drive. It's like the computer recognizes there is a bootable drive there however it will not load the files.

I reinserted the old HDD and the computer loads as expected. Any idea what I am doing wrong?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

You shouldn't have to change the boot order in the BIOS.

You can use the F9 boot options menu to select the device you want to boot from.

I suggest you set the BIOS to its defaults, then go back, insert the bootable USB flash drive in a USB port, turn on or restart the PC, press the ESC key to get the menu of options.

Select the F9 boot options menu, and from that select the W10 installation flash drive and press the enter key.

Hopefully the PC will boot from the flash drive.

[Blamage]

Thanks for the reply.

I have tried that as well. When I installed a new M2 SSD into my desktop I didn't have to change the BIOS. When I initially tried to install the new SSD on the laptop it would not load the Windows installer. That is why I tried changing the BIOS boot order. Both with no luck.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

In the F9 boot options menu, do you see the USB flash drive to boot from?

If so, you may want to use the Media creation tool to create a plain W10 installation flash drive and see if you can boot from that.

Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com)

There is an outside chance the cloud recovery tool didn't make the media correctly, even if it indicated it did.

I use WD Blue SSD's all the time in my notebook and desktop PC's--both 2.5' and M.2 SATA and have not had any issues with them.

[Blamage]

That is actually where I made the USB files from. I tried it twice on two different USB sticks.

I can see that file to boot from, it just only goes to the HP logo and stays there.

I have the Blue M2 in my desktop and it worked great when I reinstalled Windows using the same stick and files.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Then unfortunately, I don't know what the problem could be.

[Blamage]

Do you think it could be a SSD problem? I might have an old one lying around I can switch out.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I guess you would have nothing to lose by trying a different SSD at this point.

Installing Windows on the drive should have been as easy as you expected it to be.

Something is wrong somewhere.

[Blamage]

Update:

So I installed an old SSD that works. When I installed it into the laptop the computer says "Preparing Automatic Repair" and the screen goes static. I tried plugging the laptop into a monitor to see if I can see anything different and the laptop does not output an imagine via an HDMI. I have left the static screen on for a while with no progress or change.

I am thinking maybe it will only accept an HDD?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You would have to try clean installing W10 on the SSD when it is in the notebook.

If that doesn't work, unfortunately I am as stumped as you are.

There is no reason why a 2.5" SSD shouldn't work in your notebook.