HP Spectre X360 Laptop Unable to Restore/Repair/Install Fresh Windows 11

[jango62301]

Son's HP Spectre x360 laptop had a damaged power button after being droppedo on the corner.  I repaired the button but I believe that the laptop went through several power cycles and may corrupted the OS or done something more.  Here is where I am at and hoping someone might have an idea.  The laptop will never move past the HP splash screen, sometimes just to do a repair on its own but never moves past that splash screen.  So I figured let's just go for a repair.  Attempted to do it through the BIOS no luck.  So I went and checked all of the hardware through the BIOS thinking maybe the hard drive went kaput, everything passes with flying colors.  At this point I went and downloaded Windows 11 installation media on USB and and tried that route.  Tried the repair through that and it failed.  Tried advanced features but of course couldn't do a whole lot thanks to the Intel Rapid Storage drivers not being installed so I couldn't see anything through diskpartion or try anything from there.  Tried to then install a clean copy of Windows 11, got as far as making it see the Intel Rapid drivers but when it went to use them it tried but then stalled out and eventually blue screened on me.  Lastly, I tried the HP Cloud restore, and I get the HP logo with the spinning dots and then...Blue screen afer about 8 minutes or so.  I have to say that I am quite perplexed at this point.  So I am turning to the masters of the universe on this one and would appreciate anyone that might be able to give me some advice!  Thank you in advance!

[Raj_05]

Hi @jango62301,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

It sounds like you've been through quite a bit already with troubleshooting your son's HP Spectre x360 laptop. Here are some steps and considerations that might help resolve the issue.

• Check Hardware Connections: Ensure that all hardware components (like RAM and storage drive) are properly seated. Sometimes, a drop can cause connections to become loose.
• BIOS Settings: Double-check BIOS settings to ensure that the boot order is correct and that there are no unusual configurations that might be causing issues.
• Reset BIOS Settings: Try resetting the BIOS to default settings. This can sometimes resolve conflicts caused by changes made inadvertently.
• Hard Drive Health: Even though BIOS diagnostics passed, consider testing the hard drive's health more thoroughly using diagnostic tools. Sometimes intermittent issues can cause failures during OS installation.
• Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) Drivers: Since you mentioned issues with Intel RST drivers, ensure that you have the correct drivers available on your Windows installation media. You might need to load them during the Windows installation process by pressing F6 when prompted.
• Boot from USB: When installing Windows 11 from USB, ensure that the USB drive is set up correctly. Try using a different USB port or recreating the installation media to rule out any issues with the USB drive itself.
• Check for BIOS Updates: Sometimes a BIOS update can resolve compatibility issues with newer operating systems like Windows 11. Check HP's support website for the latest BIOS version available for your model.
• Memory and CPU Tests: Perform thorough tests on the memory (RAM) and CPU to rule out hardware failures that might be causing instability during the installation process.

Given the complexity of the issue—especially after a physical impact like a drop—it's possible that there could be underlying hardware damage that's not immediately apparent.

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!

Alden4

HP Support 

[jango62301 · Accepted solution]

Thank you for taking time to reply!  I finally found the solution yesterday and it bothers me that it took me so long to have figured it out.  Long story short, I was sitting down and having some coffee and realized that that it was getting stuck at a point where it would have been hitting the boot sector of the hard drive.  I was able to see the files on the on partition but not the boot partition.  So I went out and bought a new SSD, replaced it, installed a clean copy of Windows 11, and viola, we are back in business!  

[Raj_05]

Hi @jango62301,

Thank you for your response, 

Is there anything else that I can help you with today?

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!

Alden4

HP Support