Hard disk error HARD DISK 1 (3F1).

[Ernesto56]

I have a DV7 laptop and the reason I cannot boot up is a hard disk error HARD DISK 1 (3F1).

could you please help with this topic?

[ManjunathTech]

Hi

The error indicates that the Hard drive off the unit has failed and you will need to replace the part in order to get the unit back to working condition.

If your notebook is still under warranty, contact HP and arrange to have the drive replaced.

If you are out of warranty and would like a guide on replacing the Hard Drive yourself, please let me know.

[frogflipper]

I also have the same error code.  Laptop purchased 10 months ago, so still under warranty.

If I were to choose warranty replacement, I would have to exchange the defective drive when the new one comes.  Therefore, losing any opportunity to reclaim the files on it -- forever.  If I choose not to return the defective item, my credit card will be charged at least $80(USD).  The replacement part is refurbished, so no guarantees I wouldn't have to do it again -- provided I sneak under the wire of the 12 month guarantee from purchase.

What I would like for HP to do is send a replacement part, without requiring an exchange.  They should have an agreement with Best Buy or whatever retailer the consumer used, to verify the part is defective and send the part without any charges at all. 

But what I would really like is to know how to retrieve the lost files that are sitting on a hard drive that now says the drive is "unallocated" under the device manager settings when I connect it to a SATA to USB tool.   I have read many versions of "the drive is bad it needs to be replaced" but no one ever addresses how to get back valuable files that are sitting on a device built to self destruct in less than 12 months.

And yes, I do create backups but not every day as this is not a business machine it's for personal use.  It just so happens there are some critical documents I created before going away a week ago, and now to come home and turn the laptop on and get a black screen with "no hard drive present" means that I can no longer access files that are very important to me.

Someday someone will invent a $2 tool to easily unlock inaccessible files but if I send mine off to HP I will not be able to retrieve my files.  I don't feel I should have to pay $80 or more for replacement of a defective part.

It does not surprise me that HP, which used to have a plant in the Silicon Valley, now is outsourcing everything overseas.  I have not been able to speak to a customer service representative who can speak my language well enough to have a meaningful conversation;  as for the "chat"options I would suspect the employees are robots except even robots have better command of english phrases. 

And I won't be surprised if my complaint here never sees the light of day.  I know a mega-corporation such as HP didn't get where they are by listening to the "little guy" -- they just bulldoze people and consumers keep throwing money their way.  I'm not going to keep throwing my money at HP.  The funny thing is I've had five laptops in my lifetime, and the only two that have gone "blue screen of death" on me were both HP machines.  I guess I thought the first one was just a fluke.  Now I know it's not a fluke, it's just the way they do business.  Put a shoddy product into the market and let the customers fight their way through the cumbersome "customer service" representatives they hire all over the globe except to try to get what they paid for -- a computer that should work for at LEAST a year if not two or three or some even last FIVE years.  But not me, guess I've drawn the short stick, never had an HP laptop last me over a year.  They are disposable.  

So if anyone can suggest a way to retrieve all the files off a unrecognized hard drive, I will send YOU $80 because that is a REAL solution rather than replace one broken part with another one that was once broken but was fixed until it breaks again.

[hpclient]

Hi

I have the same problem and my warranty expired..Can you pl help me to fix the problem..I am staying in US.

Regards

HPClient

[rbennett2012]

I have the same error but the tests report as "Passed"  - The  screen shows the:

Hard Disk Error

Please run the Hard Disk Test in System Diagnostics.

Hard Disk 1 (3F1)

F2   System Diagnostics

For more information, please visit www.hp.com/go/techcenter/startup

System information says it was born on 11/19/2012 - It is still fairly new and the screen will do nothing once we get this error message. Again, all tests return as "Passed". HELP PLEASE!!!!!

[rbennett2012]

Frog - did anyone ever get back with you and try to help you? I am like you - I have always put my trust in a HP computer and printers but seems that they are now becoming questionable... Would appreciate a reply as to what they did for you or how you got the files off - I have some that I really need to get off.... thanks!

[Yvettehurst]

R Bennett.. I have had my computer a couple of weeks and it has done the same as yours except it was clicking beforehand .. have you had any answers ? Thanks yvette

[Rohit7011]

If u want to solve it without replacing your hard disk, u can with Kali Linux. Start Kali Linux live and go to gparted and u can format or change drive partition. Your hard disk will get completely formated, so u can't get back your files. This worked for me, hope it works for u all too...

[CF4]

Hi

Hard disk recovery is sometimes a science, othertimes a fluke.

If the HDD will spin up ONCE more then it is perhaps possible to extract all the data thereon.

So the procedure would be to have a replacement disk, of at least the same size, either fitted alongside or as an external caddy option.  So if HP sent one out you already have one.

OR if you want data only then  a high capacity USB stick to place it on.

The price for this is your time and a DVD or USB, it is a LO-Cost/NO-Cost option.

Then use clonezilla to clone (rather than copy) either just your data, just a single partition or the whole HDD.

Clonezilla can be included in a full Linux Distro, like KNOPPIX, DEBIAN, openSuSE or even Kali; also it can be a standalone disk/device.

I cloned the recovery area of this laptop onto a 16 gig USB stick using clonezilla.  http://clonezilla.org/

Based on Partclone (default), Partimage (optional), ntfsclone (optional), or dd to image or clone a partition. However, Clonezilla, containing some other programs, can save and restore not only partitions, but also a whole disk.

So would you like to proceed with a $2 dollar attempt at getting your data back?

If in doubt please ask.