Laptop won't start. Black screen says boot device not found. Then says hard drive not installed

[Josh354]

Hp labtop

[Garp_senchau]

@Josh354, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

If your HP laptop is displaying a "boot device not found" error or indicates that the hard drive is not installed, here are some steps you can take to resolve the issue:

Restore BIOS Default Settings

1. Turn off the Computer: Wait for five seconds.
2. Enter BIOS Setup: Press the power button and immediately begin pressing the F10 key repeatedly to enter the BIOS setup menu.
3. Load Default Settings: Once in the BIOS Setup screen, press F9 to select and load the BIOS Setup Defaults.
4. Save and Exit: Press F10 to save and exit. Use the arrow keys to select "Yes", then press Enter when asked if you want to save changes and exit.
5. Restart the Computer: Follow on-screen prompts to restart.

Update the BIOS

It is a good idea to update the BIOS to resolve any compatibility or technical issues:

• Visit HP's support website and follow the instructions for updating the BIOS specific to your laptop model.

Perform Hard Drive Diagnostics

1. Turn off the Laptop: Hold the power button for at least five seconds.
2. Start Windows Diagnostics: Turn on the laptop and immediately press Esc repeatedly. When the menu appears, press F2.
3. Select Symptom Tests: In the main menu, select “Symptom Tests".
4. Run Hard Drive Test: Choose “Hard disk/SSD drive issue”, then press Enter.
   • Quick Test: Run the Quick Test first.
   • Extensive Test: If issues persist, run the Extensive Test which includes SMART Check, Short DST, Optimized DST, and Long DST.

Reinstall Windows

If necessary, reinstall Windows using HP’s Cloud Recovery Tool or through Windows Recovery Environment (F11), if your operating system fails to start.

• HP Cloud Recovery Tool: Guide available on HP's website for your specific model.
• Windows Recovery Environment: Follow steps to reset the computer when Windows doesn’t start.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

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Regards,