My laptop just blinked & became a dark screen with message "Boot Device Not Found""Hard Disk-(3F0)"

[Hugh_Lett]

I have an unusual laptop, HP Model 17-by3065st. It has both a SSD and a HDD. The boot disk is the 125 GB SSD drive that has the operating system on it, but it also has a 1TB HDD with everything else on it, mainly storage.

This morning my wife was on facebook when suddenly the screen blinked and there was just a dark blue screen with the message, "Boot Device Not Found." Next line says," Please install an operating system on your hard disk".  Next line says. "Hard Disk" - (3F0)" .

Then the next line says, "F2 System Diagnostics"

I used the arrow keys to  highlight "F2 System Diagnostics" and entered  "Test Drive". It says "PASSED". Then I did the full test and it also says "PASSED",  but it took 2 hours, which indicates to me that it's probably checking the 1TB HDD instead of the 125GB SDD drive with the operating system on it.

So the computer still just goes to the dark blue screen when I turn it on and shows the same message.

I tried all the suggestions on youtube, nothing there worked.

Any ideas what I should do?

[WAWood]

Unfortunately, the 3F0 error that is found for hard drives is not that reliable for SSDs.  Some folks have even reported getting this error after replacing and even removing the SSD!

If only the boot files are corrupted, and you have a USB stick and you are willing to do some work, you can create Boot Repair media using a working PC.

Macrium Reflect is a free tool that can be used to image and restore PCs, but it also has an option to create Rescue Media (in disk or USB form) that can then be used to boot and/or Repair your PC.

It is available from here: http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

What I recommend is the following:
a) Download and install Macrium Reflect (MR) Free -- this is a Trial version but should suffice for this
b) Use the option to create a boot USB stick or CD
c) Boot your PC from the MR media -- it will take a while, so be patient!
d) If needed, select the option to repair the Windows Boot

The PC should now reboot without problems. IF it still has problems, there are other issues at play.

[Hugh_Lett]

I have a recovery disk that allows me to boot from it. I used that to start the computer but it will only take me to the troubleshoot or turn off computer options, so if I choose "troubleshoot" it has "Startup Repair", "Command Prompt" "Uninstall Updates" , "UEFI Firmware Settings", "System Restore" and "System Image Recovery", I tried "Startup Repair" and after saying "Diagnosing your PC" for awhile, it said, "Startup Repair couldn't repair your PC ", and since there is no arrow or pointer, and the arrows don't work when on that screen, the only option available is to turn off the PC

[WAWood]

Startup Repair is MS's attempt at recovery and in all these years. I've never had it work even ONCE.

The MR disk is a Rescue Disk (even if it's a USB) and knows how to rebuild Windows boot files.

[Hugh_Lett]

Okay. I downloaded the Macrium Reflect program and made a bootable rescue disk. I was able to see the HDD 1 tb data drive but whereas it's the D drive normally, it gave it the assignment of the C letter, which is normally what the 128gb SSD drive is. So basically it couldn't see the SSD, which I guess means it's dead. I opened the computer to access the C drive, the SSD 128gb drive, and it's connected to its port firmly, and when I took it out it looks good (nothing discolored or burnt looking). It just doesn't work.

[WAWood]

Did you try running boot repair from the Rescue Drive? It will list the drives where is sees Windows installed and allow you to select the one where you want the boot files written and it will change the BIOS to point to that drive.  Then when you remove the Rescue Drive and reboot, it will reboot Windows.

[Hugh_Lett]

Yes. The problem is that it doesn't list the 128 GB SSD drive. Only the 1 TB HDD drive

[WAWood]

Oh -- OK. If it doesn't see the drive, it can't write the boot files to it.

[Hugh_Lett]

So I got a used version of my 128gb SSD drive (I ordered a new one too, but the used one was a 2 day to get here and the new one's about a week to arrive), so I replaced the used drive for my dead SSD, and the used one still has windows 10 on it, and it started up my computer, but it's not got anything under USERS, except guest mode, and I can't remember my old USERS name. And I'm pretty sure if I don't create a new main ID with the exact same name, then none of my programs' local and roaming appdata that I backed up from the computer before the OS drive died, will work when I reinstall all my programs, especially the ones that didn't come as an installation CD, but only as a download with a activation code (which I still have all of), but when they require going online to check if it's the same computer I bought the programs for, that if anything is different in the address to the location on my OS drive where the programs were stored, that I'll get a message that says "this device is not authorized" or something like that.

So my question is now,

What do people usually do if their hard drive with the OS on it fails and they have to get a new drive?

Can you somehow get back the windows OS version that you paid forwhen you bought your computer back on the new drive?

Mine is an HP but it's past its warranty. The computer is fine, and the 1TB data drive and the motherboard and everything else,; just the 128GB ssd drive that had the operating system and programs died and had to be replaced.

So what's the next step.

I'm nervous about having a "used" C drive as there could be spyware on it, but if I wipe the drive, can I get windows 10 back? and if so can I get it from HP or Windows or what?

Prior to this computer, every computer I've ever owned just had one main drive, always a HDD with EVERYTHING on it. So when I'd backup my drive (usually by just duplicating it with a duplicator machine) the OS was backed up too.

But when I backed up the HDD in this computer, I forgot that all my programs and windows files were on the little 128 SSD drive (really nothing more than a chip). I don't even know HOW to clone or backup a SSD chip.

Any suggestions for what to do next?

[WAWood]

Since the used drive apparently works, this means the other drive is defective.

I share your concerns about the used drive being infected -- but the only way to safely address that is doing a Secure Erase of that drive (link from HP about this below).  After that, you would have to use another PC and a 32GB USB stick to create Windows install media and install fresh onto this used drive.

Here's a document from HP about doing a Secure Erase on an SSD:

https://www.hp.com/my-en/shop/tech-takes/post/how-to-secure-erase-an-ssd-drive

If your PC is a 2016 model or newer, you should see if you can make a bootable USB recovery drive using the HP cloud recovery tool on a working PC.

The recovery drive can then be used to install Windows and the HP drivers and utilities that originally came with your PC.

You will need a working PC and a 32GB USB stick to hold the recovery files. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmtXOU40vxk

You use the Microsoft Store to download the actual tool:

https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9mtks9pr7r3n?rtc=1&hl=en-us&gl=us

If you use a different PC to run the tool, you will have to provide your PC's product number. Here is an HP link for finding that information:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_2039298-1862169-16

Here's a video from HP Support about using the Cloud Recovery Tool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7AwuKNJKS4