Stuck on "preparing automatic repair"

[Corboz]

My laptop craahed and now when I try turn it on it shows the HP logo when trying to load.  It then changes to the screen with HP logo and Preparing Automatic Repair underneath before becoming stuck in a blank dark screen.  

I have tried hitting esc to run tests and I got a HD short DST fail.  

Failure ID 90ABS8-94GGA0X-XD7W3G-60R803

Is there anything else I can try here?  I bought the machine in UK but now live in China.  

[iomare]

Hi,

It means the hard drive has failed and needs to be replaced.

You will need a new 2.5" SATA 3 HDD (max 2TB because of thickness)

Example:

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-BarraCuda-Internal-Drive-2-5-Inch/dp/B07H28QRKN/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=2...

or you could opt for a cheap 2.5" SATA3 SSD which would give a performance boost

Example:

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-240GB-Solid-SA400S37-240G/dp/B01N5IB20Q/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=2.5+ssd&...

On page 45 of service manual you can see the steps to replace the Drive.

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c06245081

To reinstall Windows:

Download media creation tool from Microsoft on PC (different PC), run and create a bootable pendrive with the OS on it. (there is an explanation on the Microsoft web page on how to create the pendrive). Create the drive with Windows 10 Home 64-bit edition. Windows will automatically activate once installed and connected to the Internet.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

If you choose this option you will need to use the pendrive to perform a clean install of Windows 10. You might need to disable fastboot and secure boot in BIOS (probably not). So, insert the pendrive in the PC and it should boot directly from the drive. If not, turn off the PC by holding the power button. Press the power button and immediately keep pressing ESC until the startup menu appears and then press F9 and choose the pendrive in the boot menu. Once it boots from pendrive follow the procedure to install Windows.

When finished installing allow Windows to completely update and find all or most drivers. You can follow this process by going into settings > Security and update > click on Verify for updates. You might need to reboot a couple of times.

 I recommend installing HP support assistant which will help keep your drivers up to date and much more. You can download the latest version from here.

https://www8.hp.com/us/en/campaigns/hpsupportassistant/hpsupport.html

Once completely updated you can go into device manager and see if there are any missing drivers (there will be yellow exclamation mark next to the device). You can find these drivers and software on HP support page for your product.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-15-db0000-laptop-pc/20395843/model/22757798/manuals?sku=4BA4...

Hope it helps,

David

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