Hard Disk 1 Error 3F1 in

[treefrog125]

Based on a suggestion from Huffer, I'm posting this as a new topic in case anyone else comes across this issue in the future.

System Details:

Product Number : LR738PA#ABG     
Description : HP PAVILION DV6-6027TX ENTERTAINMENT NOTEBOOK PC
System Board ID: 1657
Motherboard Part No: 641488-001

BIOS Version: F.1A

Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit

When starting up this laptop, after successful POST it comes up with the following error:

Hard Disk Error: Hard Disk 1 Error 3F1.

As seen in this screen shot:

Hard Disk 1 in the above picture denotes the internal HDD in the laptop, not an external eSata one.

If your fast enough after the POST screen, you can press F9 boot menu, and choose to ignore the error and continue booting into windows.  If you let it just do a normal POST it will halt on this error and won't allow windows to load.

In an effort to remedy the situation I have tried installing 3 other drives all showing the exact same error.

The other drives are:

- Western Digital Scorpio Blue: WD2500BEVT - 250Gb, pulled from another working laptop.

- A-RAM Pro Series 64Gb 2.5" SSD, pulled from another working system.

- Western Digital Black: WD5000LPLX - 500Gb, this drive was purchased brand new thinking there was a possibility the other 2 drives might be faulty.

I then ran GSmart HDD Control on all 3 drives attempting to work out why all 3 drives didn't work.

Link here:

http://gsmartcontrol.sourceforge.net/home/index.ph​p/Downloads

When tested in a standard desktop system on a standard SATA lead all 3 drives return no S.M.A.R.T errors, and all passed a full read test.

When tested with HP's own testing tools from BIOS on this laptop, the drives also passed the full HDD test, but still fail after the post screen.

In desperation I purchased a compatible mainboard that will fit into the DV6-6027TX chassis with the same board ID, details as follows:

HP Casablanca H710

Product Number: FP27M00#ABA

System Board id: 1657

System Board CT No: PBWQE03HT1Q090

Bios Version: F.1A

Incidentally if you want the best possible Graphics for a replacement board in the System Board id range: 1657, try the following part No's instead:

650799-001
650800-001

They both have an AMD HD6770 chip, with 2Gb dedicated memory.

Once installed this board also POST's fine, however it also gives the same Hard Disk 1 Error 3F1.

I looked up the HP BIOS error Codes:

http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c01443317

It gives a very generic:

This indicates a potential problem with the hard drive. Please run the hard drive test.

Which as stated above, had already been done.

At this point, having ruled out the HDD's, this then indicates to me that the issue may lay with either the HDD cable itself or a mainboard issue with HP Pavilion dv6 range of laptops.

I attempted to find a replacement SPS-Cable Kit, Part No: 640422-001 for the original mainboard, however the part is no longer available.

Mumbodog suggested an alternate Part No that is still available: 665301-001.

I have since contacted the Ebay vendor of the replacement mainboard, and requested a HDD cable replacement, as it's a cheap option if it works, and helps rule another element of the equation out.

I will post back here once I have tried the HDD cable, to let others know if this works or not.

If it doesn't, then the only other possibility I can think of is 2 faulty mainboards or a common fault in these boards, that requires rectifying.

If anyone else has a good suggestion, or has seen this before, please post your experience here.

[Tardis40]

Hi @treefrog125,

Thanks for becoming a member of the HP Support Forums. I understand you are having an issue with hard drive error . I will be glad to help you.

If you think it is the cable or the motherboard, can you try the cable from the other computer? That will tell us if the cable or motherboard. 

Please keep me informed of how things went. 

If you require further assistance, let me know and I will gladly do all I can to help you.

Please let me know if this resolves the issue by marking this post as "Accept as Solution".
To simply say thanks, click the Thumbs up below! 🙂

Thanks.

[treefrog125]

The mainboard I purchased was just that, mainboard only, not from an entire laptop. So unfortunately I can't try the cable that came with the new board, as there wasn't one.

I've paid for postage, and I'm waiting on a replacement cable to come from the Ebay vendor, it will be very interesting to see if it works!

Thanks for the suggestion though Tardis40.

[treefrog125]

I have received the replacement HDD cable, and tested with it, however I still receive the Hard Disk 1 (3F1) error.

Having tested the new HDD on a desktop PC with GSmart HDD Control and verified it has no bad sectors or SMART errors, I can only assume that the replacement mainboard has the same fault that my original mainboard had, which is a bit disappointing.

I will have to send back for warranty, and get another replacement I suppose. I would be interested to hear from HP about the matter, as the system still works with either board if you bypass the error message, however it makes for a very slow and annoying boot up when you have to fiddle with keys every time.

I'm suspecting that either the bios doesn't go back and re-check drives once it receives a HDD fault, and just assumes anything getting plugged into it after that point is faulty, or that there is some other bios issue at play here.  Not being a programmer though, I would have no clue how to rectify the issue.

Only other thing I can think of is that it doesn't like non-HP supplied HDD's, but I'd say that's unlikely.

The fact that I've tried 3 known working drives, and it gives the same error with both mainboards would indicate that I've been unlucky and have 2 faulty mainboards.

Will post back again once I get another replacement to see if another new mainboard works.

Please note that in the intervening weeks while the laptop has been sitting waiting for the replacement cable it has also developed a display corruption, as see in the attached photos.

New HDD with original SATA Connector plugged in, with new SATA connector above it, showing it's a different size plug, and won't fit in the HDD caddy.

RAM test pass, notice display corruption on new mainboard.

New HDD on the new mainboard, now showing display corruption, suspect faulting VGA module on mainboard.

Close up of SATA connectors, the one on the left is the new one that was tried sitting loose, but still showed the same 3F1 error.