How to repair HP laptop hard drive

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Posted by Geeks Callout London

@geekscallout

 10 Oct, 2022

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How to repair HP laptop hard drive

The entire data storage relies on the hard drive of one’s HP PC and laptop. It is also the hard drive where the operating system is stored and boots, whenever a user opens the computer. So, what could happen if the hard drive gets bad sectors or starts wearing and tearing? Or is there a way to repair a hard drive? This article will answer all your questions, so read on.

Effects of a failing hard drive on your computer:

As we discussed, your hard drive is where the computer stores all your important data and this is where your OS resides as well. So, when it comes to minor issues, the laptop could slow down, and face performance issues or startup problems. It could be that the hard disk needs defragmentation to work efficiently and disk cleanup to free up space.

On the contrary, the major complications would include the physical wear and tear of the hard drive that would require replacement eventually. The corruption caused by viruses may wipe out all the data, also crashing the operating system which could lead to a “no bootable device” error. However, virus removal may help in restoring the hard drive’s functionality. But, data restoration might or might not be possible.  

How to repair my HP hard drive?

The traditional HDD looks nearly like a vintage CD record player that functions on a similar concept of moving parts. So, the mechanical components of an HDD wear out over time due to the strain and friction which the metal parts go through every time they move to read and write. That’s why a point comes when you have to replace your computer’s hard drive. However, you can repair bad sectors and control damages in case of disk corruption to some extent. 

There are a bunch of tricks you can implement to repair your HP computer/laptop’s hard drive.

1- Defragment the HDD:

You need to defragment the hard drive because of the fragmentation process. The data in the HDD gets fragmented, meaning it spreads in various parts of the disk which makes it difficult for the system to collect. So, when you open a file, it might take too long to process because the system takes time to piece the data together.

Defragmentation helps users restore the files’ original state, also creating more space on the hard drive. This overall improves the HDD’s condition and optimizes the system’s performance. So, you won’t get any screen freezes and startup problems.

  1. Go to Disk Defragmenter via the search bar at the start.
  2. Below the “Current Status” choose a disk for defragging and click on “Analyze disk”
  3. Once the analysis is complete, check the score under “Last run” heading. If the score comes above 10 percent, you must click on the “Defragment disk” option to defrag it.

Note: The defrag process may take quite some time to complete depending on the size of fragments on the HDD. However, you can still use the laptop while the process continues.

2- Use Chkdsk:

The Chkdsk helps in repairing bad sectors of the hard drive. It’s a built-in disk repairing utility in Hp and other Windows laptops. It repairs soft bad sectors, meaning the poorly written data will be fixed. And maps out the hard bad sectors which means all parts of the hard disk that are physically damaged won’t be used in the future by the OS.

  1. Go to Chkdsk via the search bar at the start.
  2. You’ll have to put commands in the dialog box to scan and repair the hard drive.
  3. For example, when you put in “chkdsk D”, it’ll scan your D drive. “chkdsk/f” and “chkdsk/r” commands prompt fixing and repairing of the hard drive.
  4. “chkdsk/x” disconnects the hard drive and runs chkdsk/f automatically for repairs.

3-  Run HP diagnostics UEFI:

HP diagnostics offers a complete hardware checkup that runs a S.M.A.R.T hard drive checkup along with other tests. You can run two types of tests. One is called “Fast test” and the other “Extensive Test.” Both types scan hardware components via several tests and in case of errors, show a code that you can use when contacting HP Support to get assistance. Fast tests are quick and won’t take longer than 5 minutes while the extensive tests take more than 2 hours to complete.

  1. Hold down the power button to turn off the laptop.
  2. After 5 seconds, turn it back on and press the “Esc” key again and again until the menu appears.
  3. Use the F2 key to choose “System Diagnostics.”
  4. Select “System Tests” and choose “Fast Test” for a quick checkup and “Extensive Test” for a deep and more thorough checking.
  5. Click on “Run once.”

4- Use HP Assistant:

Newer HP models with the latest Windows come with the HP Assistant that helps with diagnostics. You can use it to scan the HDD and ensure through testing if something’s wrong with it or not.

  1. Go to HP Assistant via the search bar at the start.
  1. Choose “Fixes and Diagnostics” from the sidebar present on the left.
  2. Click on “Run Hardware Diagnostics.”
  3. Select the appropriate test for the hard drive. Usually, you’ll see “disk read verify” or similar options to choose from.
  4. It’ll take a while but when the tests are complete, the HP Assistant will inform you about the results.

5- Use third-party software:

You could use third-party programs like Seagate Seatools or HDD Scan to analyze your computer’s hard drive health. If your computer is old and can’t deal with extensive tests that take too long to run, you may take the HDD out and put it in a SATA enclosure box to connect it to another PC/laptop and conduct thorough tests. Also, you may scan the HDD for malware using a reputable antivirus program to clean viruses.

Final Thoughts:

After thorough scanning and testing of the hard drive, if you get bad results, you may want to replace the hard drive as yours won’t stick out for long. You can consult HDD replacement guides to help yourself walk through the process.

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