HP 1KU84UA#ABA Laptop Hard Drive Failing

I have my daughter's HP 1KU84UA#ABA laptop here for updating.

However, when I turn it on, I get a notice that the hard drive is going to fail:

SMART Hard Disk Error

The SMART hard disk check has detected an iminent failure. To ensure not data loss, please backup the content immediately and run the Hard Disk Test in System Diagnostics. .

Hard Disk 1 (301)

F2 System Diagnostics

Enter - Continue Startup

For more information, please visit: www.hp.com/go/techcenter/startup

I have done the check, and indeed I'm told the hard disk is going to fail.

I can press Enter, and the computer boots as per normal.

Of course, the original problem is that Daughter can't remember her password because it's been a year or more since the computer has been used.

Which is another problem; I can't seem to boot from a USB stick. I think it's because of the failing hard drive message.

Oh, yeah, I've opened the laptop and the hard drive doesn't look like a normal SATA.

Boot from usb is usually F10 at start up,
Time to upgrade to an ssd .

Your drive is standard SATA, but HP could put an adapter over connector. Just de attach it and put on a new drive

zbook said:

Most HP computers have factory installed diagnostics.

Power on the computer and repetitively click F2.

Run the short DST > report results

If it passes then run long DST.

If either fail then replace the drive.

If both pass then backup any important data and continue troubleshooting.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01442956
https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01443502
https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers...41?sku=1KU84UA


An additional option for HP computers is creating a flash drive diagnostics.
This does not format the flash drive.
It is added to any bootable flash drive that has free space.

On HP computers if you press Esc immediately at startup you get a menu. Two of the entries on that are F2 for diagnostics and F10 to boot from a flash drive. Can't remember what the others are.

zbook said:

To boot from a flash drive: F9 (many HP notebooks)

Ah, that's right F10 is BIOS.

zbook said:

To boot from a flash drive: F9 (many HP notebooks)

Thanks, zbook! I've always spammed the Esc key to get to the menu, which then told me F9 to boot from flash drive. Nice shortcut, to say the least.

kado897 said:

Ah, that's right F10 is BIOS.

Which I'd need to get to in order to disable "secure boot". Sooooooooo many things to reckymember!