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Question

HDD freezes laptop in POST?

Mar 15, 2017 4:26AM PDT

Hello,

this morning I tried merging two partitions on my Windows 10 HP ProBook 4730s laptop using Mini Partition Tool but apparently I installed this tool on partition I wanted to delete... Since my laptop didn't boot I started searching forums and googling, after which I found this reply/thread with solution:

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-1873357/boot-m...

I followed instructions and removed HDD, so I managed to open BIOS Settings without any problems, only thing that struggles me already for a couple of hours is "changing LBA-Mode to disable" as thread/reply above suggests. Can anyone help me and guide me to disable this in HP BIOS Settings?

BIOS Revision: 68SRR Ver. F.40 (03/12/2013)

Thanks in advance!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
If such a thing showed up at the shop
Mar 15, 2017 9:43AM PDT

We would wipe the drive and start fresh. There are folk that insist there is a fix short of that, but where are they now?

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How can I achieve that?
Mar 15, 2017 11:53AM PDT

That seems like a good idea, but how can I wipe it if I'm not able to boot another CD or enter BIOS when hard disk is inside laptop? It just freezes on POST HP screen and none of the keys work (esc, f10...)...

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What we do.
Mar 15, 2017 11:58AM PDT

Pull the HDD out and into some USB case to test and erase it. We want the HDD to be good and blank. But if the client has files to recover we nod to a new SSD drive and install that. Then the old drive goes into some USB drive and we see if RECUVA can see the files.

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PS. Be aware that model is a pitr.
Mar 15, 2017 12:00PM PDT
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Another question..
Mar 15, 2017 12:24PM PDT

Installing windows is not a problem. So you are suggesting that I buy SATA II USB casing so I connect and wipe out this HDD from other computer?

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Only if
Mar 15, 2017 12:34PM PDT

You want to try to save that drive. Around the office this is one of the de facto must have items for a tech when dealing with drives that trip up a PC. That and Linux sticks.

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Well...
Mar 15, 2017 12:40PM PDT

The thing is that I actually don't care about any files since it was fresh install, but I do care about hdd itself, since I don't want to spend any extra money at this time if I don't have to... Thanks for the help!

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Then what else do you have?
Mar 15, 2017 12:45PM PDT

I've used old desktops and DBAN to erase (and test) such drives.

The HP isn't working for us so we have to use something else to get in there.

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Got it..
Mar 15, 2017 1:16PM PDT

Just borrowed case from my friend and got into HDD! I do have other laptop, so I'll use DBAN there to wipe-out this drive. Thanks a ton for the idea and help!