Hey folks! I've been having trouble with my HP laptop—it won't boot, and recently, it started making a bad squeaking sound when trying to read the hard drive. I haven't turned it on since then. Does this indicate that my hard drive is completely broken? I'm planning to install an NVMe SSD soon, but will leaving the broken HDD in there cause any issues?
3 Answers
You really should remove the HDD. It sounds like it's done for, and yes, leaving it in could lead to more problems when you install your new SSD. So best to take it out before moving forward.
You should definitely disconnect the hard drive cables at the least. Sure, it’ll make your laptop a bit heavier, but if you're worried, it's a good precaution. Not sure why you’re adding a new drive if you're hesitant about removing the old one, though!
Adding an M.2 SSD seems less daunting than pulling out the 2.5" drive, haha. Appreciate the advice!
If you're already opening up the laptop for the NVMe upgrade, just pull the hard drive out at the same time. Leaving in a potentially failing HDD can make it worse—especially if it’s making those squeaking noises! For HP Elitebooks, it's usually just a couple screws holding the HDD in place.
Oh, I see screws in each corner of mine. My model is HP 14s-cf2031tx. Maybe I’ll look for a tutorial before diving in. Should I just leave the space empty after removing it?
Should I disconnect the battery before I start removing or installing drives?