HP & Dell Hard Drive Error Codes: The Complete Database
Every hard drive error message HP and Dell computers show, in one searchable reference: SMART codes like 301 and 2000-0151, boot errors like 3F0 and "Internal Hard Disk Drive Not Found," failed diagnostic codes, and the Windows errors that hit both brands. Type your error below to find it, see what it means, and find out whether your data is still recoverable. Maintained by the bench at Dave's Computers in Somerville, New Jersey, where we diagnose these failures every week.
Last verified against HP and Dell official documentation: August 31, 2026
Error Lookup: Every HP & Dell Hard Drive Error
Type your error code or any words from the message on your screen. The table filters as you type.
| Error message | Brand | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| SMART Hard Disk Error 301 ("The SMART hard disk check has detected an imminent failure... Hard Disk 1 (301)") | HP | Primary drive predicting its own failure. Back up now and replace the drive. Details ↓ |
| Boot Device Not Found. Please install an operating system on your hard disk. Hard Disk (3F0) | HP | No bootable drive found: boot order, loose connection, or a dead drive. Details ↓ |
| Hard Drive SMART Check: FAILED (24-character Failure ID) | HP | Drive failed HP's built-in self-test; needs replacement. Details ↓ |
| SMART Hard Disk Error 302 (Hard Disk 2) | HP | Same imminent-failure warning as 301, for a second drive. |
| Hard Disk 1 (3F1) | HP | Primary boot drive not found or not bootable. Details ↓ |
| Hard Disk Error 3F2 | HP | Boot error on a secondary storage device, usually a failed or failing disk. |
| SMART Hard Disk Error 309 | HP | Critical SMART failure; usually requires drive replacement. |
| SMART Hard Disk Error 30A | HP | SMART warning; often temperature, physical damage, connection, or wear. |
| SMART Hard Disk Error 30B | HP | SMART warning in the same family as 30A. |
| SMART Hard Disk Error 30C | HP | SMART warning in the same family as 30A and 30B. |
| SMART Hard Disk Error 303 | HP | SMART imminent-failure family; wording nearly identical to 301. |
| SMART Hard Disk Error 304 | HP | SMART imminent-failure family; wording nearly identical to 301. |
| SMART Hard Disk Error 305 | HP | SMART imminent-failure family; wording nearly identical to 301. |
| SMART Hard Disk Error 306 | HP | SMART imminent-failure family; wording nearly identical to 301. |
| Primary Hard Disk Self Test failed | HP | Failed HP BIOS-level self-test; the drive should be replaced. |
| No hard drive installed. Please check that the power and data cables are connected properly. | HP | Drive not detected at all: a cable, a connector, or a dead drive. |
| Error Code 2000-0142 (Hard Drive Self-Test Unsuccessful) | Dell | Failed self-test: drive, cable, or motherboard connector; most often a failing drive. Details ↓ |
| Error Code 2000-0146 (Self-Test Log Contains Previous Errors) | Dell | The drive has logged failures before; a long test confirms whether it is dying. Details ↓ |
| Error Code 2000-0141 (No Drive Detected) | Dell | BIOS reports no hard drive at all: reseat, cable, or a dead drive. Details ↓ |
| Error Code 2000-0151 (Incorrect Status: SMART Predictive Failure) | Dell | The drive's SMART data predicts failure. Back up while it still boots. Details ↓ |
| Internal Hard Disk Drive Not Found. To resolve this issue, try to reseat the drive. | Dell | BIOS cannot see the internal drive; common on Inspiron, Vostro, and XPS. Details ↓ |
| No bootable devices found / No boot device available. Strike the F1 key to retry boot, F2 to run the Setup utility | Dell | No drive to start Windows from was found. |
| Error Code 2000-0143 (SMART Read Command Unsuccessful) | Dell | SMART read failed; an indication of drive failure. |
| Error Code 2000-0144 (No Support for Drive Self-Test) | Dell | The drive did not respond to the self-test request. |
| Error Code 2000-0145 (Self-Test Did Not Complete) | Dell | The self-test timed out, which usually points to a struggling drive. |
| Error Code 2000-0150 (No Drive Detected) | Dell | Same meaning as 2000-0141; this code replaced it on newer systems. |
| Error Code 2000-0155 (Hard Drive Not Installed) | Dell | No hard drive present on a laptop that requires one. |
| Error Code 2000-0156 (NVMe Drive Read Test Unsuccessful) | Dell | The NVMe solid state drive failed its read test. |
| Error Code 2000-0161 (No NVMe Drive Detected) | Dell | No NVMe drive found on the PCI bus. |
| Error Code 2000-0153 (Removable Hard Drive Incorrect Status) | Dell | A removable drive reported an error status. |
| Error Code 2000-0723 (Drive Error Detected) | Dell | The BIOS detected a hard drive issue. |
| Alert! Failed to detect one or more drives during POST. | Dell | A drive dropped off the system at power-on; frequently paired with 2000-0141 on desktops. |
| A disk read error occurred. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart | Both | Boot-time read failure: failing drive, damaged boot record, or cabling. |
| Operating System not found / Missing operating system | Both | The BIOS cannot find Windows on the drive. |
| No boot device found / No bootable device | Both | No drive to start Windows from; settings, connection, or a dead drive. |
| SMART failure predicted on hard disk 0. WARNING: Immediately back up your data and replace your hard disk drive. | Both | The drive predicts imminent failure. Take it literally. |
| Windows detected a hard disk problem. Back up your files immediately to prevent information loss. | Both | Windows Disk Diagnostics caught SMART trouble while running. |
| BOOTMGR is missing. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart | Both | Windows Boot Manager not found or corrupt; sometimes a failing disk. |
| INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE (blue screen, STOP 0x0000007B) | Both | Windows lost access to the system partition during startup. |
| Boot Configuration Data (BCD) missing or corrupted (0xc000000f, 0xc000000e) | Both | Boot files damaged; often repairable, sometimes a failing drive underneath. |
| Reboot and Select proper Boot Device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device | Both | Boot order or drive-detection problem. |
| Non-System disk or disk error. Replace and press any key when ready | Both | Legacy BIOS boot message on older machines; drive or boot files. |
| Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press enter | Both | Legacy BIOS message; no bootable disk found. |
| NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM (blue screen, STOP 0x00000024) | Both | File system corruption on the Windows drive. |
| The drive where Windows is installed is locked / Automatic Repair loop | Both | The repair environment cannot work with the drive; corruption or failure. |
| CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED (blue screen) | Both | A core Windows process failed; disk or system-file corruption is a common cause. |
| Repairing disk errors. This might take over an hour to complete. | Both | Startup repair stuck fighting a failing drive. |
| CHKDSK reports bad sectors ("Windows has made corrections to the file system") | Both | The disk checker found damaged areas on the drive. |
| S.M.A.R.T. Status BAD, Backup and Replace. Press F1 to Resume | Both | BIOS SMART status message: back up and replace the drive. |
Sources: HP official support documentation, Dell's ePSA/PSA reference table (2000-0NNN series), and Microsoft documentation, cross-checked against what we see on the bench. Full citations at the bottom of the page.
The Big Eight, In Depth
The eight errors we see most often at the bench, with the exact on-screen text, what causes them, what is safe to try yourself, and when to stop.
SMART Hard Disk Error 301
This is the HP hard drive error we see most. The drive's built-in self-monitoring (SMART) has counted enough internal problems, usually reallocated or pending bad sectors on a spinning drive, to predict its own failure. The awkward grammar ("ensure not data loss") is HP's, not a scam; this is a genuine firmware message. The machine will often still boot when you press Enter, which tempts people to ignore it for weeks. Don't. What we see at the bench: most 301 drives are mechanically failing, the data is usually still recoverable at this stage, and the recovery gets harder with every additional boot. Safe to try yourself: back up your files to an external drive right now, while it still reads. Not worth trying: chkdsk marathons and repeated reboots. If the drive clicks, beeps, or grinds, power off immediately; that is a mechanical failure in progress.
Boot Device Not Found: Hard Disk (3F0)
A black screen with a sad little message: the computer went looking for a drive to boot from and found nothing. Unlike 301, this one has a real range of causes. The harmless end: a BIOS boot-order change, a Windows update that confused UEFI settings, or on some machines a disrupted Intel Optane pairing. The middle: a loose SATA or M.2 connection, especially after a drop or a move. The bad end: the drive has died outright. Safe to try yourself: power off, unplug, hold the power button 15 seconds, then boot and tap Esc, then F10 for BIOS, and check whether the drive is even listed. If the BIOS sees no drive at all, stop; opening the machine and reseating connections is where most people strip screws or crack clips, and if the drive is dead you want it handled carefully for recovery.
Hard Drive SMART Check: FAILED (with 24-Character Failure ID)
This one comes from HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (the tests behind Esc then F2 at startup), not from Windows. A FAILED result on the SMART Check or the Short/Long DST means the drive flunked its own physical self-test, and HP's guidance is the same as ours: the drive needs to be replaced. The 24-character Failure ID (four groups of six characters) encodes the specific failure; write it down or photograph the screen before doing anything else, because it is the fastest way for any technician, us included, to know exactly what failed. The good news is that a drive can fail its self-test and still be largely readable. This is one of the most common starting points for successful data recovery at our shop.
Hard Disk Error 3F1 and 3F2
Cousins of 3F0. 3F1 points at the primary boot drive specifically: it was found but is not bootable, or was not found at all. Corrupted Windows system files, a loose connection, and a failing drive are the usual suspects, roughly in that order of hope. 3F2 is the same complaint about a secondary storage device, and in our experience that usually means the second drive has failed or its data has corrupted. Sometimes 3F1 shows up right after a CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED blue screen, which tells you Windows was already struggling to read the disk before it gave up. Safe to try yourself: run the built-in diagnostics (Esc, then F2) and note the result. If the drive passes the hardware test, the problem is likely software and very fixable. If it fails, you're back in replace-and-recover territory.
Dell Error Code 2000-0142: Hard Drive Self-Test Unsuccessful
The most-discussed Dell drive error there is. Dell's built-in diagnostics (ePSA, now branded SupportAssist; tap F12 at power-on to run them) commanded the drive to test itself and the drive failed. Dell's own documentation says it can be the drive, the drive cable, or the connector on the motherboard, and that is true, but honestly: on laptops, where there is no cable to wiggle loose, a 0142 is a failing drive the overwhelming majority of the time. On desktops a reseated SATA cable occasionally saves the day. The "Status" number and the drive serial in the message identify which drive failed on multi-drive systems. If the machine still boots into Windows, back up immediately. If it no longer boots, do not keep re-running the diagnostic to see if the result changes; each pass works the failing drive harder.
Dell Error Code 2000-0146: Self-Test Log Contains Previous Errors
Subtly different from 0142, and the difference matters. This code means the drive's internal logbook shows it has failed tests or hit serious errors in the past, even if it passed the quick test just now. Think of it as a rap sheet rather than a conviction: the drive might run fine for months, or the logged errors might be the opening act of a failure. The deciding evidence is a long (extended) test plus a look at the actual SMART attributes, which shows whether bad sectors are stable or actively multiplying. Our honest take from the bench: a 0146 on a drive that also feels slow, hangs on file copies, or has started freezing Windows is a drive on its way out. A 0146 on a machine that behaves perfectly is worth watching, backing up, and testing again in a month.
Dell 2000-0141 / 2000-0150 and "Internal Hard Disk Drive Not Found"
Three faces of the same problem: the computer cannot see the drive at all. Diagnostic codes 2000-0141 and its newer replacement 2000-0150 say "no drive detected"; the plain-language version above shows up at boot on Inspiron, Vostro, and XPS machines. Dell's own message suggests reseating the drive, and on older laptops with removable drive bays that genuinely fixes a share of these, since a bump can unseat the connector. On modern thin laptops with soldered-adjacent M.2 slots, and on any machine that started doing this after slowing down for weeks, the drive itself has usually died. One more possibility worth knowing: if the drive shows up in BIOS but Windows won't boot with "no bootable devices," the drive may be fine and the boot mode (UEFI vs Legacy) or boot files are the problem. That distinction, drive missing versus drive present but unbootable, is the first thing we check.
Dell Error Code 2000-0151: SMART Predictive Failure
Dell's version of HP's 301: the drive's SMART system predicts it is nearing the end of its life. Dell's guidance when users post this code is blunt, back up your data while the system still boots, and we agree. The "incorrect status" value (3E in the example above) varies, but the SMART Predictive Failure line is the part that matters. A drive throwing 0151 will sometimes pass a quick test and lull you into thinking the code was a fluke; the SMART attributes underneath tell the real story. Treat the first 0151 as your notice period: copy off everything you care about, then replace the drive. Machines this age almost always leave our bench with a solid state drive that is faster than the original was on its best day, so the failure usually ends with an upgrade.
How to Run the Built-In Hard Drive Test Yourself
Both brands ship a hardware test that runs before Windows. It is safe to run once, and the code it produces tells us exactly what is wrong.
HP PC Hardware Diagnostics
Power off. Power on and tap Esc repeatedly, then press F2 when the startup menu appears. Choose Component Tests, then Hard Drive, and run the Quick Test (a few minutes) or the Extensive Test. If a test fails, photograph the screen with the 24-character Failure ID.
Dell SupportAssist / ePSA Diagnostics
Power off. Power on and tap F12 repeatedly, then choose Diagnostics from the boot menu. Let the full assessment run. If it finds a problem it shows a 2000-0NNN error code and often a validation code; photograph both.
What All These Errors Actually Mean
Fifty-plus messages, four underlying problems.
SMART warnings: the drive is telling you it's dying
Hard drives monitor their own health. When you see HP's "SMART Hard Disk Error 301" or Dell's 2000-0151 code, the drive itself has detected enough internal problems to predict its own failure. The computer may still boot for now. Back up immediately and get the drive replaced before it stops working entirely.
Boot device not found: the computer can't see the drive
Messages like HP's "Boot Device Not Found, Hard Disk (3F0)" or Dell's "Internal Hard Disk Drive Not Found" mean the computer looked for a drive to start Windows from and came up empty. Sometimes it's a loose connection or a BIOS setting. Often it's a drive that has already died.
Failed diagnostic tests: the drive flunked its checkup
Dell laptops and desktops run built-in diagnostics that produce codes like 2000-0142 or 2000-0146. HP's diagnostics show "Hard Drive SMART Check: FAILED" with a 24-character Failure ID. A failed self-test means the drive needs to be replaced.
Windows can't read the drive: corruption or failure in progress
Errors like "A disk read error occurred," "BOOTMGR is missing," or the INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE blue screen mean Windows tried to read its own startup files and couldn't. The cause ranges from corrupted boot files (fixable) to a physically failing drive (replace it, and recover the data first).
⚡ Seeing one of these errors right now? Power the computer down, bring it in, and let us save your data before the drive fails for good. Diagnosis first, then a straight answer on whether it is a quick fix or a recovery job.
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Directions to Our Somerville Office
Dave's Computers · 75 N Bridge St, Somerville, NJ 08876 · (908) 428-9558
Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm · Saturday 9am to 2pm
We're in downtown Somerville on North Bridge Street, just north of Main Street.
From I-287: Take Exit 17 for US-202/206 toward Somerville. Follow signs for downtown Somerville, turn onto Main Street, then turn onto North Bridge Street. We're a short block up from Main.
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From Main Street downtown: Walk or drive one block north on Bridge Street from the Main Street intersection.
Street parking and public parking are available in downtown Somerville near the shop.
FAQ
What does SMART Hard Disk Error 301 mean on an HP laptop?
It means the drive's built-in self-monitoring (SMART) has detected enough internal problems to predict its own failure. HP's message tells you to back up immediately, and it is right: the drive may still boot for now, but it is failing. Back up what you can and have the drive replaced before it stops working entirely.
What does Dell error code 2000-0142 mean?
Dell's built-in diagnostics (ePSA/SupportAssist) ran a self-test on the hard drive and the test failed. Per Dell's own documentation it can be the drive itself, the drive cable, or the connector on the motherboard, but in our experience it is most often a failing drive. Back up if the machine still boots, and have it checked before relying on it.
Is a SMART hard disk error always fatal?
Not always immediately, but treat it that way. SMART warnings mean the drive itself has measured enough internal problems to predict failure. Some drives limp along for weeks after a 301 or 2000-0151; others die the same day. The safe move is the same either way: back up now, then replace the drive.
What is the difference between HP error 3F0 and 3F1?
Both mean the computer cannot boot from the drive. 3F0 (Boot Device Not Found) means no bootable drive was found at all, which can be a settings issue, a loose connection, or a dead drive. 3F1 points at the primary drive specifically not being found or not being bootable, often from corrupted system files or a failing drive.
How do I run the built-in hard drive test on an HP or Dell?
On most HP machines, power off, then power on and tap Esc, then press F2 to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics and run the Hard Drive tests. On most Dell machines, power on and tap F12, then choose Diagnostics to run ePSA/SupportAssist. Write down any error code or Failure ID the test shows; that code tells us exactly what is wrong.
Can you recover my files if the hard drive already failed?
Usually, yes. Most drives that throw SMART errors or fail diagnostics are still readable enough to recover documents, photos, and business files, especially if you stop using the machine right away. Data recovery is one of our core services; bring the computer or the bare drive to our Somerville shop and we will evaluate it.
Should I keep restarting my computer if I see one of these errors?
No. On a mechanically failing drive, every boot attempt spins the platters and can make bad sectors worse, turning a routine recovery into a difficult one. If you see a SMART warning, a failed self-test, or repeated boot errors, power the machine down and bring it in.
Do I need an appointment to drop off my HP or Dell computer?
No appointment needed. Residential service is drop-off: bring the computer to 75 N Bridge St in downtown Somerville during business hours, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm or Saturday 9am to 2pm. On-site service is available for business clients.
Sources and further reading
- HP Support, HP PCs: SMART hard disk error 301, 302, 309, 30A, 30B, 30C, 3F1, 3F2.
- Dell Support, Reference Table of ePSA, PSA Error Codes, and Troubleshooting Steps (2000-0NNN Series).
- Dell Support, Computer Cannot Boot into Windows.
- Microsoft Learn, Bug Check 0x7B: INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE.
Don't Gamble With a Dying Drive
Bring your HP or Dell to our Somerville shop. We'll diagnose the error, recover your data, and put in a drive you can trust.
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