How to Resolve Hard Drive or solid state drive Issues on your Dell Computer

1. Turn off the computer. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds.
2. Disconnect the AC adapter or power cable from the computer, and remove the battery. (For Dell laptops with removable battery.)
   Note: For Dell laptops that have a non-removable battery, learn: How to Reset Real-Time Clock (RTC) For Dell laptops with removable batteries, see the User Guide for your Dell laptop for step-by-step instructions to safely remove the battery.
    
   Note: On select Dell Latitude laptops, try to recover the laptop from a boot failure using the forced enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment (ePSA) method. Learn:  How to Use Forced ePSA to Recover from Power-On Self-Test (POST) or Boot Failure on Dell Latitude PCs 
3. Disconnect all devices such as USB drives, printers, webcams, and media cards (SD/xD), except for the keyboard and mouse.
4. Press and hold the power button for 15 to 20 seconds to drain residual power.
5. Connect the power cable (for Dell desktops), AC adapter, and the battery (for Dell laptops).
6. Turn on the computer.

If this did not resolve the issue, go to the next step.

To determine if your Dell computer is experiencing a hardware problem, it is recommended that you first run a hardware diagnostic test. Dell offers both integrated and online diagnostics.

If the computer cannot boot into Windows, run the pre-boot diagnostic test on a Dell computer:

1. Turn on the computer and tap the F2 key several times until you see the One Time Boot Menu.
2. Select Diagnostics and press Enter.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the pre-boot diagnostic test.
4. Do the tests pass or give an error code? (If available, are you able to physically check the computer works with a hard drive from a similar working product connected? Rule out any issues with the cables, ports, or motherboards.)
   • The tests pass, the hard drive is working correctly. The issue is likely related to the operating system or software that is installed on the computer.
   • The test fails, make a note of the Service Tag, error code, and validation code. Look up the error code from the pre-boot diagnostic tests and contact Dell Technical Support for repair options in your region.

If the computer can boot into Windows and can access the Internet, run the Dell online diagnostics:

1. Browse to Dell.com/support.
2. Identify your Dell computer.
   1. Click Download and Install SupportAssist to auto-detect your Dell computer. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Dell SupportAssist (if required).
   2. Or, enter the Service Tag or Express Service Code of the Dell computer and click Search.
   3. Or, click Browse all products and manually select your Dell computer from the catalog.
3. Go to the Diagnostics tab.
4. Click Run Quick Test.
   Note: If SupportAssist is not installed on your Dell computer, you are prompted to download and install the SupportAssist application.
5. If the test passes, go to the next step.
6. If the test fails, contact Dell Technical Support for repair options in your region.

Sometimes, the external devices can cause issues with booting the operating system, or stop errors. Unplug any external storage devices such as external drives, docking stations, and other hardware that is plugged into the computer and then restart the computer.

You do not experience the issue after restarting the computer. This means that the external device may be the cause of the problem, and you must contact the device manufacturer for additional support.

If this did not resolve the issue, go to the next step.

Dell Technologies recommends updating the BIOS, device drivers, and applicable firmware as part of your scheduled update cycle. Updates may contain feature enhancements or changes that help keep your devices software up to date. They can make them compatible with other modules (hardware and software) and can increase your devices stability.

Learn: How to download and install the latest BIOS update on your Dell computer.

Learn: How to Download and Install Dell Drivers and Firmware

If this did not resolve the issue, go to the next step.

The System File Checker and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) are command-line tools to scan Windows and repair the missing or corrupt operating system files:

1. Restart the computer and boot into Windows. If the computer cannot boot into Windows, boot into safe mode with networking.
2. Click Start and search for Command Prompt or cmd.
3. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
4. At the command prompt, type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
5. The System File Checker scans and verify the operating system files. Do not close the command prompt window until the verification is 100% complete.
6. Restart the computer and check if the issue is resolved.
7. If the issue is not resolved, repeat steps 1 and 2.
8. At the command prompt, type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter.
   Note: The DISM tool requires an active Internet connection. Connect an Ethernet (RJ45) cable directly from the router to the computer. Safe mode with networking does not support wireless (Wi-Fi) Internet connection.
9. The Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool connects to Windows Update online to download and replace missing or corrupted Windows operating system files (if applicable).
10. After the repair process is complete, restart the computer.

If this did not resolve the issue, go to the next step.

System Restore is a Microsoft Windows operating system feature that can help fix certain types of crashes and other computer problems. System Restore reverts your computer's state (including computer files, installed applications, Windows Registry, and computer settings) to a previous point in time.

Learn: How to recover the computer using System Restore in Microsoft Windows .

If this did not resolve the issue, go to the next step.

If your Dell computer continues to lock up or the troubleshooting steps above did not resolve the issue, consider reinstalling the operating system. Learn how to:  Factory reset, restore, or reinstall Microsoft Windows on a Dell computer