How to Troubleshoot Hard Drive or Solid-State Drive Issues on a Dell Computer (2024)

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.

   See Also

   How to use the Check Disk tool to repair your hard driveUsing Machine Learning to Predict Hard Drive Failures

   NOTE: On select Dell Latitude laptops, try to recover the laptop using the forced ePSA method from a POST or boot failure. Learn:How to Use Forced ePSA to Recover from POST or Boot Failure on Dell Latitude PCs.

3. Disconnect all devices such as USB drives, printers, webcams, and media cards (SD/xD),except forthe 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 preboot diagnostic test on a Dell computer:

1. Turn on the computer and tap the F12 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 preboot diagnostic test.
4. If 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.
5. If the test fails, make a note of the Service Tag, error code, and validation code. Look up the preboot diagnostic error code 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 & Install SupportAssist to auto-detect your Dell computer. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Dell SupportAssist.
   2. Or, enter the Service Tag or Express Service Code of the Dell computer and click Search.
   3. Orclick 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 app.

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, blue screen, 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.

If you do not experience the issue after restarting the computer, the external device may be the cause of the problem.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 device drivers and BIOS as part of your scheduled update cycle. Device drivers and BIOS updates may contain feature enhancements or changes that help keep your system software up to date. They also keep youcompatible with other system modules (hardware and software) and can increase stability.

Learn:How to download and install the latestBIOS updateon your Dell computer.

Learn:How to download and install Dell drivers.

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

The System File Checker and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) are command-line tools to scan Windows and repair the missing or corrupt 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 verifiesthe 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 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.

If this did not resolve the issue, see the additional information section below.

Note: Do you own a Dell laptop? Send your laptop in for in-warranty repairs, and we will identify and resolve the problem if you can't get Windows to boot up. This service is currently available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.