A Disk Read Error Occurred in HP Computer [Solved]

My HP laptop says “A disk error occurred”

A disk read error occurred in HP laptop or desktop, sometimes with displaying messages like "Cyclic Redundancy Check Error" or "Drive Is Not Accessible: Data Error (Cyclic Redundancy Check)", which may also happen if you pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del to restart the HP laptop.

Why does the error “A disk error occurred” in HP laptop happen?

To fix “A disk error occurred” in HP laptop or desktop accordingly and effectively, it is necessary to realize the possible reasons for this error and the main elements are concluded as follows:

The BIOS is outdated.

There is something wrong with the BIOS settings.

The hard drive cables are failing.

There are bad sectors on the hard drive.

The MBR of the hard drive that holds operating system is corrupted.

5 solutions for A disk error occurred

As you have realized the possible reasons for “A disk error occurred” in HP, it is time to learn how to solve this problem. Here four valid ways are listed.

Solution 1. Repair Master Boot Record (MBR)

When the error in HP is caused by corrupted MBR, you can rebuild MBR to fix this error. Here 2 ways are offered and you can choose one based on your specific situation.

#1. Fix MBR on Windows 7 from Command Prompt

If you are with Windows Installation CD/DVD, you can boot from it, enter Recovery Console and go to Command Prompt. Then, run the following commands:

#2. Rebuild MBR via AOMEI Partition Assistant

When you have no Windows CD/DVD, you can turn to AOMEI Partition Assistant, which enables you to fix MBR simply. This software not only supports Windows 7, but also it can be compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7. Let’s see how it works:

First of all, create a bootable USB drive with AOMEI Partition Assistant on a working computer. Then, follow the steps below:

Step 1. Insert the bootable media created by AOMEI Partition Assistant to the unbootable HP computer and boot from it.

Step 2. In the main interface of AOMEI Partition Assistant, right-click the disk needs repairing and choose “Rebuild MBR”. 

Step 3. Choose the MBR type and then click OK.

Step 4. Click Apply >Proceed to perform your operation.

Solution 2. Update the BIOS version

Outdated BIOS can cause “A disk read error occurred” on HP laptops and desktops. At this time, you can upgrade the BIOS to the current version: Download the latest BIOS version from the manufacturer website to a bootable device > install the BIOS for your HP computer from the bootable device. After that, reboot your HP computer to see whether the error disappears.

Solution 3. Reset the BIOS settings

This way can be applied when the error is caused by BIOS settings issues. Here are detailed steps:

Step 1. Restart your HP laptop or desktop.

Step 2. Enter BIOS Setup menu by pressing a certain key as the prompt.

Step 3. On the BIOS Setup screen, choose and load the BIOS Setup Default settings by pressing a certain key.

Step 4. Save changes and follow the prompt to restart the computer.

Solution 4. Check hard drive cables

A disk error occurred in Windows 7 can be a result of failing hard drive cables, thus you can check the hard drive cables to see if there is a loose cable connection. If the power cable is worn out. If not, you can connect the cables to different ports to see whether the ports are damaged. If the ports and cables are OK but the error still exists, it is time to consider whether there is a problem with the hard drive.

Solution 5. Check hard drive for bad sectors

When the system disk is with bad sectors, the “a disk read error occurred” message can show up as well. If so, you can also use AOMEI Partition Assistant to check the hard drive for bad sectors. Start with the following steps:

Step 1. Boot from the bootable media created by AOMEI Partition Assistant or remove the hard drive from the unbootable computer and connect it to a working computer and run AOMEI Partition Assistant.

Step 2. In the main interface of AOMEI Partition Assistant, click the disk needs testing and choose "Test"> “Disk Surface Test”.

Step 3. Tick “Quick Check” and click “Start” to check.

PS.: When there is a bad sector on the hard drive, it might be marked as a red box.

Wrap things up

When you encounter “A disk error occurred” in HP laptop or desktop, you can figure out the reason for this error at first and then take solutions accordingly. If necessary, you can ask the help of a third-party disk manager– AOMEI Partition Assistant. Apart from rebuilding MBR and test hard drive, it enjoys many other useful functions like migrating OS to SSD, copying hard drive, and so on.