If you turn on your Dell Latitude laptop and see the error message “Hard Drive – Not Installed” follow the steps below to troubleshoot the issue.
Make sure the date and time are correct
- Turn on or restart your computer and press F2 immediately to enter the BIOS Setup.
- Click Date/Time in the General section. If you don’t see Date/Time, click the + sign next to General to expand the General section.
- Make sure you date and time are correct. If they are incorrect, click into the field, and enter the correct date and/or time.
- Click Apply to save you changes and then click Exit. Your device should auto-reboot and hopefully you will no longer see the “Hard Drive – Not Installed” error message.
If changing your system’s date and time doesn’t solve the problem, keep reading for additional troubleshooting steps.
Boot Sequence: UEFI to Legacy
- If the General section is not expanded, click the + sign next to General to expand the section.
- Click Boot Sequence.
- If UEFI is selected, change the setting to Legacy. If Legacy is selected, go to the Boot Sequence: Legacy to UEFI section below.
- If the Legacy option is greyed out, click the + sign next to Secure Boot to expand the section.
- Click Secure Boot Enable.
- Select the Disabled option and then click Yes.
- Click Advanced Boot Options in the General section. If you do not see Advanced Boot Options, make sure the General section is expanded by clicking the + sign next to General.
- Click the check box next to Enable Legacy Option ROMs.
- Click Boot Sequence and you should now be able to select the Legacy option.
- Click Apply.
Navigate to the SATA Operation: AHCI or RAID On section below for the final troubleshooting step.
Boot Sequence: Legacy to UEFI
- If the General section is not expanded, click the + sign next to General to expand the section.
- Click Boot Sequence.
- Select UEFI and then click Apply.
Navigate to the SATA Operation: AHCI or RAID On section below for the final troubleshooting step.
SATA Operation: AHCI or RAID On
- Click the + sign next to System Configuration to expand the System Configuration section.
- Click SATA Operation.
- Select AHCI and then click Apply.
- Click OK and then click Exit.
Your device should restart automatically. If you still see the “Hard Drive – Not Installed” error message, complete the SATA Operation steps again but this time select RAID On instead of ACHI and then click Apply > OK > Exit.
If you still see the “Hard Drive – Not Installed” error message, follow the steps in the Run ePSA Diagnostic section tests your system’s hardware to determine if you need a new hard drive.
Run ePSA Diagnostic
- Turn on or restart your computer and press F12 immediately to enter the One Time Boot Menu.
- Select the Diagnostics option and press Enter.
- The diagnostic test begins. If there are any issues, error codes will appear. Make a note of the error code and service tag. You can use Dell’s SupportAssist Pre-Boot System Performance Check website to look up the error code.
Were you able to fix your Dell Latitude laptop or do you still see the “Hard Drive – Not Installed” error message? Let us know in the comment section below.