Question HP laptop repair advice

[erubin2000]

HP 15-AF113CL
serial # CND54432D9
product N0T83UA

My biz partner's laptop is unable to bootup anymore. I had good success putting in a SSD into my Dell Inspiron so I want to do same with his HP laptop. Hopefully it's just as easy to do on the HP. All of his important files are saved to Norton backup cloud so he wont need a clone or image from existing mechanical HD.

He has other problems. The 5 and 6 key at the top row as well as the 5 and 6 key on key pad have failed. He's done some research and tried software fixes to no avail. I should buy new keyboard to swap in? Seems strange that the same numbers failed on both if it's a mechanical problem? Unless they are both on the same physical matrix.

Also one of his 2 USB connections has failed. I doubt that is easily fixed? Is it built into the MB?

Thanks for any help on:

1. Ease of replacing his 1TB mechanical HD with a 250 or 500 GB SSD
2. Replace the keyboard, easy? likely to fix problem?
3. Ease of replacing a USB port

 

[white.a.drew]

HP 15-AF113CL
serial # CND54432D9
product N0T83UA

My biz partner's laptop is unable to bootup anymore. I had good success putting in a SSD into my Dell Inspiron so I want to do same with his HP laptop. Hopefully it's just as easy to do on the HP. All of his important files are saved to Norton backup cloud so he wont need a clone or image from existing mechanical HD.

He has other problems. The 5 and 6 key at the top row as well as the 5 and 6 key on key pad have failed. He's done some research and tried software fixes to no avail. I should buy new keyboard to swap in? Seems strange that the same numbers failed on both if it's a mechanical problem? Unless they are both on the same physical matrix.

Also one of his 2 USB connections has failed. I doubt that is easily fixed? Is it built into the MB?

Thanks for any help on:

1. Ease of replacing his 1TB mechanical HD with a 250 or 500 GB SSD
2. Replace the keyboard, easy? likely to fix problem?
3. Ease of replacing a USB port

1.)Usb port dont bother trying it's part of the mobo you are correct.
2.)Replacing keyboard may fix the issue with this laptop i'm not finding a deffent diagram but again seems to me you are right on that they do run through the same matrix.
3.)Replacing hdd to ssd should be as simple as plug and play.
His no boot problem can be way more then a hdd problem though it's sounds like the system is starting to experince full on failure. Slowly dying enterally

 

[erubin2000]

Are SSD universal, e.g. just buy any laptop SSD and it will fit in the laptop?

Is this the USB board, separate from the MB?
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...itleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=HP+15-ac+USB+board

 

[white.a.drew]

Are SSD universal, e.g. just buy any laptop SSD and it will fit in the laptop?

Is this the USB board, separate from the MB?
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...itleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=HP+15-ac+USB+board

Yes to the first one
And yes to the second the board you posted a photo of is ran through ribbon wire

 

[robert600]

Thinking of the usb ports. You mention that 1 of his 2 is broken ... but aren't there actually 3 - 2 on the left, 1 on the right? Anyway, it looks to me like the 2 on the left are directly soldered to the MB so fixing either of them would not be simple. The 'daughter' board you posted is for the 1 on the right and would be quite an easy fix.

Thinking of the keyboard ... I would make sure a usb external keyboard works before ordering a new one ... if the external has the same problem ... the issue is not likely to be the keyboard.

Thinking of the SSD ... 250s fill up pretty quickly, 500 is a much betterchoice.

 

[erubin2000]

Circling back with this additional info:
Laptop does not get to Windows bootup.
F11 F9
Gets stuck on Preparing automatic repair with HP logo displayed. Tried entering safe mode but not able to. Went into system repair by hard starting 3 times. But it does not repair.

None of this is working. No time to So we’ll replace the HD.

 

[erubin2000]

Thank you robert600. You are right about the USBs. The one on a separate board (on the right) is broken so that would be cheap and simple to fix.

As for the keyboard test, cant do it cause the laptop does not boot up.

Yes, a 500GB is the way to go. Cost is just under $60 amazon prime by Crucial.

I entered the BIOS and have it set to boot on the USB with a bootable windows 10. The HP logo pops up for 10 seconds and then screen goes dark (computer remains on). When trying to boot normally from HD the HP logo stays on and I enter a never ending "Preparing Automatic Repair".

Question:

1. other test?
2. get new laptop?
3. buy a new SSD HD?

 

[erubin2000]

I opened up the case and removed one of the RAM sticks and tried to boot up. Then I reinstalled and removed the other RAM stick. Still stuck on "Preparing Automatic Repair". I guess that's it for tests? Time for a new laptop I believe.

 

[white.a.drew]

I opened up the case and removed one of the RAM sticks and tried to boot up. Then I reinstalled and removed the other RAM stick. Still stuck on "Preparing Automatic Repair". I guess that's it for tests? Time for a new laptop I believe.

I would us a external keyboard in a known good port spam the esc key on boot that should pause your boot and let you select boot options

 

[robert600]

It wouldn't hurt to undo the ribbon running to the broken usb port. It's unlikely that that's what is keeping it from booting but ... you never know. Apart from that and the external keyboard mentioned above ... yes ... thinking it's time for a replacement laptop. When they won't boot, there's just too many potential problems.