You could run diagnostics from your BIOS or other onboard utility to rule out the motherboard at least. Might not tell you about a bad connector, but worth it either way.
Is there only one available SATA plug on the board? Try moving it to a different plug if there's one available. If that doesn't work, try using the "bad" drive's cable to plug in your OS drive. If the machine stops booting you know it's a bad cable.
So, I swapped the cables out and it worked...for a while. I'm thinking of just scrapping this laptop and getting one of these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/3948752632...WZoHc07k6hfy9WptaFUD45WHKo|tkp:Bk9SR7yGnJfgYw HP Omen 17" with a 2tb SSD. My question is can I add this 4tb ssd (which is a hard drive enclosure) or would I have to get a 4tb ssd on a pci stick? The internets say I can upgrade, but it looks like just the stick slot, no 3.5" slot.
@downndirty - a few things: I would not purchase a laptop from a seller that primarily traffics in something other than electronics - this seller is mostly selling supplements. There's a much higher possibility of a scam or trouble if there's something wrong with the device. Most SSDs are 2.5", not 3.5". I am not aware of a laptop with a 3.5" drive slot.That laptop does not appear to have a SATA connection at all, let alone a 2.5" drive slot, according to the specs on HP's site. There is one storage connection, and it's an NVMe connection with an M.2 form factor (those are important things if you shop for a replacement drive; it must meet both criteria). Most new laptops will not have a place for a 2.5" drive except in niche cases. Ironically, your best chance at a 2.5" drive slot is to buy a shitty laptop with a spinning magnetic drive. I'd probably just consider your 4tb SSD to be a permanent piece of external storage at this point, unless you want a desktop.
Fair and thank you. A $10 case is a far cry from a $1000 laptop. Ugh. Can't understand how it stopped working, but can understand the math involved.