What does Error Code 0142 mean?

If you have encountered the error code 0142 on your Windows 11/10 PC, it’s most likely due to a hardware failure. Essentially, the error indicates that your PC/laptop has experienced a hard disk failure and in most cases, you need to replace the faulty hardware. When you encounter this error, it simply means that the hard drive has gone bad or disk failure and requires a replacement. These failures can be related to corrupted memory, CPU failure, or an inability of your hard drive to pass a self-test. The most likely culprits to this error include-

Faulty or loose SATA connection cables to the hard drive or motherboard.Failed Short DST.Corrupted data on MBR (Master Boot Record) on the hard disk.Mechanical damage to the hard drive.Corrupt system files.Bad sectors on a hard drive.

Can you fix a hard drive failure?

Yes, a hard drive failure can be fixed by specially-trained expert PC hardware technicians. The expert can use a professional data recovery service to repair hard disks safely and effectively. But keep in mind that a repaired hard disk drive will not perform well enough or last long enough for it to be used.

Fix Hard Drive Error code 2000-0142 on Windows 11/10

If you have encountered this issue, triggered by your hard drive installed on your Dell Windows 11/10 computer, you can try our recommended solutions in the order presented below to resolve the Hard Drive Error code 2000-0142 issue. Let’s take a look at the description of the process involved concerning each of the listed solutions.

1] Check for loose or disconnected cables

The first recommended troubleshooting step you can take to resolve the Hard Drive Error code 2000-0142 on your Dell Windows 11/10 PC is to make sure that the SATA cable that connects the hard drive to motherboard is intact. If the cable is connected firmly and not loose but the error reappears, then it’s likely the cable is faulty/bad – replace it with another working SATA cable, and see if it fixes the error. Otherwise, try the next solution.

2] Remove and reinsert the Hard Drive

You may require the services of a PC hardware technician for this task. This solution requires you to remove and reinsert the Hard Drive. To do this, refer to the Service manual for instructions on how to remove and replace the Hard Drive on your Dell Windows system. After reinstalling the hard drive re-run the diagnostics test with the Dell SupportAssist and see if you receive the same error code. Visit dell.com to learn more about these tests. You can run the Drive Self Test (DST) from the Utility Partition also known as the 32 bit diagnostics to determine if the error in view is corrected. If the DST (a brief disk self-test in which your hard disk evaluates its own performance) from the Utility Partition does not indicate a drive failure, it’s safe to assume the error have been corrected and the drive does not need to be replaced, because if your drive is broken or damaged, it will not pass the DST.

3] Run CHKDSK

This solution requires you to run CHKDSK to fix bad sectors on the hard drive, which can trigger this error on your PC.

4] Repair Master Boot Record

As already pointed out, corrupt data on the MBR can cause this error to appear on your Dell Windows 11/10 system when you run the diagnostics test on your hard drive. In this case, you can repair the Master Boot Record (MBR) and see if that helps.

5] Replace Hard Drive

As a last option, you may need to replace your hard drive and clean install Windows OS. But before you do, we recommend you run the SMART test to verify the health of the drive, to be doubly sure the hard drive has failed or disk failure is imminent. Make sure you backup your files. But typically, this error prevents Windows from booting. When this happens, Windows tries to run a system Automatic Startup Repair but fails, throwing your PC into an endless loop. In this case, you can back up your files by removing the hard drive and then inserting it into a USB enclosure and ‘slave’ the drive to another computer, and then backup your data to the computer or another storage device. You can use any of these third-party professional Backup and Data recovery software for Windows to recover your data from the failed drive. Also, you can recover your files using a Linux Live USB. Hope this helps!