Dead laptop hard drive !!! Gettin new one but need help !!..

As a long shot, you might try attaching the hard drive to a different disk
controller on the motherboard, assuming that it has more than one. Also,
try a different cable from the disk to the motherboard. Finally, try a
different power connector to the drive. If you are very lucky, the hard
drive is itself OK and one of these changes will restore it to operation.
You could also place the hard drive in an external USB enclosure and try to
read it on a different PC.

If none of the above works, then the hard drive is really dead.

There are professional data recovery services that can take a hard drive
apart and mount the magnetic platters (disks) in a test fixture and then
salavage data. These services are expensive, but dependning on the value of
your personal data, maybe they would be worthwhile. Most offer a cheap
diagnostic, to determine whether they can recover data, then charge more (a
lot more) for the actual recovery service. But, do not expect them to
recover installed programs or the operating system, only individual files,
and probably not all of them.

As for your next PC (current PC box with new hard drive and new operating
system), consider the following to avoid a similar problem in the future:

(1) Parition the hard drive in at least two pieces, maybe more.
(2) Install the operating system on the first partition.
(3) Also, install programs on the first partition.
(4) Invest in some disk imaging software, such as Acronis or Norton, and
plan on making disk images of the first parition only to an external USB
disk. Request that the image be split into convenient pieces, such as 200
to 650 Meg. (Most modern imaging software has this as an option.)
Occassionally copy the image to CD ot DVD. The reason for spliting the
image is to allow easy storage on several CDs or DVDs.
(5) Store all personal files on the second (or higher) partition.
(6) Backup your personal files every time you change them, using windows
explorer, XCOPY at a command prompt, etc. Occassionaly write personal files
to CD or DVD.
(7) If you have an office, not in your home, or a safe deposit box, store
the CDs/DVDs there. But, be sure to keep them cool and in the dark. For
example, do not store them in a car parked in the sun.

"Crazy Axis" wrote in message

>
> Heya Guys I Seriously Need Help Because When I Get My New Hard Drive I
> Dont Want To Lose My Operating System But I Shouldn't Should I Because
> Its Basically Like Upgradin Your Hard Drive ??
>
> My 80GB (Original Hard Drive) Which Is Somehow Fuc*ed Up And Died On Me
> So Basically I Lost All My Documents And Programs. I Had Which Is A
> Pis*Take. The Problem With It Is That It Just Wont Show Up On BIOS Or
> When I Turn On My Laptop I Keep Getting The Same Error Saying Something
> Like "Operating System Not Found" And Have My Laptop To Run A Simple
> Diagnostic Everytime I Turn It On And It Does And It Picks Up Everythin
> Else Apart From My Hard Drive.
>
> The Hard Drive Which I Will Order The Minute I Found The Correct
> Information On Here Thanks To You Guys !!! Is 'Hitachi Travelstar 5K160
> at PC World - Buy cheap 2.5inch Hard Drives (OEM) - Hitachi Travelstar
> 5K160 160GB 2.5\" PATA Internal Hard Disk Drive'
> ([URL="http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0195278398.1225589101@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccfdadefiidlheecflgceggdhhmdgmi.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=322715&category_oid=-31457"]http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0195278398.1225589101@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccfdadefiidlheecflgceggdhhmdgmi.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=322715&category_oid=-31457[/URL])
> And I Just Want To Find Out Before I Place The Order That I Wont Lose
> My Operating System When I Put In The New Hard Drive Cause I Have Done
> Many Things To My Previous Computer Which Involved Upgrading Graphics
> Cards And So On But Never Messed With Its Hard Drive I Just Installed
> More Hard Drives On It And Never Messed With The Main Hard Drive !!(C
>
> Thankz Guys
> Crazy Axis !!
>
> P.S. Is There Anyway To Salvage Any Of My Information From My Busted
> Hard Drive Or Not ??
>
>
> --
> Crazy Axis
>
> *Xbox360 GamerTag: -Crazy Axis-*
>
> * Halo 3*
> * Call Of Duty 4 *
> * Rainbow Six Vegas 2*
 >> Stay informed about: Dead laptop hard drive !!! Gettin new one but need help !!.. 

Great ,So Basically I Cause I Still Have Warranty On My Laptop If I Sent
It Them I Should Be Able Get A New Laptop Or I'll Basically Have To Buy
A Whole New Laptop With Operating System And Everything Farkin Brilliant


So Theres Basically Nothing I Can Do Then ?

And No It Didn't Come With Recovery Disks Cause Windows Vista Has It
All Built In Now Doesn't It The Only Discs I Got Is The Driver Disk And
The Windows Vista Introduction CD Or DVD

Thankz A Lot
Crazy Axis
 >> Stay informed about: Dead laptop hard drive !!! Gettin new one but need help !!.. 

At The Moment Cause My Sister Has Got A New Laptop And Has Still Got Her
Old One I Just Stole Her Main Hard Drive (C: Drive) And Slammed (Not
Literally) That In Mine And Its Workin Fine Even Though She Has Vista
Home Basic And When I Load Up My Laptop It Shows Vista Home Premium
werid ???
 >> Stay informed about: Dead laptop hard drive !!! Gettin new one but need help !!.. 

If your present hard drive does not even show up in the bios it is already
lost - along with the operating system and all files on the drive.

When you get the replacement drive you will have to install an operating
system and begin anew.

You "may" be able to recover what is on the old drive if you send it to a
company like Drive Savers or On Track Data Recovery. Be prepared to spend a
small fortune.
 >> Stay informed about: Dead laptop hard drive !!! Gettin new one but need help !!.. 

Crazy Axis;876577 Wrote:
> Great ,So Basically I Cause I Still Have Warranty On My Laptop If I Sent
> It Them I Should Be Able Get A New Laptop Or I'll Basically Have To Buy
> A Whole New Laptop With Operating System And Everything Farkin Brilliant
>
>
> So Theres Basically Nothing I Can Do Then ?
>
> And No It Didn't Come With Recovery Disks Cause Windows Vista Has It
> All Built In Now Doesn't It The Only Discs I Got Is The Driver Disk And
> The Windows Vista Introduction CD Or DVD
>
> Thankz A Lot
> Crazy Axis

Hey Crazy Axis,

All is not lost, You say that you didnt get any recovery disks with
your lappy this is a pain but quite normal. You do have some options,
one is to contact the manufacturer and to ask for a recovery disk, to
use with your new hdd. Another is to turn your closed laptop upside down
and look for the microsoft license sticker with the activation code,
This code may allow you to use a vista cd (borrowed) to install the
same type of vista as you had before ie Basic, Pemium, onto your new
hdd, you will then need to activate vista after the install.
I say this may work as there are different types of license and I dont
know which you have.

You say that your sister has an old lappy, I presume that this is the
hdd that you borrowed and that it worked. This is also an option as
long as this version of vista is only on *_one___PC_* Ie. your lappy,
but you may need to re-activate this one copy for it to work properly.
(this is maybe the best option) Dont forget the code for this vista is
under the old lappy :)

Lastly you can do a combination that may or may not work. That is old
hdd complete with Preinstalled vista but you change the license key to
the one found under your lappy

I hope this helps pooch
 >> Stay informed about: Dead laptop hard drive !!! Gettin new one but need help !!.. 

Hi Crazy Axis,

If this laptop is still under warranty then you should contact whoever
you bought it from and they should at least set it back to the state
when you first switched it on.

This they should do without it costing you anything, this is almost
certainly a hardware failure which would be their responsibility to put
right.

If they do this you can then look at spending the money you would have
spent on correcting the faulty drive on improving the storage capacity
of the laptop, you can get an external USB HDD with far more capacity
for the same price of a laptop drive,

Having an external drive would also allow you to protect your data
against any future problems.

Unfortunately I would think that the OS and Data on the original drive
is beyond recovery without spending an large amount of money. The
professional recovery companies may cost several thousands of pounds to
recover the data, which is a lot of money but may worth it to businesses
but is not much of an option to the home user
 >> Stay informed about: Dead laptop hard drive !!! Gettin new one but need help !!.. 

I Suppose I Could Send It Back But Then Again I Was Going To Buy A New
Hard Drive For It Ages Ago But Then Went On Holiday And When I Got Back
My Laptop Was Somehow Fuc*ed ?? And Then I Thought The Best Thing I
Could Do Was Get A New Internal Hard Drive. I Like The Idea That "Pooch"
Suggested Because Then I Can Just Spend Around 20£ On A 160GB That My
Friend (The IT Techi) Can Get Me Cheaper.

I Suppose Sending It Back Is Worth It But I Need My Laptop Back As Soon
As Possible Cause I Have To Give My Sisters Hard Drive Back As Soon As
Possible As Well So

And Getting An External Hard Drive I Dont Actually Need One Now Cause
My Dad Went And Brought An NAS Drive Which Is 1TB So Now We Back Up
Everything To That lol
 >> Stay informed about: Dead laptop hard drive !!! Gettin new one but need help !!.. 

If it is a new laptop, by all means get an authorization and return it for
repair. It's not likely you will get a new machine, but they will install a
new disk with the operating system as it came from the factory. All it
should cost you is about $10 to ship it back to them. Don't delay! If your
warranty expires you have to do this at your own expense.

Good luck.

"Crazy Axis" wrote in message

>
> Great ,So Basically I Cause I Still Have Warranty On My Laptop If I Sent
> It Them I Should Be Able Get A New Laptop Or I'll Basically Have To Buy
> A Whole New Laptop With Operating System And Everything Farkin Brilliant
>
>
> So Theres Basically Nothing I Can Do Then ?
>
> And No It Didn't Come With Recovery Disks Cause Windows Vista Has It
> All Built In Now Doesn't It The Only Discs I Got Is The Driver Disk And
> The Windows Vista Introduction CD Or DVD
>
> Thankz A Lot
> Crazy Axis
>
>
> --
> Crazy Axis
>
> *Xbox360 GamerTag: -Crazy Axis-*
>
> * Halo 3*
> * Call Of Duty 4 *
> * Rainbow Six Vegas 2*
 >> Stay informed about: Dead laptop hard drive !!! Gettin new one but need help !!.. 

> Just so we are clear, I also have a laptop with a Windows Vista Home
> Basic OEMAct HP sticker and this works with an OEM Vista DVD (Yellow OEM
> sticker) using a telephone activation, this option comes up during the
> normal activation of the OS.
> You need to understand that this does *_not_* necessarily work with
> every combination of key/DVD.
> Why not I dont know.

Yea I Understand Pooch Thanks A Lot. At The Moment Though I Have Sent
An Email To The Manufacture And Checked About My Warranty And If They
Could/Can Repair My Laptop. But If Not I Think The Best Way To Do It Is
The Way You Suggested.
I Brought The Laptop At The Start Of Feb And It Came With 12 Months
Warranty So They Should Repair It Free Of Charge And Like I Said If
Not......Well

Thankz
Crazy Axis
 >> Stay informed about: Dead laptop hard drive !!! Gettin new one but need help !!..