How to ID hard drive failure.

[booker]

My computer (Dell XPS laptop with win XP Pro) shit the bed yesterday. It will not boot.

The power light and some case LEDs come on, and it tries to read the dvd drive, but nothing else happens. I have tried to boot it with the windows installation disc that came with the computer, no dice. I downloaded the "Ultimate boot CD for windows", and that makes a bunch of clicks and whirs from the DVD drive, but still nothing.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[mogie]

Do you have a desktop? First thing i always do is run the HD on another computer to figure out if its a mechanical failure or a data issue

[booker]

Yes, yes, of course...


And how would one go about doing that, again?

[ahab]

Boot machine, hit F1, F2, or F12 (screen should say which you need) to get into the BIOS. Set first boot device to Optical (CD DVD or whatever) and try to boot to your install CD. If that works it's likely your hard disc that has failed. If it still doesn't successfully boot then it's not your hard disc and likely the laptop itself. If it does boot to optical then remove your hard disc and try to mount it with your desktop machine.

[Mark 88/M5 Houston]

Yes, yes, of course...


And how would one go about doing that, again?

Get a USB "notebook drive housing", remove drive from notebook and install in housing, plug it into any PC and see if you can access the data.

[booker]

Boot machine, hit F1, F2, or F12 (screen should say which you need) to get into the BIOS. Set first boot device to Optical (CD DVD or whatever) and try to boot to your install CD.

Can't even get there. Tried countless times.

If it still doesn't successfully boot then it's not your hard disc and likely the laptop itself.

Ehhh... Crap.

Any 2nd opinions?

Thanks for the reply.

[Jeremy]

If the machine won't even POST (power on self test) then the laptop is probably toast. For reference, POST is the part with the splash screen/memory count when you first turn it on, before you get the Windows loading screen. POST typically completes with a beep to indicate everything passed or a beep code consisting of long/short beeps to indicate a problem.

Good news? The data on the hard drive is most likely intact. Bad news? You might need a new laptop.

One thing to try is to remove the battery, let it sit for about 5 minutes, then put the battery back in and try booting it again. This is the laptop equivalent of a hard reset.

Jeremy

[bojangles]

does anything appear on the screen?
If the hard drive has failed, there usually is a very obvious message on the screen.

does the hard drive light flash as it boots?

Laptops are not as hard to repair as you might think... you just need parts.

[booker]

I bought this thing 9 days shy of 2 years ago.



On the phone with someone from Dell taking 59 bucks from me to tell me my laptop is FUBAR, probably.

Good thing is, I've been pretty good lately about backing up to an external HD.

[booker]

does anything appear on the screen?

No.

If the hard drive has failed, there usually is a very obvious message on the screen.

Nada.

does the hard drive light flash as it boots?

It lights for 1 second, flashes, lights for 1 more second, and goes out forever.

Laptops are not as hard to repair as you might think... you just need parts.

Sounds good.

Thanks

[nnarth212]

My computer (Dell XPS laptop with win XP Pro) shit the bed yesterday. It will not boot.

Thoughts-- always buy cheap because laptops grenade all the time. No matter the make or use.

Defying all odds-- I am typing at a $1200 toshiba unit 5 years old with all original hardware. Not a dead pixel or failed HDD. Granted it hasn't left my desk for 4 of those 5 years... and the battery failed in the first year...

DO not spend good money after bad. Beyond a google search for common failures for your model number-- it's usually a lost cause. That said-- many notebooks can be repaired for nothing in the hands of those who know. But it takes experience and most precious of all, time. Jeremy's onto it, if it won't post you have a hardware fault (didja drop it, internals come loose?) They don't commonly fail without provocation (dropping, water, animals, toddlers....).

[Neil22]

If the laptop doesn't POST try removing one stick of memory (if there's 2) if it doesn't POST again swap it to open memory slot and try again. If not try swapping in a known good memory stick from another machine. Could even be somehow a stick of memory became loose tho there's a slim chance that's the case.

[Avec]

I would say that based on this, your hard drive is not bad, but your motherboard is. The good news is for about $7 you can get an adapter to plug that HD into a computer to get all of your data. You may be able to get a new motherboard, but unless you are going to rebuild yourself, you may end up paying more than if you just buy a new one.

[nnarth212]

....Could even be somehow a stick of memory became loose tho there's a slim chance that's the case.

Re-seating RAM is never a bad measure.

[booker]

Thanks, guyys.

Dell just got finished telling me it's either the RAM or the motherboard. I'm on hold right now waiting to hear how much they want for the parts.

Yesterday when this happened, and I realized it was bad, I thought to myself: "I'm never going to buy another expensive laptop again." My last, a Toshiba (great machine) was stolen. Now this.

Ah well...

[Jeremy]

Two words when it comes to laptops: American Express.

American Express will honor the original warranty terms (even extended ones AFAIK) for double the original time. 1 year warranty becomes 2 years, 2 years becomes 4 years. You have to go through AmEx after the original warranty is up, but it's not a terrible process. Well worth it IMHO. Pick a card with no annual fees and buy any and all expensive electronics using it.

Jeremy

[rmiddendorf]

Good luck. I've switched to the Mac and never been happier. Although hardware failures are still possible with the Mac platform I spend more time doing the work I need to do and far less trying to get the computer to run the program I need to use.

Also- I bought a MacBook Pro 5+ years ago and its been great. I did buy the overpriced Apple Protection Plan and the screen went out on me at around 2 years but the Apple store had it shipped out and repaired within 48 hours. I didn't buy the plan on my MacPro but I can replace most of the stuff in that computer myself if it breaks.

I am, however, reminded by this thread that I may need to buy a cheap PC laptop because one internet based program I may be using more often is only compatible with Internet Explorer.

Good luck with getting your computer fixed.

[wkohler]

I'd rather have the computer itself die than the hard drive.

[rmiddendorf]

I'd rather have the computer itself die than the hard drive.

I always preach RAID 5. I don't follow my own advice though but do back stuff up to multiple disks.

[Kyle in NO]

Are you sure the discoteca isn't just closed for repair???

[booker]

I'd rather have the computer itself die than the hard drive.

Tell me more, please.

[booker]

Are you sure the discoteca isn't just closed for repair???

Probably, yeah.

[Jeremy]

I'd rather have the computer itself die than the hard drive.

Tell me more, please.

At the moment, odds are very high that all your data is easily and inexpensively recoverable. Put the hard drive in a different computer, and boom, there it is. If the hard drive fails, chances of data recovery are slim without professional assistance, which is VERY costly.

Jeremy

[Mike W.]

I'd rather have the computer itself die than the hard drive.

Tell me more, please.

I suspect he means it's easier to access your data if the HD still works, even if it's not in that box. Although if it's all backed up, a HD is a snap and not expensive.

Regarding the longevity of laptops, my Toshiba is 6 years old now and running like a charm. Yeah, it's a little slow, I don't use it an awful lot, but it does go on trips whenever I do so does some traveling and gets banged around some. And it was a cheapie, $400 after rebate.

[booker]

I'd rather have the computer itself die than the hard drive.

Tell me more, please.

At the moment, odds are very high that all your data is easily and inexpensively recoverable. Put the hard drive in a different computer, and boom, there it is. If the hard drive fails, chances of data recovery are slim without professional assistance, which is VERY costly.

Jeremy

That would be great if it were a problem, but I have been backing my hard driove up pretty frequently. The only thing to change since my last back up is bullshit.

I'm more interested in hardware cost/replacement. Especially the replacement part. A quick google search reports pretty cheap motherboard costs. 200-400 at first glance. I'm just not sure if I can take the thing apart and replace it successfully.

[Kyle in NO]

Have you tried one of these?

[ahab]

I spend more time doing the work I need to do and far less trying to get the computer to run the program I need to use.

[booker]

Have you tried one of these?

Pfft... Hater.

[Jeremy]

Laptop work tends to be lots of work with small connections and attachments. Lots of small screws. Very doable, but not for the faint of heart.

[Mike W.]

Damn, you got me looking when you posted the price, laptop parts are expensive! I just picked up a new, larger, HD for mine and it wasn't too bad, but most of the rest of the stuff