Laptop Hard drive required? Where can I get one?

[oddone]

I have a Compaq Presario C300 Laptop, have it about 2 years and it has
been working great.

had no issues til the other day when I switched it on after work and it refused to load windows. Never had this problem before.

Basically I have a black and white text screen which offers me:
safe mode
safe mode with networking
safe mode with command prompt

Last known good config (your most recent settings that worked)

Start Windows Normally

If I click on the first three I get a rolling text which just freezes eventually,

If i click on the last known OR start windows normally, it starts to boot
and I get the Microsoft Windows Xp and loading graphic for a couple of minutes then the Escape to change boot order, F10 to enter setup, F12 to boot from LAN and for appears in the bottom left corner.

It will not go any further than this!

When I hit start in safe mode...

I get a quick rolling text across the whole screen, line after line of this.....

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\a liiide.sys

The same line with \pmcia.sys
\MountMgr.sys
\ftdisk.sys
\dmload.sys
\dmio.sys
\ACPIEC.sys
\OPRGHDLR.SYS
\PartMgr.sys
\VolSnap.sys
\atapi.sys


etc etc etc there are about 15 to 20 more lines of this which fill the screen. After a minute or two that screen disappears
and I'm back to square one.....

"We apologise for the inconvenience Windows

SAFE MODE
SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING
SAFE MODE WITH Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
(Clicking on any of these 3 options does the same as above, that rolling text and then eventually back to this screen)

Last known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)

Start Windows Normally

(Clicking on either of the above = same result, windows looks to start, but then stops
and goes back to this screen)

If I try these options as I wrote above it launches the windows start up and you get the blue dots going left to right, the normal windows XP loading graphic, then I get the options in the bottom left corner of:
Press Escape to change boot order, Press F10 to enter setup, F12 to boot from LAN

Escape takes me back to the safe mode option screen.

I can press F10 and it takes me into the blue screen menu
with the option Tabs of:

Main, Security system configuration, Diagnostics, Exit.

There is an option under Diagnostics to run a Primary Hard Disk Self Test
It says estimated test time 57 minutes and Test Status underneath that.

When I click Enter on this, it says it will take approx 57 minutes, I hit enter and it starts to run
("Test Executing - press esc to cancel) it starts to runthen stops after a minute or so and says
#1 - 07 Fail underneath.

Under configuration I have these options:

Language
Embedded WLAN Device Radio - Enable / Disable
SATA Native Support - Enable/ Disable
>Boot Options>
>>F10 and F12 Delay (secs)
Cd-Rom Boot - Enable / Disable
Floppy Boot - Enable/ Disable
Internal Network Adapter Boot (enable / disable)#

These are all set to enable.

[oddone]

I've been advised that it's my hard drive that's knackered.

If that is the case, where can I get a replacement?

Will it be very expensive?

Is it just a matter of taking the old one out, chucking in a new one and away I go?

Would appreciate any advice.

Thanks in advance.

[kenon]

Before you launch in and chuck your harddrive in the bin, I would get an XP install disc and do a repair of the installation.

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\a liiide.sys

The same line with \pmcia.sys
\MountMgr.sys
\ftdisk.sys
\dmload.sys
\dmio.sys
\ACPIEC.sys
\OPRGHDLR.SYS
\PartMgr.sys
\VolSnap.sys
\atapi.sys

That tells me your hdd isn't completely knackered.

[oddone]

Originally Posted by kenon

Before you launch in and chuck your harddrive in the bin, I would get an XP install disc and do a repair of the installation.



That tells me your hdd isn't completely knackered.

Sorry mate, I'm not so well up on these things.

Where would i get such a disc?

There are no bad or funny sounds when I power up, the laptop didn't take a bang or anything, I have taken out the hard drive and put it back in, it doesnt look physically damaged in any way.
I was advised to try the ram sticks.

Can you download that disc online?

thanks

[kenon]

To me it sounds as if one of the critical files needed by XP is missing or is unaccessible. The windows xp installation disc has a repair utility which would fix this. If it doesn't fix it, then there could be a fault on the drive.

You sometimes get the disc with a PC or laptop. If you dont have it, you could try get it off a friend or colleague or you could buy it. Ideally you could just get it off a friend or colleague as you will only need it for a couple of minutes.

[oddone]

Originally Posted by kenon

To me it sounds as if one of the critical files needed by XP is missing or is unaccessible. The windows xp installation disc has a repair utility which would fix this. If it doesn't fix it, then there could be a fault on the drive.

You sometimes get the disc with a PC or laptop. If you dont have it, you could try get it off a friend or colleague or you could buy it. Ideally you could just get it off a friend or colleague as you will only need it for a couple of minutes.

Thanks for the reply.

having trouble sourcing this disk. Any ideas?

[monkeypants]

Originally Posted by oddone

having trouble sourcing this disk. Any ideas?

If you got on well with your IT staff at work (assuming you have some) ask them if you can borrow one for a bit? You already have your own licence key, no piracy going on.

[oddone]

Think I'm sorted, thanks for replies folks.

[ronkmonster]

just because you fix the problem with an xp disc doesnt mean the problem is gone

it's likely the drive is failing anyway.

http://crystalmark.info/software/Cry...o/index-e.html
download this application and see what it reports the status of the drive is
(if you get back into windows)