HDD Dead

Dub12Dave

Sorry if this is in the wrong place but unsure where to post.

Hi there everyone I hope you can help me out, my nephew has given me his laptop to look at to see if i can fix it but I haven't got a clue.

His HDD has been corrupted and had died on him so he asked me to fix, so I took my HDD from my laptop and put it into his laptop and his laptop was basically a clone of mine so, if I buy a new SATA HDD and fit it in his laptop what else will I need to do to get it working?

All he want to use his laptop for is the internet and youtube etc, he does not care about anything that is on his dead HDD, but when I get him a new HDD what will I have to do to get it to work, the size of the memory is not important and roughly how much would you say it will set him back

Hope I made my self clear, can you help? Thanks.

Is your laptop the exact same as his? What models are the laptops? Recovery disks made with your laptop may work on his if they are same model range, once you've put the new hdd into his machine that is. You may have to download drivers after you've run the disks. You can also use genuine Microsoft windows disks to re install the operating system. You could even install linux if you want for free!

Dub12Dave

Yes they are exactly the same models fujitsu siemens v5535, they both came preloaded with the same software etc, windows vista, we both have no discs or anything else for them.

Do not really mind about the operating system as long as the end result is he can use the interwebs, so do you think that I could make it work again bearing in mind I am hopeless with this kind of stuff but I really don't mind trying first.

Dub12Dave

Dub12Dave wrote: »

Yes they are exactly the same models fujitsu siemens v5535, they both came preloaded with the same software etc, windows vista, we both have no discs or anything else for them.

Do not really mind about the operating system as long as the end result is he can use the interwebs, so do you think that I could make it work again bearing in mind I am hopeless with this kind of stuff but I really don't mind trying first.

You could create recovery media with your laptop, if you check your start>programs menu and see if there's anything to do with "creating recovery media/disks" there. They are great to have for your laptop and his.

I have to ask since your saying your inexperienced with this sort of stuff, what makes you think the hard drive is the issue? Just want to make sure what the fault is.

kilianmanning

Dub12Dave wrote: »

Sorry if this is in the wrong place but unsure where to post.

Hi there everyone I hope you can help me out, my nephew has given me his laptop to look at to see if i can fix it but I haven't got a clue.

His HDD has been corrupted and had died on him so he asked me to fix, so I took my HDD from my laptop and put it into his laptop and his laptop was basically a clone of mine so, if I buy a new SATA HDD and fit it in his laptop what else will I need to do to get it working?

All he want to use his laptop for is the internet and youtube etc, he does not care about anything that is on his dead HDD, but when I get him a new HDD what will I have to do to get it to work, the size of the memory is not important and roughly how much would you say it will set him back

Hope I made my self clear, can you help? Thanks.

If size isn't important then 60gig or 80gig would be enough. 2.5 inch sata. You could probaby pick one up on adverts cheaply enough. You will also need a install disk for the os that was on it and the key that should be on the sticker on the bottom of the laptop..or you could just use linux

Dub12Dave

I have to ask since your saying your inexperienced with this sort of stuff, what makes you think the hard drive is the issue? Just want to make sure what the fault is.[/QUOTE]

He told me that for weeks his laptop was telling him that the hdd failure is imminent, he just kept clicking cancel. When I had a look and turned it on I seen that message and went into the bio set up I think it's called and no matter what I tried it would not let me do or change anything.

As I said earlier, between us we have no discs or software to put onto it so, I have just googled and downloaded linux operating system and saved it onto a blank disc.

So when I find a hdd will it be as easy as replacing it and then just loading the blank cd.

Thanks for all the help so far

No problem, happy to help!

What I mean about the recovery disks is that you can create them with your working machine onto some blank disks, then use them on his, since the models are the same. Linux is great too though and internet access won't be an issue with it.

Dub12Dave

So I was set to give this a try and I discovered that his cd/dvd drive doesn't work it actually comes straight out and he says that he just shoves it back in all the time :eek:. So I guess now that I am snookered.

My only hope as I see it is, as my hdd worked in his machine and basically became a clone of my machine, if I can get a hdd from a pal that doesn't need it any more (from a broken laptop) and he has nothing on it important he could use that straight away too.

Again thanks for the help I really appreciate it.

Well, you could use your cd drive in his once you've made the disks, laptop cd/dvd drives are easily removed on most models. Then swap back once you're done.

Dub12Dave

Just want to finish with thanking Sacramento, I fixed it, I got a hard drive that just happened to be from the same laptop as we have, fitted a dvd drive I got from a friend and loaded window's 7 and now all is good .

One thing I did notice is my laptop would not connect to my upc wireless router since I got it in November but having loaded window's 7 premium on it even that work's now, so all's well now with 2 laptops.