Lappy trouble-Hard Disk

Pilsbury Doughboy

Really clueless about these thing , so looking for some expertise on here!

I keep getting an error message saying 'the following hard disks are reporting failure' Disk name ToshIBA MK5065gsxn

Seemingly after googling that, it's confirmed that it needs fixing.

Now,I have been recommended a guy who fixes laptops and chatted briefly on fb to him, he says that he has 'hard disks full software including office 2007 and anti virus as well with 6 month warranty all with the build up and hard disk, will cost 85 euro'

He then said 'the hard disk is 25 euro and 60 for the software all my software ius gunuien not copy or off the line and the anti virus is 3 years '

English is not his first language so don't mind his spelling or grammar!

But what do we reckon? Is it likely that he can sort me out with a hard disk that will deffo work on my lappy? Soz about these rookie questions, but I don't want to be getting fleeced!

HelpWithIT

I can guarantee it's a 2nd hand drive and that the software is counterfeit for that price! You may get activation problems down the line with Windows Validation etc. New drive (500GB) costs about €70 max and as long as your Microsoft Windows sticker is intact on laptop where you can read the code then to install Operating System and all the Service packs maybe an extra €50ish. If you get it done in a reputable shop or use a reputable IT Service then you should get a 12 month warranty on hard drive function also. But at the end of the day it is up to you (-;

unkel

What HelpWithIT said. That guy's you were talking to is a lying cowboy, avoid. €120 would be a decent quote to:

- get you a new hard disk, fitted

- install genuine Windows 7 using your own license + activate with Microsoft + install all service packs and patches

- install an Anti Virus package

- transfer data over from your old hard disk to your new hard disk (where possible)

riclad

You can download a free antivirus program,
Avast or avg.
I would stay away ,from anyone who offers a load of free software on a hardrive.
Your laptop may have os restore cd program,
ie make 3 cds, restore Full windows operating system,on any hardisk,
IF your hardisk fails.
ie replace drive ,insert cds, click restore os.Takes maybe 30 minutes.
I tried it it works.
Post the model no,os
eg sony 570 dg.windows 7.
From start , programs, see if theres a restore, recovery program,centre,
make recovery cds.

Restore process,formats drive c, erase s all user ,data ,documents .
eg something like this,

http://www.ehow.com/how_5903039_burn-recovery-disks-hp-laptops.html
Better to do this now, before the drive stops working .
IF you have important data on the drive, burn it to cd,or dvdr,
OR copy to an external drive,
theres also services like google drive or dropbox, for online backup.

Pilsbury Doughboy

Cheers everyone, I will steer clear of that cowboy then!

Pilsbury Doughboy

Another question if I may, will I cause any more damage if I don't get this fixed straight away, it's more of an annoyance at the moment, 20 mins to load up, bit laggy at times, but in the main when it gets going it's ok. I'd probably rather avoid having to shell out at the mo unless it's critical, it's been like this for a while already.

riclad

POST your model no,
eg dell 570 inspiron,
MY advice backup all your data, the n do a windows reinstall,
If your laptop, has a recovery partition,
Reboot, press keys, start os recovery ,reinstall process.
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-Systems-e-g-Windows-8-and-Software/How-do-I-RESTORE-my-system-to-the-original-factory-settings/td-p/50113

I,D need a model no ,to give you more advice.
Recovery ,costs zero euros.
IT formats c;/ erases all user data,documents, mp3s,etc

I just reinstall windows every 2 years.
download ,this,it gets rid of most of the old files ,temp,files
on the drive.
Windows needs at least 3 gig free space on the drive,
to work properly.
how much free space ,have you got.?ON drive c;
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download

Untick, box, browser, in the first ,menu screen, Before you click,ok,clean.
cookies, if you want to keep login,info, browser passwords,
FOR websites, eg boards.ie, email passwords,etc

DO a full virus scan on drive c

https://lbis.kenyon.edu/helpline/julia2

USually boot up pc, ,cntrl,f11 , starts recovery menu.

Pilsbury Doughboy

Hi mate, It's a Toshiba Satellite L750/L755, I think that's the info you want anyway!

I will get back to you later about your suggestions, for my sins I will have to let my woman read it later and see what the story is, because it's reading like jargon to me unfortunately!

riclad

See .quote;
Re: Satellite L750 - Setting up recovery wizard when first switched on

Hi

What happen now when you start your notebook?

Start your notebook and press F8 to enter advanced boot settings. There you should see option “Repair my computer”. Choose this option and you should be able to enter recovery menu again.

http://forums.computers.toshiba-europe.com/forums//message.jspa?messageID=242949


3. Please select a Recovery Method of Factory Default Software: recovery to out-of-box state (System Recovery Options are included) OR recover without changing the hard drive partitions OR recover to a custom size partition?
Choose recovery to out of box state too. This will restore the normal factory settings with all drivers and tools. After this you are also able to use HDD recovery option and partition size you can also change after recovery installation.

End quote.

Back up any important ,data,files,documents,pictures.
Before ,You do any recovery,
it formats drive c;

Try cclean first, it may fix the problem.

Pilsbury Doughboy

Hi mate, thanks for your help, I got her indoors to do all that stuff that you suggested, it proved fruitless though, it appears the hard disk is just facked no two ways about it!

riclad

Can you Acess the recovery mode menu,?
Have you a windows cd os,install disc for that laptop.?eg
windows 7, 8?
You,ll need a new sata drive, 2.5inch .
its possible to copy the recovery os file ,from the haRdrive,
to a usb drive, using GPARTED ,
ITS a free download,
iso file,
Which can be burned to a cdr ,using imgburn ,to make
a bootable livecd,
eg boot from cd, gparted menu loads ,into ram memory,
allows you to copy the recovery partition.

Then at a later date, Copy recovery file to new drive,
then acess recovery menu,
in order to install windows 7, etc
whatever os is in the file.
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php

DOWNLOAD Latest Version
15-0,1 , 486.iso

http://www.imgburn.com/?act=download ,
download,install igburn,
USE to burn gparted 486.iso file to cdr.

use this to burn 486.iso gparted,
burn iso file, speed 2x on 1cdr disk.

IF THERES any important files, data, on the drive ,
copy em,or burn to cdr, dvr
before the drive stops working.

riclad

IF Pc takes a long time to boot up ,it can mean drive is faulty ,or drive is 95 per cent full.
Did she try using the recovery mode, on the laptop.

Pilsbury Doughboy

Hi mate, yea we tried the repair option and recovery, neither have helped, it takes forever to load up at the start and just very laggy in general

I keep getting the 'harddisk probelem detected' error message.

riclad

http://www.dabs.ie/products/samsung-500gb-spinpoint-m8-2-5--sata-3gb-s-5400rpm-8mb-7L0Q.html?q=2.5%20sata&src=16
you,ll need something like this.

You could go to links below
http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?level1=7&lang=en
for western digital drive.

http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/seatools/

Download seatools to test your drive .

seatools is for seagate ,maxtor drives,

IF you go to bootup,
f2, del,or f10, go to setup, bios
see bios, info,boot mode,
Advanced boot ,it should list hd,boot device,


eg SEAGATE model 4500 gkt hard drive sata

OR it maybe listed on , bootup screen,
after ram info.

riclad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svTUrXrAa1U

how to install a new drive .
IF you are putting in the new hd yourself, try not to touch,
hd pcb, underneath the blue part.
Touch a water tap, to get rid of static electricity.


http://aps2.toshiba-tro.de/kb0/CRU2203930001R01.htm#
picture hd install guide.

www.mytoshiba.com.au/.../sat%20l750_pro%20l750-userguide.pdf


laptop manual guide above.

Pilsbury Doughboy

Thanks man, I appreciate the effort you're going to, I shall pass the info on to someone who can understand it and see what happens, thanks.

riclad

The partition that contains the recovery file is 9gig approx,
it may have been deleted,by someone,
Which would stop recovery process from starting.