Resolved Boot Problem/Afraid To Leave Notebook On

Good to hear that the hard drive is seen in the BIOS. Next step would be to run the hard drive diagnostics mentioned above.

In order to help you find out how to "open it ", we'll need the make and model number of the laptop.

Linux runs fine on gadzillions of PCs, including laptops. One of the easiest way to test your choice of Linux versions is to boot from LiveCD and fiddle with it. If you like it, you can usually then install it onto the hard drive.

 

Thanks, Dr. My laptop model is MSI A6200-461US. It's advertising showed that number, but 1681 is on the back. I think the Western Digital diagnostic will probably work best, based on the posts I've seen.

 

MSI A6200-461US Manual, English (5.66 MB zipped PDF file)

 

Thanks for the last post, Dr. Right now I am about to begin the Western Digital Drive Fitness Test. Meanwhile I will review my old A+ Training materials about hard drive errors (the class was at DeVry).

 

Bad News. The Western Digital Fitness Drive Test resulted in error code 0120, No Drive Found. Later, thanks to your help, I will prepare to go into the computer and check the connections.

 

Yes that would be the next step, then re-run the diags.

Western Digital > Knowledge Base > Diagnostic Error Codes

Before I replaced the drive though, I'd run diagnostics against the RAM. If it fails, the problem may be the RAM and not the hard drive. (Replace RAM, retest RAM. If ok, then retest hard drive).

 

I thinks I already did that, having run a diagnostic called memtest, which ran thirteen times Thursday night until I escaped from it Friday morning. Besides loosing a couple screws, I went inside the computer yesterday and the hard drive looked tightly in place, flush with the motherboard. It wasn't what I expected to see being used to the typical strap-cords.

 

Check that the hard drive-to-motherboard connections are clean and then re-run the HD diags. If it fails again, replace the drive.

 

I am convinced that those components are in there tight and that nothing else is between the motherboard and the hard drive. At the shop tested the old one and it was full of bad sectors. The computer now has a new Samsung hard drive in it.

 

Good to hear the problem's finally been solved.

Please mark your thread as 'Resolved'.

 

Wait! I haven't managed to load Windows in it yet. Still, I wouldn't trust these homemade restore discs.

 

What other choices are available?

 

I didn't mean to abandon the thread; but I have Windows loaded again though I had to purchase another Product Key for my Ultimate upgrade version. It is not exactly the same setup. On the old hard drive, F3 reinstalled Windows from a hidden partition. Also, I had to download Works 9.0 new since it did not install with my original restore disc.

 

Good to hear you got it running again.

Please mark your thread as resolved.

 

I still kept the old hard drive believing some data might be salvaged if I put it into an enclosure. I would appreciate it if someone had a solution. Thanks to those who contributed here.

 

If the drive is still accessible, try Recuva.

If that doesn't work, or the drive is inaccessible because of some hardware problem, Ontrack.
(Note that this option can get expen$ive).

To avoid lost data: Backup. (I.e., keep at least one copy on different media).

 

Thanks. BIOS could not detect Windows on it, so it sounds like a lost cause. We can consider the problem resolved.

 

Please mark your thread as 'Resolved'.