hard drive instalation help

barjam_2

Donnie wrote: »

It means that it failed the Drive Self Test. Have you tried running Chkdsk?

no donnie i dont know how to get to that stage :think:

Donnie

barjam wrote: »

no donnie i dont know how to get to that stage :think:

How did you get the the Recovery/Repair stage?

Anyway burn this Vista Recovery Disc image to disc using ImgBurn(Don't install Yahoo Toolbar).

Burn Image to Disc, not Data to Disc.

When complete, place the disc in the DELL machine and re-boot. Hit Enter when Boot from CD is presented.

barjam_2

when i tried the repair it gave me that option when i pressed f8 it was top of the list of options
the diagnostic was when i pressed f12


your link takes me to windows 7 it doesn't say vista can i still use that link, i'm grateful for your patience donnie:beer:

Donnie

Fixed the link. Sorry about that.

barjam_2

thanks donnie gonna get onto it now :beer:

simon.griggs

Dear Barjam,

Dell should have shipped a disc with your laptop with Windows on it. It looks as if the error 0146 points to a new hard drive being required. However, it still may be possible to read some data from the drive. If you want to PM me then I have a disc which you can download online, and use that to boot your machine. It will then be possible to read the hard drive, unless it is damaged, irrespective of the fact that you cannot boot Windows.

I hope this helps.

Simon.

barjam_2

we've just found the discs it came with i'm struggling with the link from donnie i'm trying to put in a product key and its not recognising it shall i just put in my sons original discs, and see what happens from there i'm still thinking the hard drive is at fault from the initial blue screen i've probably just mucked it up further by trying to repair etc.. :o:o

when the laptop starts it now say A read error press ctr-alt del to restart it does that all the time i have to press f12 to get it to boot from cd but as i say i cant get passed the product key:o

TheEffect

barjam wrote: »

we've just found the discs it came with i'm struggling with the link from donnie i'm trying to put in a product key and its not recognising it shall i just put in my sons original discs, and see what happens from there i'm still thinking the hard drive is at fault from the initial blue screen i've probably just mucked it up further by trying to repair etc.. :o:o

when the laptop starts it now say A read error press ctr-alt del to restart it does that all the time i have to press f12 to get it to boot from cd but as i say i cant get passed the product key:o

The product key is written on the bottom of the laptop on a shiny sticker.
If there is a problem with a sector of the hard drive, reformatting and installing windows again with the CD you have now should fix this for a while as it will just not use the part of the disk that isn't working, I believe.

Donnie

barjam wrote: »

we've just found the discs it came with i'm struggling with the link from donnie i'm trying to put in a product key and its not recognising it shall i just put in my sons original discs, and see what happens from there i'm still thinking the hard drive is at fault from the initial blue screen i've probably just mucked it up further by trying to repair etc.. :o:o

when the laptop starts it now say A read error press ctr-alt del to restart it does that all the time i have to press f12 to get it to boot from cd but as i say i cant get passed the product key:o

Why do you need a Product Key? I have no idea of what you are doing...I'm sure I am not alone.

Struggling with the link? What exactly does that mean?

barjam_2

the vista installations donnie is askin gfor a product key for activation shall i just by pass it



oops sorry i shoulda explained more when i meant struggling with the link i meant the bit i'm stuck at now not the link as such