Help, hard drive problems

mustbemad

I've been trying to access the recovery partition (ctrl and f11) with no joy... is this because the hard drive is probably knackered? If a new hard drive is fitted would i still be able to access the recovery thing to get windows xp back on? We have got the dell xp disc somewhere but finding it will probably involve sifting through about 20 boxes and unplumbing the dishwasher (dont ask lol)

Angela x

albertross_2

no the recovery partition is on the old hd, you'll need the CD's

mustbemad

How did i know that would be the case

Do you think it definately sounds like the hard drive is gone or could it be something else?

Angela x

brummybloke

without being stupid here, you have opened it up and checked all connections are secure havent you?

it may also be worth checking with your son to see if he has left a floppy disk in the a drive.

Goldielocks

I'm wondering.....hmmmmmmmm.......have you got a floppy disc in your drive?????

G

PS I have seen this happen so many times when I was on IT Helpdesk - always looks like a disaster - but it never is!!!

mustbemad

Brummybloke/Goldilocks

Thanks for your replies!

nothing in the floppy disc drive i'm afraid, i wish it could have been something so simple!

Brummybloke, I havent looked inside the box, i wouldnt have a clue what i was looking at

Angela x

Goldielocks

OK - If there's no disk in the drive, it suggests that either the HD has failed, or is not connected properly.

If you think you can have a go - open up the PC case & check the cables going into the HD have not worked themselves free. There should be 2, one's a wide cable (bit like a plastic ribbon!) that carries data (the other end of which should be going into the motherboard, maybe via another storage device), and a 4 wire power connector. Just check everythings plugged in as it should be.

If that all looks sound - well it does suggest the HD has given up. How old is the PC? HDs don't last for ever........

G

gaming_guy

Goldielocks wrote:

OK - If there's no disk in the drive, it suggests that either the HD has failed, or is not connected properly.

If you think you can have a go - open up the PC case & check the cables going into the HD have not worked themselves free. There should be 2, one's a wide cable (bit like a plastic ribbon!) that carries data (the other end of which should be going into the motherboard, maybe via another storage device), and a 4 wire power connector. Just check everythings plugged in as it should be.

If that all looks sound - well it does suggest the HD has given up. How old is the PC? HDs don't last for ever........

G

this image may help

or you could touch the hard drive and switch the computer on and see if you can feel it spinning up

mustbemad

Goldielocks, eeeeeek, i will try and have look... if i dont come back it will probably be because i have blown myself halfway into next week! The PC is nearly 2 years old, i would have thought a harddrive would have lasted a bit longer then that but then again, it certainly hasnt died of underuse! I guess my DS has worked it into the ground, i'm probably going to be next!

Gaming-guy, thanks for the picture!

Angela x

Browntoa

if you can borrow a friends/neighbours XP disk then you can install the Operating system on using that as you will have a valid XP sticker on the Dell case (hologram on the side/back)then download any drivers you need from the Dell support site

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/downloads/devices.aspx?c=uk&l=en&s=gen&SystemID=DIM_P4_4700&os=WW1&osl=EN

unless you have a "Drivers" CD in the original stuff they sent you