Help please - HP Mini 110 HDD

[ballaratdragons]

Because I am really dumb with computers I have to ask all you intelligent computer people :)

I have the HP Mini 110 netbook but the hard-drive has apparently died.

I have been trying to boot it up for the last 4 months but getting nowhere.
When I try, it says:

< F9 > = Change Boot Device Order
< F10> = Bios Setup Options

If I click on anything or even just leave it alone eventually the screen changes to say:

Reboot and select proper Boot Device
or insert Boot Media in selected Boot Device and press a key.

Sometimes it also allows me to open the blue page with settings in it, andwhen I go in to Change the Boot Order it says I have no Hard Drive. In fact there is nothing in the list.

I have searched all over the internet and discovered thousands of people have had the same problem and all have received the same answer:

Check the HHD has good connection (I have about 50 times), failing this the Hard Drive is dead. Replace it.

That's it! That's all the help thousands of people have been given from hundreds of sites :shrug:

My questions are:

1. If I buy a new Hard Drive for it do I lose everything I have on the old Hard Drive? (Programs like Photoshop, ImagesPlus, etc etc and all my files and photos)

2. Is it possible that the old Hard Drive can be fixed?

3. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP! :(

Thank you all.

:sadeyes:

Also, if all else fails, where can I buy a Hard Drive for it? and what Hard Drive do I buy?

[rcheshire]

If all the conventional means fail, I can send you a bootable usb stick loaded with a live Linux distribution. Linux will mount your windows files if it can. If you have a second usb stick of adequate capacity, you can save the important stuff to that. I have done this several times. If the hard drive is mountable irrespective of windows OS inability to boot it Linux will mount the drive. This is a last resort failing other methods, but it has worked well for me.

Rowland.

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks for replying Rowland but I must apologise as I didn't understand a word of what you said.

I am Computer illiterate and I don't even understand the Jargon :(

[RAJAH235]

Hi Ken,
Have you heard of "spinrite" from Steve Gibson of grc.com?
He's got the best disc recovery/maintenance app out there.
Cost you $89.00 US but well worth it.
All 180 kb of it.
> http://www.grc.com/default.htm

If the HDD is actually "stuffed", then all your files will be gone but give spinrite a try first.
It will try it's best to recover discs that would not boot & people have left the app running for days/weeks with excellent results.

The live Linux boot disc may help as well.

Do you have an external HDD of equal capacity of the internal one?
Say....250 Gig?

When you get your "stuff" back.....
Always pays to have a back-up.
I use Acronis True Image Home.
Yours for the measly price of just $59.99 Aus. ;)
> http://www.acronis.com.au/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

Good luck.

Regards, L..

[mill]

Ken i see if i can fix it at the camp and also try to get your files back.
I have done this for a lot of businesses.

[ballaratdragons]

:lol: Hi Laurie.

Again, you have lost me in the lingo and jargon. I have no idea what you are talking about.
I get what you mean about backing up stuff but I wasn't aware that you could back up programs like PhotoShop, ImagesPlus etc. I thought only files and photos could be backed up/saved/copied.

But it shows how little I know about computers. Stupid things :lol:



Thanks Martin, that would be great, thanks :)

I hope Hard Drives aren't expensive in case I have to get a new one for it.

[mill]

Harddrives don't cost that much anymore Ken:thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

I think this might be it: http://www.laptopwarehouse.com/wd-scorpio-blue-wd1600bevt-hard-drive-160-gb-internal-2-5-sata-300-5400-rpm-buffer-8-mb.html

EDIT: Out of stock :rolleyes:

[mill]

You can get those from a lot of computer shops Ken.
Or Ebay $50.00 http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Seagate-160gb-Sata-2-5in-Drive-/110701445968?pt=AU_Laptop_Accessori es&hash=item19c6520350
Or http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Genuine-Toshiba-2-5-80Gb-SATA-Internal-Hard-Drive-5400rpm-Laptop-/190597389522?pt=AU_Laptop_Accessori es&hash=item2c607d5cd2
Also brand new http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Samsung-Spinpoint-M7-HM641JI-Serial-ATA-640-GB-Hard-Drive-/170724167125?pt=AU_Components&hash=item27bff40dd5

[RAJAH235]

Hi Ken,
Take the laptop to your local IT guy & have him get the "spinrite" program.
(He may already have it.)
If not, then...
Let him burn it to a CD & also have him check that your laptop will boot from the
laptop's CD/DVD burner.
Then, let him do the recovery process.

Quickest way.

Regs, L..