Question Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop ( PCMech Forums Drives and Storage )
Updated: 2009-06-04 05:20:19 (12) |
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
I recently bought a Gateway P-78 laptop for gaming. It has been nothing but trouble. I finally got it working (I thought) after reinstalling the OS (Vista.)
The computer locked up last night while running a game. After ctrl-alt-del did not work (many tries), I did a hard power button shut down.
Now it will not boot. When I start and press F8 to get to Safe Mode, it gives me a set of errors culminating in "No Operating System Found"
I chatted with a Gateway tech and he took me to start-up with F2, showing boot. The drive appeared there (in the "Boot" screen), so he had me download and burn a boot CD (using another machine) called GWScan.
I did this, booted the bad machine using GWScan, went to the instructions to scan the hard drive, and got the error, "NO DRIVE FOUND."
I could not believe the hard drive would actually be bad in such a short time (3 weeks new), so I opened the computer and noticed two HD bays, one empty, and one with a Seagate 320Gb Momemtus 7200.3 HD. I moved this HD to the empty port and retried.
I have since received all the same errors as before.
What can I do now?
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| Answers: Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop ( PCMech Forums Drives and Storage ) |
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
Is the laptop still under warranty, If so get in touch with GW.
mikeL
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
My hard drive crashed and the warranty service will take too long. If I just buy a new hard drive to install myself, must I ensure that the new hard drive has the operating system already loaded?
I am using a Seagate 320Gb HD inside a Gateway P-78 series laptop with Windows Vista, Home Premium, SP 1.
Thanks!
Tom Jensen
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
If you buy a new drive, you will most certainly have to install the operating system yourself.
Extremerc12
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
Thanks. But can I ask for the OS to be installed on the drive prior to purchase? Or do I buy a raw hard drive, install it, and then install the OS from CDs after installing the new hard drive? And what about formatting the hard drive?
Thanks.
Tom Jensen
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
Your new harddrive will come blank with no OS loaded on to it?
Where are you getting the new harddrive from? Gateway or Seagate?
Do you have the recovery disks for your laptop?
What measures have you taken to recover your personal files from the bad harddrive?
rjfvillarosa
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
Threads merged, please keep everything related to one issue in one thread.
If you buy a hard drive, it will come totally blank and you will have to reinstall everything from scratch. If you are patient and wait for warranty service, there is a good chance the replacement drive will come preloaded. Discuss this with Gateway.
glc
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
Thanks to all for the replies. An update and added info:
1. I so happened to back up all my personal files just before it crashed. :-)
2. I have the anti-virus, MS Office and MS Outlook software, with product keys, from my original purchase, so no issue there. I will reinstall these after the new hard drive is installed.
3. I did install the HD from another computer just to test the theory that the HD is bad. The computer fired up like a champ so I am sure I now have a bad HD
4. I DON'T have a disk from Best Buy that might be used for recovery.
5. I DON'T have the Windows Vista CD.
6. I am unable to get to the depot for warranty service for several weeks. However, I am not so concerned about that since this laptop has two HD slots (one empty), and after I later have the HD replaced under warranty (when I bring it in July), then I would like to have one as a back-up.
So, there you have it. I will buy a new hard drive to install.
From what I read here:
1. In addition to a new HD, I must buy another copy of Windows Vista, too?
2. If the machine had Vista when I bought it, and I install a new HD, can I just use XP instead?
3. If I buy a new HD and an OS, is there a step-by-step process to which someone can guide me to install the HD, and the OS, and rebuild the computer?
Thanks to all for continued support.
Tom Jensen
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
If you buy your own harddrive, you will also have to buy an operating system. Vista or XP, it doesn't really matter.
The drawback to this plan is the cost. You're paying a lot (particularly with the OS) for something that is under warranty. Obviously if the time is worth it to you, go for it.
As far as a "step by step procedure," remove the old harddrive, put the new one in, and boot up the computer with the OS cd in the CD drive. Windows will walk you through the install process.
LeftyAce
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
Don't know how GW works, but with my HP laptop I can purchase the recovery CD's for about $20.00. You should check with GW's site to see if that is possible, sure beats paying full price for an OS, this may also include all other software that came with your laptop.
mikeL
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
Don't deal with Best Buy or the depot, deal with Gateway. When the hard drive crapped out on my stepdaughter's new Dell laptop 2 weeks after purchase, Dell overnighted a new preloaded hard drive. All it took was an old fashioned PHONE CALL.
glc
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
Call Gateway and ask for the Recovery Discs as well instead of buying a new OS from BB.
bucksfanjimj1
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Crashed Hard Drive Gateway Laptop
Good point - the Dell rep actually asked me if I needed any of the disks the computer came with and offered to send me a complete set when I was setting up the RMA.
glc
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