JL Sargent Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 This computer is 18 months old. No HD detected just moments ago. Just ran diags and sure enough no HD found. What to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 In this order: CMOS set to auto detect? Go into the setup (I think F2 on Dells) Power plug to HD connected and providing power? If there is a splitter somewhere, those can wiggle loose easily. SATA or other cable connected at both ends? Might try another cable. Can you hear the drive spin up when the case is open? If all above fails, you might take out the drive, and try it as a slave drive in another computer to see if it is indeed dead. If you have pertinent data on the drive and it is dead, there are data retrieval companies who can forensically remove the data for you. That costs a lot of $$$$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 I'll investigate those suggestions. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 my daughter had same issue. the drive was on it's last leg and could not be detected in any windows machine as a boot drive. I stuck it in a 19 dollar external case and was able to use a Mac to pull her data out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 Checked those suggestions. Drive doesn't do squat. I removed the drive and reconnected cables. While holding it in my hand I hit the computer's power button and it's certified dead. My plan: I have the Dell Win 7 operating system disk, product key is on top of computer, and I have a system image/data files backup on 64gb SD card. I'll install a good SSD drive on computer (Samsung 840 Pro looks good) Change bios to boot to CD drive for install of Win 7 CD and perform install. After install change bios to boot SSD drive and test. If all good, run system restore from the SD card and get back my files/photos/etc? OR, IS THERE A BETTER WAY??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Checked those suggestions. Drive doesn't do squat. I removed the drive and reconnected cables. While holding it in my hand I hit the computer's power button and it's certified dead. My plan: I have the Dell Win 7 operating system disk, product key is on top of computer, and I have a system image/data files backup on 64gb SD card. I'll install a good SSD drive on computer (Samsung 840 Pro looks good) Change bios to boot to CD drive for install of Win 7 CD and perform install. After install change bios to boot SSD drive and test. If all good, run system restore from the SD card and get back my files/photos/etc? OR, IS THERE A BETTER WAY??? Your plan will work as long as the Win7 cd isn't checking for a dell hard drive. You may need to get with Dell on that. A new copy of Win 7 worse case scenario. How is the data stored on the SD? If it is copied, then you can simply copy it back. If you used backup, then you will either use the same backup you used in the first place, or the backup executable on the SD card if the backup program stuck one there. No matter what, you should contact Dell. If that backup is proprietary to Dell, then you may have to buy a Dell hard drive to get the computer working and your data back. I really do like the idea of an SSD drive, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 I used Win 7 backup utility to write to the 64gb card over 3 months time. I just checked the card with an XP machine (had to get an little update from microsoft to read it) and there are a doz. or so backups to it and the most recent one is Dec 11, 2012. So not too long ago. I wonder if the Win 7 backup data files on the card could be used with a fresh Win 8 install? If that is the case and I suspect it can be done, I mightl just go with Win 8 if the OS cd looks for a Dell hard drive. Of course I have Microsoft Office Suite on the dead drive and that would probably be gone in this scenario. I do appreciate the help with it. Note: read some more about the Dell Win 7 install CD and it appears this idea will work and it does not specifically look for previous HD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkytype Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 JL, I had a"dead" IBM HD several years ago. Removed it from its rails and held it my hand horizontally oriented. Upon powerup gave it a good CC (or CCW?) flip of the wrist. The HD came up to speed and the PC booted normally. Got a second HD and xferred important files from old one. If you can afford it, a SSHD is the way to go. Have a new Dell laptop with one and I swear Windows 7 boots up in 10 seconds or less! Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 on other thing you can do for dead HD's is to put it is the freezer for 30 minutes... take it out and give it a wack IN THE CENTER on the spin axis adn see if that un freezes the arm... this has been sucessful for me a couple times before. not that HD's go down that often. I've never tried the wrist flick before, but I can see how that might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted December 31, 2012 Author Share Posted December 31, 2012 I tried the freezer idea. No can do. I suspect its the control board that's cooked.The internet says that you can sometimes replace that control board and bring them back to life. Just buy same drive on Ebay or somewhere and swap the control boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 Well, I installed the SSD drive, installed windows 7 on it, did a restore and got all my personal stuff recovered. I DID NOT get the drivers needed for talking to the onboard ethernet or programs installed after Win 7, mainly "Microsoft Office". My real concern right now is finding the ethernet driver if possible. So far I haven't been able to locate it at Dell or any place else!!!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Just fork over a few bucks and put in a new adapter. Here is one for $9 with free shipping: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833180026 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Oh, and it seems to me like you can put your SN in and it will bring up all drivers and downloads for your computer. You might try that first. edit: I found these two sites on Dell, the first one allows you to download software installed and purchased with your Dell, and the second one allows you to put in a product tag or service code and pull up all the drivers. https://smartsource.dell.com/Web/Welcome.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fWeb%2fLogin.aspx http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/DriversHome/ShowProductSelector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 Well I kept banging around with it. I entered my Dell service tag # and was able to open the configuration file for my computer and saw where the PCI-E Realtek RTL81XX driver had been installed on my computer. So apparently although the adapter is installed on the motherboard, the system sees this as a PCI-E slot. I didn't know that little detail??? So anyway, I downloaded that driver from the Realtek website and presto, it worked! Mustang Guy, I appreciate you hanging in here with me on this. I have it all up and going now. Downloaded 1/2 doz. drivers tonight. Some were right, some wrong too I'm affraid. Anyway, thanks so much! Now to see if I can get Microsoft Office, Firefox, Weather reporting software, and video compressing software back on it and I'm all good! Oh, and one last thing. That SSD drive kicks BUTT! It is quick as lightning as reported, but for me the biggest benefit is how quiet it is! Already love that thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 No problem. I'm glad you got it running. I'm going to try one of those SSD's some day. I have two laptops that might be candidates if they will fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Your plan will work as long as the Win7 cd isn't checking for a dell hard drive. Dell doesn't care about that.As a test, I've installed from a Dell Win 7 OS disk onto another brand of computer, using the product key from a Dell PC. Installed just fine, including theDell logo in the boot up... [:#] In the past, the reinstall CD wouldn't work on anything but a Dell, but that has changed. I had tried it because we get our Dells with the OS, but immediately reformat and reimage them with all of our own software. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 If you haven't downloaded it, make sure you get the chipset drivers from the Dell site. Itcan make a world of difference in the performance. Also do the Dell System Softwar, which includes all kinds of other little tweaks to the system. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 I did get the chipset driver and I believe all is well with the computer. The last thing I want to try is swapping out the control board on the old hard drive. anybody done this? I cannon find my Weatherlink software CD and if I can revive the old drive I will copy this directory completely over. I have the exact same model drive ordered for a go at this idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I cannon find my Weatherlink software CD Is that for a Davis weather station? I might be able to help with that if you can't find it or get the files you need.Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 Yes, it's for the Davis weather station. I've been uploading my weather station data to the Weather Underground website for about a year or so. Kinda handy to look at my phone anywhere and see things like Rain fall, Temp, etc. at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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