Ahh Fuck

[dexfarkin]

More laptop woes.

So, booted up my laptop last night, no problems what so ever. Spent six hours online, updated some programs, everything fine. Today, says 'no operating system found'. Slide in the Window's disc to try the auto-repair utility, it doesn't even recognize the drive.

Thoughts? Bad harddrive, bad motherboard, just a program issue?

Comments

Sounds to me...

[redhawk.livejournal.com]

like a bad mobo or a bad HD.

More than likely the latter. If it's the former, you're pretty much boned.

Redhawk

[iamgerg.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a bad HD. In fact I have a good Idea of what is wrong. But answer this question for me first.

Do you do a lot of computing on a bed or other soft surface?

[iamgerg.livejournal.com]

A soft surface may include things such as your lap or a place-mat.

[dexfarkin.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[iamgerg.livejournal.com]

The cooling for most laptops comes from underneath your computer. Because laptops run hotter these days that cooling is essential. If you do a lot of computing on a soft surface you likely blocked the airflow to the case and the heat fried your hard drive (look for a grill or open slots on the bottom of your laptop). Likely there are only a small percentage of sectors bad, but once it fries it only gets worse. This is a long way of saying you likely need a new hard drive but most of your data should be recoverable. Leave your laptop off until I consult with Tom about it, but that is my best guess at the moment... if I am correct it will be the fourth one in the last six months I've seen, so I'm fairly certain about this.

(To ease your roommate's mind most Apple models pull their air from around the screen hinge and thus are resistant to this problem but it is always better to have a hard surface under your laptop when you use it to allow airflow.)

[dexfarkin.livejournal.com]

I've got all my data already. I just want to know if I can get away with replacing the HD for $200 or if the motherboard is pooched, and I need a new laptop.

[iamgerg.livejournal.com]

I'd say 75% chance it's the hard drive. Just from the way it failed. If you have an empty USB key I can email you software tomorrow to make it bootable as well as a diagnostic program so you can tell for sure. If you don't have a USB key, You can pick them up for stupid cheap at Staples or I can send you one via Darryl (or Greg who will likely be in TO next week some time.)

[dexfarkin.livejournal.com]

I'll wait for you next week then. Good?

[iamgerg.livejournal.com]

Not I, the other Greg.

[dexfarkin.livejournal.com]

Oh, send it to me then. I've got a drive, and if that doesn't work, I can borrow someone's.

[iamgerg.livejournal.com]

The key has to be empty. As it has to be formated... one more thing, how old is your laptop?

[dexfarkin.livejournal.com]

About four years.