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| Thread ID: 149697 | 2021-03-31 00:15:00 | Should I try a new laptop hard drive? | Strommer (42) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1475976 | 2021-03-31 00:15:00 | Our Toshiba laptop would not boot up and had a black screen with no BIOS, no cursor, nothing at all. I posted about this several weeks ago and decided it was time to get a new laptop as we had the old one for 10 years. The new laptop is primo, with 16 Gb RAM and the Lenovo crapware was minimal and easy to remove. So I eventually removed the hard drive in the old laptop and found cables to connect to my desktop - immediately the BIOS warned that the old laptop hard drive was bad and about to fail but I did manage to copy files and folders from it. I can get another 500 Gb 2.5" hard drive for a cheap price and am thinking of putting it in the old laptop. I assume that I can reinstall Win10 using the MS Product Code even though it was Win7 - is this correct? I did of course update Win 7 to Win10 over the years. The new laptop is my wife's, so if I can resurrect the old laptop it would just be a spare one that I could take while away from home travelling. If it was going to be an expensive fix I would not bother but for less than 50 dollars for a new HD I thought it may be worth it. What do you think? |
Strommer (42) | ||
| 1475977 | 2021-03-31 01:17:00 | If you're going to buy a new hard disk if the laptop has a SATA interface buy a SSD. Don't bother about an old slow mechanical HD. | paulw (1826) | ||
| 1475978 | 2021-03-31 01:26:00 | [QUOTE=Strommer;1305341 black screen with no BIOS, no cursor, nothing at all. [/QUOTE] replacing a HD wont fix a dead laptop (usually) 10 years old, I wouldnt bother regardless . Unless it was originally a high spec i5 AND had a good batt . working used i5 laptops are dirt cheap on trademe . or a used SSD on trademe is very cheap . IF thats the only issue |
1101 (13337) | ||
| 1475979 | 2021-03-31 05:58:00 | try booting from a linux live flash drive, if everything works ok then consider a hard drive. | dugimodo (138) | ||
| 1475980 | 2021-03-31 06:45:00 | try booting from a linux live flash drive, if everything works ok then consider a hard drive. Since the HD is missing will the laptop automatically go to the USB? I thought that the boot drive had to be selected in the BIOS. |
Strommer (42) | ||
| 1475981 | 2021-03-31 06:57:00 | The BIOS is on the mobo not the hard drive. | gary67 (56) | ||
| 1475982 | 2021-03-31 08:08:00 | Most modern(ish) boards will search for a boot device when the default setting is missing or unbootable, so yeah it should boot off a flash drive automatically with no hard drive installed. Also if the hard drive was the cause for the black screen problem you should be able to get into the BIOS now that it is removed. If you still can't boot or get into BIOS there's not much reason to get a new hard drive. |
dugimodo (138) | ||
| 1475983 | 2021-04-01 01:13:00 | The BIOS is on the mobo not the hard drive. Thanks gary67 and dugimodo - I will try a linux boot later this weekend. |
Strommer (42) | ||
| 1475984 | 2021-04-01 01:20:00 | Funny, how so often, questions asked get Easter Bunnies running all over the place. I would fit the cheap replacement HDD. From what you say, it appears you have a perfectly serviceable laptop. You might need to install Windows 7 first and register your licence with Microsoft. After that you can install the appropriate Windows 10 upgrade and the registration shoul carry through. |
PENTIUM (426) | ||
| 1475985 | 2021-04-01 02:18:00 | You might need to install Windows 7 first and register your licence with Microsoft. After that you can install the appropriate Windows 10 upgrade and the registration shoul carry through. NOPE, no need to dance around taking the long way ---if you want to use Windows 10 simply install it and use the Windows 7 Key - Still works and activates. | wainuitech (129) | ||
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