Ack! S-O-S Help!

Oh no. It seems that your computer got a virus by a hacker. Darn it.

Maybe, your battery is no good - I don't know. I had the similar problem with my laptop, and they replaced a new battery, a logic board, and a CD driver. It works fine since then. Knocking the wood.
 
I'm embarrassed to say that I'm broke. I can't afford to take it to a shop or repair person. I've been basically "laid off" for several months, so I'm stuck. :(

I tried the OS installer CD and the emergency driver installer CD, but no change.

It was running on plug in power, so I don't think it's the battery. I get power to the laptop, and I can enter set up. But it says there's no OS, and no drivers. :confused:
 
Tousi said:
Sounds like the blue face of death, Reba; so sorry. Maybe the shop can take out the hard drive and rescue it's contents, no?
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All my document, photo, and family tree files are backed up on other media, and in this PC, so I'm OK there. :)
 
Oh, that? Whew, I thought you had drove your Jeep off road and got stuck in deep mud! Guess I am wrong.

Best advise is to send to shop, I know it won't be cheap, but it seems the best solution.

Reba said:
I just came indoors and saw my laptop screen showed the background picture but no toolbar or anything else on the screen. That is NOT the way I left it a little while ago.

I clicked the mouse and the touch pad. No response. I clicked the Windows key. Nothing. I clicked the short cut button for email. Nothing. Suddenly, the "hibernate" msg popped up. Then the computer started vibrating and making a loud whirring noise. It's like my hard drive was spinning out of control! I unplugged everything, and carefully lifted it, and poked the reset button with the tip of my pen. That stopped it. But I'm afraid to start it up again, or even plug in the power.

I'm terrified that's it fried some how.

Any suggestions? I'm desperate!
Click to expand...
 
That sounded like dead hard drive! Probably it just burnt out. I have seen that many times. How old is your Lappy?

Reba said:
Well, I tried. My laptop power came on, it made a grinding noise, the screen was black, and the words "operating system not found" popped up. :(
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diehardbiker said:
Oh, that? Whew, I thought you had drove your Jeep off road and got stuck in deep mud! Guess I am wrong.
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Ha! That would be easier to solve. :lol:


Best advise is to send to shop, I know it won't be cheap, but it seems the best solution.
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Maybe. I know I can't do that until this fall at earliest. Oh, well. :(
 
ouch again ! it could be hdd or bad mobo(motherboard) but i have a feeling it is ur hdd. i suggest ya to ask ur handy hubby to get a replacement with that old hdd. and if u have a reinstallation xp or any o/s cd, then you will be ok.

40 gb hdd costs around 80 to 100 bucks.

good luck
 
It is apparently a hard drive failure. I think it's a bearing that worn out and cause vibration on your laptop assuming it's a wacky fan LOL. Get the one with 7200 rpm 2.5 inch Hard drive which will boot up and get around faast. Also to make hdd last long, on display property, Screensaver-- click Power and be sure "turn off hard drive" to 30 to 45min. In that way it'll stop hard drive spinning and extend it's life. I use that all the time. I had one 2 Gb hdd on old Puke Blah system (Packard Bell) last 8 years without failure LOL.
 
Reba said:
I think about three years.
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Do you have guarantee for this? (Depend between one and five years). Hopefully you still have guarantee receipt then you can check the date.


I know it's suck when the computer goes crash, get virus, or whatever... I had a bad experience twice before... I had my friend to do for me.

Do you have someone who is knowledge of computer skill? If yes, you can ask them to look at your laptop?
 
operating system not found after funny noise/vibration mean hard drive is died.

Nothing do with battery, motherboard, and virus. No matter how old hard drive is. My father own laptop for 10 years and hard drive still alive. My friend's laptop hard drive got died after few months.

So you can't re-install O/S because hard drive is died. It's easy to figure it out.

Solve the problem. You need replace the new hard drive.

Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Spinpoint M Series MP0402H 40GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache ATA-6 Notebook Hard Drive - OEM
Under $50 for that.
 
Thanks to all for your suggestions. :)

Yes, I believe it is the hard drive. I was really hoping it was something else, cheaper. :(

I guess we'll have to buy one as soon as we can afford it. I do have the CDs for reinstallation.

I think the only data lost will be my email file from Outlook Express. My address file is backed up so I can download that again but the recent emails weren't backed up. I did a backup of my laptop on my Seagate external hard drive two months ago, so maybe I can retrieve those emails?
 
Liebling:-))) said:
Do you have guarantee for this? (Depend between one and five years). Hopefully you still have guarantee receipt then you can check the date.
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I do keep all receipts but it's been three years, so it's beyond the warranty time limit.


Do you have someone who is knowledge of computer skill? If yes, you can ask them to look at your laptop?
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Yes, I do have a friend that can look at it in a few days but I suspect he will agree that it needs a new hard drive. I need to be prepared for that.

I think all our "hot" debating at AD burned it up.

(Just kidding ;) ) :lol:
 
The Highlander said:
operating system not found after funny noise/vibration mean hard drive is died.

Nothing do with battery, motherboard, and virus. No matter how old hard drive is. My father own laptop for 10 years and hard drive still alive. My friend's laptop hard drive got died after few months.

So you can't re-install O/S because hard drive is died. It's easy to figure it out.

Solve the problem. You need replace the new hard drive.

Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Spinpoint M Series MP0402H 40GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache ATA-6 Notebook Hard Drive - OEM
Under $50 for that.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I'll check that out. Thanks. :)
 
purplecatty said:
... Also to make hdd last long, on display property, Screensaver-- click Power and be sure "turn off hard drive" to 30 to 45min. In that way it'll stop hard drive spinning and extend it's life....
Click to expand...
Good tip, thanks. :)
 
The Highlander said:
operating system not found after funny noise/vibration mean hard drive is died.

Nothing do with battery, motherboard, and virus. No matter how old hard drive is. My father own laptop for 10 years and hard drive still alive. My friend's laptop hard drive got died after few months.

So you can't re-install O/S because hard drive is died. It's easy to figure it out.

Solve the problem. You need replace the new hard drive.

Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Spinpoint M Series MP0402H 40GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache ATA-6 Notebook Hard Drive - OEM
Under $50 for that.
Click to expand...

I have ask you a question.

I don't got new PC that included with Win XP installation CD, it was in 2003.

If I need upgrade into new HDD then need buy Win XP installation CD that under OEM?
 
Pacman said:
I have ask you a question.

I don't got new PC that included with Win XP installation CD, it was in 2003.

If I need upgrade into new HDD then need buy Win XP installation CD that under OEM?
Click to expand...

If you already have Windows XP so you dont need to buy Win XP installation CD if you replace/upgrade the new hard drive.
 
I think that OS was located in hard drive or just in motherboard or something?
 
Pacman said:
I have ask you a question.

I don't got new PC that included with Win XP installation CD, it was in 2003.

If I need upgrade into new HDD then need buy Win XP installation CD that under OEM?
Click to expand...

If you have your lappy's original WinXP (SP2) serial number. Use that even if you are using friend's or cracked version. Just use keychanger to change it to your original serial. As for HDD, 5400rpm is good but 7200rpm is niiicce. My lappy have 5400rpm drive and I would upgrade it to 7200rpm w/ 8mb cache. IT'll make apps ect go around faster.
 
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