Adamo Thirteen, Operating System not found.

Hi. I am not sure how it looks inside, but I might predict that a hdd connector or ribbon is faulty.can you upload any pictures?

Having exact same problem.  Replaced the wifi board thinking it could be the problem but it still won't see the drive.

Having exact same problem.  Replaced the wifi board thinking it could be the problem but it still won't see the drive.

The wifi board???

For operating system not found error???

Not likely that is going to do anything.

I guess that really depends on whether you bothered to look at the internals of the laptop or not.  Sounds like you chose to comment without bothering to look?  If so, bravo!  I found it extremely helpful, possibly as helpful as you feel replacing the wifi board was.

Let me fill you in.  

Like two other similar slimline laptops Dell manufactures (Vostro V13 and the Latitude 13), the Adamo 13 (non-XPS model) uses a shared PCB separate from the mainboard to support the hard drive.  In the V13/L13, the hard drive board is shared with the audio board.  On the Adamo 13 (non-XPS), the hard drive board is shared with the wifi board/slots.

I'm not sure how much you actually work with small form factor or slim form factor laptops, but this type of design is frequently used in these smaller laptops in cases where the manufacturer may not want to shove a larger motherboard into the chassis (for whatever reason).  By separating out the boards into one mainboard and several supplemental or daughter boards, you have more flexibility with where you can stick things.  Unfortunately, it also complicates diagnostics when something goest wrong.

For the Adamo 13 in particular, you have Mainboard -> wide ribbon cable -> wifi/hdd board -> skinny ribbon cable with uSata/MicroSata connector -> 1.8" slimline SSD drive.  I've verified the SSD is fine on mine; I was able to mount and partition it on a Dell E4200 which uses the same slimline SSD drive.  The SSH ribbon cable is a known-working pull from another laptop.  I replaced the wifi board (wifi/hdd board) with its attached wide ribbon cable to make sure that isn't the problem either.  At this point, it's one of two things:  my uSata ribbon cable was NOT actually a good pull, the motherboard has a fried component, or there is some other setting or other hardware issue I'm not aware of.

If you want to take a second to familiarize yourself with this hardware design, see this page: www.ifixit.com/.../2

Note the first picture.  The motherboard is the long rectangular board in the rear of the first image.  The thick flat copper/brown cable on the left goes to the wifi/hdd board, and the thin copper cable going from that board to the SSD in the front right corner is the actual drive cable, which is not much different from what you'd find in the Latitude E4200  (different DP/N and board-end interface, though).

I'm going to pull the cards on the wifi board to make sure one isn't shorted and interfering somehow.  Other (informed, please) comments are welcome.

Pulling the wifi/wwan/wpan cards and insulating the antenna connectors didn't seem to help.  Pretty much down to the motherboard ($190/refurb) or the drive cable ($50/new).  Already have around $450 sunk into this thing with all the parts I've put into it, not sure I want to gamble on which it is.  Would love to find a way to do more granular diagnostics...  Maybe setup an eSata drive to the rear of the laptop and load a Dell diag partition on it?  Hmm......

Ok, you must have read the title of the thread and skipped over the first two posts, I guess?  

Hard drive not found in BIOS.  Hard drive not found using Linux LiveCD.  Hard drive is testing out OK/operational on other systems.

Of course it says "No operating system found"; if the system is unable to find the hard drive, as the original poster and I stated, how would it possibly find any OS?  By default, this model will PXE boot, boot from USB, boot from eSata, boot from HDD, boot from USB Optical (from memory, may be off by one or two).   If it can't boot from any possible (enabled) boot choices, it automatically issues the error "No operating system found".   This is basic logic any laptop repair tech should know and firmly understand before opening up a chassis.

I think the pictures in my link clearly show that "reseating cards" wouldn't even be a possible fix; the wireless cards don't come in contact with any cables; the wifi board DOES share a PCB and circuitry with the HDD and is required to be operational in order for the HDD to be seen and accessible.  

I believe, based on the hardware layout linked in previous post, that these are the possible solutions to the problem, but I'm curious if someone with Dell a respectable amount of laptop repair experience on similar models can chip in any others:

Dead hard drive (we know this is not the case).

Bad hard drive cable (I replaced mine).

Bad wifi/hdd board or ribbon cable or on-board cable connector (it's all one part; I replaced mine).

(EDIT: NOTE - Reset BIOS to factory defaults, so hard drive is definitely enabled in the boot menu.)

Bad motherboard or on-board cable connector.

Bad setting in BIOS that would cause drive not to be seen (I reset to defaults).

I've ruled out everything but the HDD cable and the motherboard in my case.  Dunno about the OP, but I thought it couldn't hurt to bump this thread for the sake of internet archival.

I guess that really depends on whether you bothered to look at the internals of the laptop or not.  Sounds like you chose to comment without bothering to look?  If so, bravo!  I found it extremely helpful, possibly as helpful as you feel replacing the wifi board was. Let me fill you in.   Like two other similar slimline laptops Dell manufactures (Vostro V13 and the Latitude 13), the Adamo 13 (non-XPS model) uses a shared PCB separate from the mainboard to support the hard drive.  In the V13/L13, the hard drive board is shared with the audio board.  On the Adamo 13 (non-XPS), the hard drive board is shared with the wifi board/slots. I'm not sure how much you actually work with small form factor or slim form factor laptops, but this type of design is frequently used in these smaller laptops in cases where the manufacturer may not want to shove a larger motherboard into the chassis (for whatever reason).  By separating out the boards into one mainboard and several supplemental or daughter boards, you have more flexibility with where you can stick things.  Unfortunately, it also complicates diagnostics when something goest wrong. For the Adamo 13 in particular, you have Mainboard -> wide ribbon cable -> wifi/hdd board -> skinny ribbon cable with uSata/MicroSata connector -> 1.8" slimline SSD drive.  I've verified the SSD is fine on mine; I was able to mount and partition it on a Dell E4200 which uses the same slimline SSD drive.  The SSH ribbon cable is a known-working pull from another laptop.  I replaced the wifi board (wifi/hdd board) with its attached wide ribbon cable to make sure that isn't the problem either.  At this point, it's one of two things:  my uSata ribbon cable was NOT actually a good pull, the motherboard has a fried component, or there is some other setting or other hardware issue I'm not aware of. If you want to take a second to familiarize yourself with this hardware design, see this page: www.ifixit.com/.../2 Note the first picture.  The motherboard is the long rectangular board in the rear of the first image.  The thick flat copper/brown cable on the left goes to the wifi/hdd board, and the thin copper cable going from that board to the SSD in the front right corner is the actual drive cable, which is not much different from what you'd find in the Latitude E4200  (different DP/N and board-end interface, though). I'm going to pull the cards on the wifi board to make sure one isn't shorted and interfering somehow.  Other (informed, please) comments are welcome.

I have taken apart more than my share of laptops.

Again, since when does replacing a wifi board fix anything that is related to the operating system???

Had you said re-seating it, then it is yes, that may be a possible fix, since it is possible that there was mechanical issue of the flex cables being pinched etc.

I understand perfectly well what No Operating System Found means.

I am still having a hard time why you would think replacing the wifi board would matter.

If you thought that there was something wrong with it such that it was shorting to ground or something, then just remove it and leave it out. It won't hurt the rest of the system and it certainly won't prevent the hard drive from booting up.

What part of "the circuitry for the hard drive on this laptop passes across the wifi board" are you not understanding? 

I say again:  All of the circuitry for the hard drive is routed across the wifi board.  Let me reiterate:  The hard drive is not directly connected to the motherboard on this laptop.  The hard drive is connected to the wifi board.  The wifi board is then connected to the motherboard.  You cannot connect the hard drive directly to the motherboard on this model laptop (nor the V13/L13 models).  Pretty simple concept.  

Take out the wifi board, what happens?  I guess you think the data from the motherboard to the hard drive is going to magically fly through the air?  LOL, thanks for the laugh!  Because the wifi board is required to physically link the hard drive back to the mainboard, it is suspect as part of the problem.  With no hard drive detected, if the hard drive is proven working, the next logical step is to test and/or replace the lines between the hard drive and the motherboard (uSATA cable and wifi/hdd board).  If those are proven good, then the next logical step would be testing an alternate motherboard.

Again, until you actually click on the link I supplied in a post above and follow the disassembly on both pages supplied (see all the pictures and read the text), you will not understand why replacing the wifi board was a viable repair option - a very possible options, actually.  Daughter boards fry out on Dell laptops more frequently than the mainboards (most often, if you take nVidia GPU burnout out of the equation).

The wifi board is is just as likely to fry on this as the motherboard, and it's realtively cheap (replacement keyboard/wifi/pci cards/hard drive cable/palm rest cost $60).  Swapped the cable and wifi/hdd board from that.  Don't have a spare motherboard on hand to swap that out.

What part of "the circuitry for the hard drive on this laptop passes across the wifi board" are you not understanding?

That is not the wifi board. The wifi board is in shown very clearly in Step 15 of what you linked  (802.11n card).  Do you even understand what wifi means????

 What you are referring to is the data board shown in Step 17. The guy calls it a wireless data board, but should be more accurately called an interface board. It acts like a backplane for boards to connect to.

LOL

Hey, whatever floats your board.

I am leaving you to contemplate your navel in this.

I can't tell if you're serious or trolling, I'll play along for the sake of education.  I'm embedding links on keywords for you to click through on for support on points I'm making.

There is no confusion with my terminology, I've been working in embedded devices for a couple of decades, still in the industry, still using the same terms after all these years. Not much has changed. 

You are using the terms "board" and "card" interchangeably, which is technically incorrect for this discussion.  What you are pointing out in step 15 is a wireless card (see this wikipedia page for more info), and that's actually one of three wireless or "wifi" cards that this laptop supports (Adamo 13 takes a WLAN card, WPAN card, WWAN card).  These wireless mini PCIe cards are installed on the wireless communication board ("wifi board" or "wifi daughterboard"), which is a daughterboard inside the laptop supporting the touchpad, SIM card, wifi cards and hard drive, to name a few items. 

For clarification on daughterboards, please see "daughterboard" on wikipedia, it is very clearly defined.   As stated in previous posts and paragraphs, we are discussing the wireless daughterboard (wifi board" for short) that is Dell P/N C478K.  Again, this part is not a wireless card.  For a picture of this daughterboard's removal, you can see it in step 17 of the teardown thread linked above, the wireless daughterboard (wifi board) it is the third and final picture on that step.  

If you need to see a full picture of this part outside of a laptop, hit Google Images for Dell C478K or Google Shopping for Dell C478K. Please know, I didn't name it "wifi board".  This is common industry terminology for Dell part number C478K.  If you have access to a Dell sales rep similar to our business team, ask them have their parts and peripherals team member pull Dell's part description to see the wording Dell uses in their parts inventory, you'll find an abbreviated version that's similar.  If you aren't a large purchaser and don't have an account team to lean on like I do, consult eBay, you'll find the part description there by searching for C478K.

Technically, I can't confirm if your usage of the word "backplane" is actually correct without a schematic, there are certain requirements for using the term "backplane", it can get tricky.... again see backplane on wikipedia for those specifics for more learning. 

Anyway, long and short of it, there is definitely a difference between a card and a board and Dell shows this in their manuals.  You can review the (comparable) Latitude 13 service manual for the Dell's terminology usage, since there is no suitable Adamo 13 manual - here is a picture and terminilogy for "wireless CARD" and the "hard drive/audio BOARD".

I'd point you at the Adamo 13 (non-XPS) assembly manual so you can see the terminology Dell uses, but sadly... unlike many other laptops Dell makes, the only thing the service manual shows is insertion/removal of the SIM card (i.e. Dell doesn't consider the Adamo 13 user-serviceable).

Hope this helps.

Still curious for feedback on testing the uSATA cable (got a pinout so I can test myself?) so I can isolate that as "it" or "not it".  The chassis is flawless on my Adamo; not sure I want to fork out for a refurb motherboard, but would be a shame to part it out and re-sell..

I am also having the same exact problem with the laptop not seeing the hard drive in bios and obviously "No Operating System Found". I removed that hard drive and verified that it works in another pc.

Did anyone ever find out what the problem is? I have a feeling it is the cable that goes from "wifi" board to hard drive.

Mav

Thanks for all of your help. I actually can get a better deal on parts from Dell through my work.

I got quoted $12.00 for that cable. Hopefully that is what the problem is.

Mav

Mav,

It is unusual for the hard drive cable to go bad unless you pulled on it  too hard, cut it or stabbed it with something.  

My problem was a faulty hard drive controller on the motherboard (sadly).  I am in process of parting my system out and putting it on eBay to recoup my expenses.  Sad, this laptop is only 20 months old.  They just don't build things to last these days.  Dell should really extend their warranty on new equipment to 24 months standard.