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Advice for Inspiron 6000 HDD HARD Error
Here's a Dell Inspiron 6000 with XP Media Center 2005. It sports 1 gB RAM and a Hitachi Deskstar 40 gB HDD. It won't boot because during the POST, I hear 3-5 distinct "click-clacks" from HDD and then a message on a black screen (Windows hasn't booted) saying "Internal HDD HARD Error". This tells me the drive is physically broken.
Does this sound correct to you folks? Yes, I have tried unseating and reseating the drive/caddy assembly. The connection "feels" solid as the drive goes back in.
Getting any of the files off: Forget it, right? Because with my Hiren's Boot CD, the HDD is not showing (ie it's so broken, it won't id itself even to Linux) Right?
If I can put a new dirve in place:
Will any 2.5 inch drive @5400 rpm do as long as I can get in the caddy, the form factor is the same, connector config are the same?
We're going to need the install media to put Windows XP back on. Called tech support but they say it's beyond warrantee and will not send media. Warrantee ran out 6/08. Does the tech support answer sound right? It didn't to me but I wasn't about to argue with the guy.
jackshack
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September 30th, 2009 12:00
With regard to the installation media, you can try this form (assuming you reside in the U.S.): Dell Replacement CD. If you live outside the U.S., your only choice is to contact Dell Tech Support for your region, explain that the media was not shipped with the computer due to Dell's Media Reduction Campaign, and that you need to reinstall to a new hard drive.
Your diagnosis is right on. The drive is shot, and the only way you will get anything off of it is if you are willing to spend one or two thousand on a professional data recovery.
The new hard drive will be any IDE (PATA) 2.5 inch, 9.5 mm drive that does not exceed a capacity of 120 GB. If you can't find one that small, you can still use a larger one if your installation media incorporates at least Service Pack 1 (assuming Windows XP as the base for your Media Center edition). Since the Inspiron 6000 does not have BIOS support for drives larger than 120 GB you might want to consider making the boot partition smaller than the 120 GB limit and creating a data only partition from the space that remains. Windows uses the BIOS routines to begin the boot process and some users have experienced glitches that wound up corrupting the boot drive. By making the boot partition smaller than 120 GB you enhance the probability that you won't have a problem, and if you are forced to reinstall the operating system any data you have in the partition above 120 GB should be left undisturbed.
Edited to fix link.
Hoibie
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September 30th, 2009 13:00
Jack - thank you for the quick resp. I just wanted to be sure the drive is toast. Pass the jam...
In your reply you hinted at a "form" about the second sentence in. Was there a hyperlink to a "form" you intended to send me? Or is there a form on the Dell web that we can get our hands on?
Thanks again.
H
jackshack
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September 30th, 2009 14:00
Hoibie;
Apologies; I neglected to check to see that the link worked. That is fixed now, but in any case ejn63 came to the rescue, for which I thank him very much.
Best of luck to you!
ejn63
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September 30th, 2009 14:00
You can request backup discs here:
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&redirect=1
I would not use a drive over 120G in a 6000- the results can be unpredictable. You must use a parallel ATA drive - SATA won't work.
Hoibie
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October 1st, 2009 04:00
Excellent!
Isn't it wierd and you have to wonder why Dell Support Rep did not point me there. I didn't think that sounded right. I don't have much Dell experience - I'm trying to fix this for a neighbor. Looks like a new drive will be cheap enough. I know that sometimes Dell in its infinite wisdom often will install proprietary hardware. I just wanted to check and make sure we didn't get into a more expensive situation. Noting the Dell replacement drives at @40 gB are waayy over priced.
Be that as it may...
Thank you again, to both of you for the help.