Sounds like the hard drive failed. Check system setup (F2 at powerup) -- if there's no hard drive listed, power off, remove the battery and hold the power button for 30 sec.
Remove and reinstall the hard drive.
If you still don't see it, it's toast - replace with a new 2.5" SATA notebook drive, 9.5 mm or slimmer.
If it IS then seen, run an extended diagnostic on it -- if it fails, replace as above. If it passes, reload Windows.
Thanks again ejn63. I ran the diagnostics (ePSA Pre-boot) - it ddoesn't give me an option of running an extended diagnostic test. All was fine with the exception of the battery.
When I then exit and restart it I get the same message that I got before about no boot device found. Does this mean the HDD is working, but just needs the OS reloaded? I'm not sure what to do from here. Any suggestions/recommendations?
Run the extended diagnostic on the drive (it'll take a couple of hours). Given the symptoms, I can almost guarantee it'll fail with bad sectors -- in which case, replace the drive before reloading Windows.
So although I did not see a specific "extended diagnostic test", I did see a box I could tick that said "Thorough test mode" and checked it. It took about an hour or so and at the end it said "Pass PSA V4200 ePSA extended test pass". The only thing that was recorded under event data was that the battery is reaching the end of its usable life".
Regardless when I then exit and it shuts down and reboots it says gives the same message.
So, since I'm in South Africa and it costs an arm and a leg to call. I'm thinking I will try and see if Linux Lite 3.4 installs on it and then maybe look into seeing about getting a windows 7 Pro OS since I do have a product key...Does this make sense..?
Thanks ieee488, so since the computer we’re talking about doesn’t have internet access would I be able to download the Win 7 Pro on another computer, create a bootable USB then reload?
Is it feasible to download it on to this particular computer if I access the internet on this laptop by running a live session of Linux Lite ?
So in terms of HDD function...is it such that an HDD works well till it doesn’t. In other words no warnings or indications on the extended test that indicates it’s failing?
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
0
November 30th, 2017 03:00
Sounds like the hard drive failed. Check system setup (F2 at powerup) -- if there's no hard drive listed, power off, remove the battery and hold the power button for 30 sec.
Remove and reinstall the hard drive.
If you still don't see it, it's toast - replace with a new 2.5" SATA notebook drive, 9.5 mm or slimmer.
If it IS then seen, run an extended diagnostic on it -- if it fails, replace as above. If it passes, reload Windows.
JanetBiggar
1 Rookie
•
14 Posts
0
November 30th, 2017 09:00
Thanks again ejn63. I ran the diagnostics (ePSA Pre-boot) - it ddoesn't give me an option of running an extended diagnostic test. All was fine with the exception of the battery.
When I then exit and restart it I get the same message that I got before about no boot device found. Does this mean the HDD is working, but just needs the OS reloaded? I'm not sure what to do from here. Any suggestions/recommendations?
ejn63
9 Legend
•
87.5K Posts
0
November 30th, 2017 09:00
Run the extended diagnostic on the drive (it'll take a couple of hours). Given the symptoms, I can almost guarantee it'll fail with bad sectors -- in which case, replace the drive before reloading Windows.
ieee488
4 Operator
•
11.1K Posts
0
November 30th, 2017 12:00
Wit that model you can download Windows 7 Pro directly from Dell.
Find your Service Tag # and go to http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/drivers/osiso/win
and download Windows.
However, in all likelihood your hard drive is failing. That is why it is so slow.
My suggestion:
1. copy any data files from that failing hard drive to a USB flash drive as backup
2. replace the failing hard drive with a new one
3. re-install Windows 7 Pro
4. install the drivers starting with the chipset
JanetBiggar
1 Rookie
•
14 Posts
0
November 30th, 2017 10:00
So although I did not see a specific "extended diagnostic test", I did see a box I could tick that said "Thorough test mode" and checked it. It took about an hour or so and at the end it said "Pass PSA V4200 ePSA extended test pass". The only thing that was recorded under event data was that the battery is reaching the end of its usable life".
Regardless when I then exit and it shuts down and reboots it says gives the same message.
So, since I'm in South Africa and it costs an arm and a leg to call. I'm thinking I will try and see if Linux Lite 3.4 installs on it and then maybe look into seeing about getting a windows 7 Pro OS since I do have a product key...Does this make sense..?
JanetBiggar
1 Rookie
•
14 Posts
0
November 30th, 2017 20:00
Thanks ieee488, so since the computer we’re talking about doesn’t have internet access would I be able to download the Win 7 Pro on another computer, create a bootable USB then reload?
Is it feasible to download it on to this particular computer if I access the internet on this laptop by running a live session of Linux Lite ?
So in terms of HDD function...is it such that an HDD works well till it doesn’t. In other words no warnings or indications on the extended test that indicates it’s failing?