its making loud noises as if something mechanical is being thown around inside it and wont boot. is there something that can be done about this? id like to recover the data on it.

its a hitachi travelstar 80gb disk.

To me it could sound as if your HDD is either VERY close to dying... or is dead already!

If I were you, I'd first try booth from e.g. the free mini-XP on Hirens boot-CD (the direct download-link to the most recent version, ver. 15.1, is here - see the green field, a bit down on the page; the download-link is "Hirens.BootCD.15.1.zip") and then immediately save all the data you wish and/or can from the more-or-less dead HDD to an external HDD (or to an USB-key). Be sure NOTto write anything (anything!) to the malfunctioning HDD; only (only!) read from it!!

If you are unable to gain access to the HDD through mini-XP, then the recovery-tools mentioned in this post has helped me several times.

Good luck...

Johan

what happened was that i have windows xp installed but not active protection system. i turned the notebook upside down while it was running to open the keyboard and since then it has been making these noises. i guess the head couldn't park itself when notebook was turned upside down without APS installed.

can something be done about this to restore the position of the head?

i think ill need to take this to the professionals. its not getting detected.

Moderator edit: A related question to this issue was asked in the (now locked) thread head replacement for travelstar 80gb hitachi?

i just purchased a new seagate 80 gb PATA drive and when i plug it into the laptop the HDD light stays on throughout without blinking and HDD is not recognized. whats the solution to this??

the elctronic board is facing up. so i hope thats correct.

the hdd is working fine on the dektop via the pata-usb converter.

Moderator edit: This post was merged from yet another new thread posted by the OP. Please keep related posts in the same thread, in stead of starting multiple threads on the same subject. Thanks in advance for doing this.

the situation is developing fast

To say it bluntly: how stupid can you get?
With 99.9% certainty you will now need a new motherboard, having more than likely shorted various components.
The permanently-on LED is proof.
And quite possibly you will also need a new HD...

it is still booting to bios fine.

there is another symptom the battery led is not lighting up unless i pull out the battery and run it on power cord alone and then plug back the battery.

maybe the charges instead of shorting have traveled somewhere in battery? how do i clear the charges if that is possible?

is the motherboard totally fried or salvageable ?

Booting to BIOS means nothing, only that the CPU is still (partially at least) functioning.
You also blew the charging circuit. Great going!
Get another motherboard and read up on how to handle electronics properly.

Interesting, reading this thread I did not expect to learn much and then RBS blurts it out. So many machines on *bay are sold with the phrase "boots to bios" and here is the answer, it doesn't mean much.

Thanks
burns

well its booting to ubuntu fine via usb. wifi etc everything is working.

It boots via USB, but it does NOT boot from a normal HD (because you blew that part).
You still want to maintain that your mobo is OK?

im just wondering if its easily fixable or cheaply fixable.. ?

i do keep backup parts for the laptop. i have a mobo with me. im wondering if this can be fixed and kept as backup or i should junk this mobo and buy a new backup mobo?

update:

ive tried another mobo and the hdd light is still up, th new mobo is not showing the bios screen but seems to be fine otherwise.. leds are lighting up properly.

im using a seagate momentus 80gb along with this motherboard.

any ideas whats going on

do i need to get a hitachi travelstar to work with this motherboard?

If that's the same HD you used for plugging/unplugging while the machine was still on, that HD is a goner, like I told you before.
Keep going, matching defective hardware with good hardware, the parts shops in your city will love you!
Get another hard disk, before you also blow that new motherboard!
Any 2.5" PATA drive up to 320GB will do.

the hdd led behaviour has changed. it seems to have corrected itself. its not lit all the time anymore but only when trying to access like normal.

when i use the new motherboard and new hdd (80gb seagate) it works.
when i use the old motherboard and old hard disk (hitachi 80gb) i get

ERROR
0200: Failure fixed disk 1

when i use the old motherboard and new hard disk the motherboard doesn't detect it at all.

does it need a hitachi only hard disk to work?

argh the new mobo with new hd was working fine now im getting the HD LED constantly lit for no good reason. just crazy

I would not worry about the HD LED being on or off "for no good reason" at this point.

If everything works fine, then just ignore the light.

There were firmware versions of Seagate 7200rpm PATA drives that did not light the HD LED correctly ... there may be other brands/models that don't light the HD LED correctly either.

Those of us who installed one of those Seagate drives years ago have learned to ignore the HD LED.

okay the led seems to be working ok since morning. im just wondering what to do with the old motherboard everything except battery charging and harddrive detection is working on it. will it be worth it to give it in for repairs time/cost wise vs just buying a functional used motherboard for backup?

Question: Motherboard - repair or buy new?

its a 39t5470. battery charging and harddrive detection is not working on it. will it be worth it to give it in for repairs time/cost wise vs just buying a functional used motherboard for backup?

how much will a replacement motherboard likely cost vs repairs?

what other motherboards can i replace it with?

Moderator edit... once again (!): This post was merged from yet another new thread posted by the OP. Please keep related posts in the same thread, in stead of starting multiple threads on the same subject. Thanks in advance for doing this.

Repair (if even possible, highly doubtful): $125-200
Replacement: $50 (eBay) - 575 (Lenovo)
Any T40/T41/T42/R50/R51 motherboard with ATI GPU will work.

Obviously you have never seen all those repair shops that can be found in mall-like buildings cramped together with cellphone stores and computer accessory stores (not in the United States), which have stocks of random planars and keyboards with missing keys piled high in cardboard boxes, where solder fumes and tobacco smoke mix, and clerks do board-level repair like eating popcorn.

If they got all these great 'services' locally (in India), then why bother asking for (costly/costing) advice in the USA?

i dont trust those guys. but to each his own.

thanks RBS for the info.