OS cannot be found

[Sand]

Every so often I get a black screen with white text saying, "OS cannot be found" and I cannot do anything other than shut it down. Isn't the OS Internet Explorer or Firefox? I have both but use Firefox mostly.

I recently had a technician re-install IE for 300.00. Then the backlight went out but this tech said he didn't do hardware, so I took it to an electronic store and they replaced the lamp for 200.00 . I asked him at the time if the hard drive was good and he said it was.

Since then I used PC Doctor to check the hard drive and it failed the long 2-3 hour test. Could this be the hard drive causing this error message?

I really don't know if I should put any more money into this as I don't know if it is going to be a matter of one thing after another going now. But I also hesitate to not keep trying to save it as that would be like throwing away the 500.00 I've already invested in it . But I feel like, at this point I am already halfway to a new desktop.

Could anyone tell me what this error message might mean and whether in your opinion you would continue to repair it, or let it go? I would appreciate very much any help offered.

I have the T42 2379DXU and it's 3 1/2 yo.

Thanks,
Sand

[rkawakami]

If your system does start normally most of the time and seemingly randomly throws the "OS not found" message, then I would say your hard drive is starting to go out. The "OS" refers to the Windows operating system and not just Internet Explorer or Firefox (which are just web browsers).

The laptop is having trouble reading some of the data from the disk drive. When it can't it displays that "not found" error message. Depending upon exactly what test failed in PC Doctor, this could confirm that the disk drive is having problems.

Forgive me for being blunt, but don't go back to the technician who charged you $300 to simply re-install IE if that's all he really did. IE is a free download. And it wouldn't be a source of the error message. On the other hand, if the tech thought your operating system was damaged and completely reinstalled it from a new copy of Windows, then even that's kind of pricey. Replacing the backlight for $200 is a little bit high but it is a delicate operation to do. Even if they ended up taking the easy way out and swapped out your entire LCD panel with another one, the cost for the replacement panel and labor is probably about right.

You can determine if your disk drive is starting to go by running just the Fixed Disk diagnostic in PC Doctor. If you are not already using the DOS version, then you can get the program from here:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-56222 (bootable CD image)

You will need a program that is capable of burning the .ISO image file onto a blank CD. If you are running PC Doctor directly from Windows then that is okay, but you would first have to get the disk drive to boot Windows (sort of a chicken-and-the-egg proposition). Using the DOS version of PC Doctor does not require Windows at all.

At this point with as much money you have invested in the system, I'd opt for doing some testing to see if the disk drive fails PC Doctor. There is other free software that you can use to diagnose the disk drive but some of them will only work on specific drives. The next time you get to the Windows desktop, double-click the "My Computer" icon, then right-click the (C: ) drive and choose "Properties". Then click the "Hardware" tab and note what information is given for "Disk drives". Post back here with the disk drive make and model and we might be able to point you to a program.

[iraqigeek]

"Sand"]Every so often I get a black screen with white text saying, "OS cannot be found" and I cannot do anything other than shut it down. Isn't the OS Internet Explorer or Firefox? I have both but use Firefox mostly.

No, the OS (Operating System) is Windows. Have you tried to reset when this message shows (ctrl-alt-del)???

I recently had a technician re-install IE for 300.00. Then the backlight went out but this tech said he didn't do hardware, so I took it to an electronic store and they replaced the lamp for 200.00 . I asked him at the time if the hard drive was good and he said it was.

I think you mean reinstall windows??? Either way, $300 sounds awfully a lot to me. You could've sent it to IBM and most probably it would've cost you less. To me it looks like this guy ripped you off.

Since then I used PC Doctor to check the hard drive and it failed the long 2-3 hour test. Could this be the hard drive causing this error message?

What failed in that test? did it give you a report? what did the report say?

I really don't know if I should put any more money into this as I don't know if it is going to be a matter of one thing after another going now. But I also hesitate to not keep trying to save it as that would be like throwing away the 500.00 I've already invested in it . But I feel like, at this point I am already halfway to a new desktop.

For that money you could have gotten a very clean, albiet still used, T4x off ebay.

Could anyone tell me what this error message might mean and whether in your opinion you would continue to repair it, or let it go? I would appreciate very much any help offered.

This message means the BIOS (the splash screen that first appears when you turn on your laptop with the Intel centrino logo and what not) cannot find Windows (your Operating System). That splash screen is what loads Windows from your hard disk. If it can't locate your hard drive it will show that message.

First thing you should do, after copying all your data to an external disk, or backing it up on CDs/DVDs. After that, is to get an honest guy to try to write a fresh MBR (just tell the tech those three letters, and he should know what to do).

Mind you, if you need to reinstall windows, in my personal experience you should use an IBM install CD. I once tried a retail version CD I have and it not only refused to accept the product key, but also refused to boot into Windows after installation finished no matter what I did.

At this stage, if I were you, I'd rather get myself another laptop rather than keep paying technicians to try to fix it. Just my two cents...

[Cyberstudio]

300 just to install Internet Explorer????
You can get another T40 with less.

200 just to replace the lamp??? You can get a new screen in ebay with 100.

Are you talking about US Dollars??

[Sand]

Sorry I'm just getting back to the replies but I didn't know any were here until I came back to correct something I said and saw them. I checked off 'Notify me when a reply is posted' but I didn't receive any notice even though I was anxiously awaiting one.

I remembered later that the OS meant WinXP, not the browser, sorry.

Now I'm really confused about what he did install. I thought it was IE but maybe it was Windows. I had no CD from IBM to give him so I don't know for sure what he installed because he took it home with him for 4 days the second time. The first visit he worked on software and thought it might have fixed the problem, (which at that time was not the OS problem but just things not working right) that he said was software. But when what he did didn't work out he said he would have to reinstall what ever it was he reinstalled and admitted he should have done it the first time. I think now it was WinXP because he asked me for a CD which I couldn't find at the time.
It is still not working right, but the 'OS not found' error msg started after that. Whatever he did my computer is not the same, especially OE.It is not working as well and other things seem to change daily. It seems to be a different computer in little ways every day. Things either appear or disappear or change. But I'm more disappointed with the way OE declined.

But concerning the hard drive, ctrl-alt-del does not respond. Nothing from the keyboard affects it. I just have to power off and then it boots up okay.

I didn't know I could send it to IBM once the warranty ran out. I did call them about this before I called the technician and he told me that it was the 'interface', to back up everything and reinstall Windows but I don't know how to do those things. I've tried but couldn't. I called some people and asked if they could back up my hard drive for me but they all said it would cost hundreds of dollars.

When I go to My Computer>Hardware it says 'this device is working properly' even though PC Doctor said it failed the long test.The last tech also told me the hard drive was okay. Maybe he just read this same message I got in My Computer. As far as the report from PC Doctor, I really didn't see any explanation that I understood, (no words) but I could try it again if you think it would help, or use the web site you sent.

As far as make & model I don't know if this is what you mean but there is HTS726060M9AT00 under Manufacturer/Standard Disk Drive. Under Driver Version is 5.1.2535.0 Microsoft. Under Volumes, nothing is listed after the words listed there.

I saw a feature there called Backup; is that where I would back up the Hard Drive files? I am very worried about losing all my files & folders as I do a lot of research and there is several years worth. This already happened to me on another computer and I hope it will not happen again (losing everything).

The message I feel that I'm getting from most here is to not put more money into this but I'm wondering if it would be feasible to just assume that it is the hard drive and put a new one in? Would that be too expensive if it saved the TP? I don't know what a hard drive costs.

But to explore the other scenario of just using it til it dies, what do you do with old laptops? I couldn't make myself just toss it or give it to the Goodwill. Is there a place that might purchase it for parts and maybe I could redeem some of the bad money I've already lost (Ebay)?

I really appreciate everyone's feedback and suggestions.
Thanks,
Sand