How do I replace my dying HDD's with the OS?

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teamdaddy · #1 Post by **teamdaddy** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:15 pm

Hi Folks. My hard drive has gone south (or maybe it's north) on me. I've got to replace it, but I have a problem. I do not have recovery disk or nything like that. The software and other personal files/information on the computer is not essential. I haven't had the computer that long so I didn't have that much in the way of personal files that are essential to have. I do use my laptop quite a lot in my job at the highschool where I work. Mostly powerpoint class presentations, etc.
The question is without the recovery disk, how do I proceed to get my computer up and working again. Or maybe I should ask "can" I get it up and working again. I can order a new hard drive, but I don't know what to do about the recovery disk. Can any of you please guide me through what I would need to do to fix this thing. Thanks so much for your help.
BTW, I forgot to mention, the hard drive will not allow me to start the computer most of the time. I keep getting the blue screen. Sometimes, however, it will crank up, but I can't download anything on it.

#2 Post by **Kyocera** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:23 pm

If you are still under warranty, call tech support tell them what happened, they will send you a new HD and a set of recovery CD's. If you ask they might even overnight it. You will have to send back your bad drive within thirty days.

Insert new HD, boot to recovery CD and follow the process to create a new image on your new HD. One thing I am not sure of is if they also would send a drive with the image already installed.

Good luck, it really is a fairly simple process.

teamdaddy · #3 Post by **teamdaddy** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:26 pm

No warranty on it. I bought it used from Tiger and (like an idiot) didn't buy the extended warranty. Will IBM sell me a set of recovery disks?

teamdaddy · #4 Post by **teamdaddy** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:57 pm

Update: I just spoke with IBM tech support on the phone a few minutes ago. He looked up my machine and told me they no longer have the recovery disks for my machine. With this in mind, where do I go and what do I do from here?
P.S. Anybody got recovery CD's for my machine that they would be willing to part with?

DIGITALgimpus · #5 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 7:14 pm

If nobody has recovery CD's for you, here would be my approach:

Get an OEM verison of windows xp (newegg.com), they are cheaper, and don't come with the fancy box. You'll still need to download any IBM goodies you may want from the ibm website, but you'll at least have windows.

As far as the HD itself, you can buy that anywhere, I personally like newegg for that too (though haven't looked at their 2.5 inch selection recently).

#6 Post by **Kyocera** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 7:27 pm

They told you they no longer have the R&R CD's? I would probably try calling again, most likely you'll get another tech and tell them you need a set of CD's, just to make sure you got good info.

Digitalgimpus has a pretty good idea there.

teamdaddy · #7 Post by **teamdaddy** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:09 pm

Get this. Last night I couldn't even boot up the computer. A few minutes ago, I turned it on and it came right on. There is still a little noise in the hard drive, but nothing like I was hearing yesterday. I immediately went to IBM's web site and downloaded their Drive Fitness Test software. I ran the quick test and it came back with a 0X00 code which means nothing is wrong. I am now in the process of running the advanced test, but that's going to take a little while. If it ain't the hard drive, I wonder what the heck is going on?

#8 Post by **Kyocera** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:31 pm

If you can get the thing running for a while maybe burn yourself a set of R&R CD's.

DIGITALgimpus · #9 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:38 pm

I had that with my A31. Could be some bad RAM, or a bad IDE controller on the system board.

teamdaddy · #10 Post by **teamdaddy** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:41 pm

Well it didn't get through the advanced test before it went [censored] up on me again. I'm going to shut it down and try again tomorrow. When you say R&R cd's, exactly what files should I burn to get by with (provided it'll crank up again)? Also, can any of you recommend a good hard drive. I was looking a the Hitachi 7K100, but it's rather expensive. Any other suggestions? Thanks

#11 Post by **Kyocera** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:55 pm

Start>All Programs>Acess IBM>Create Recovery discs/create rescue media.

GACrabill · #12 Post by **GACrabill** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:57 pm

teamdaddy wrote:I was looking a the Hitachi 7K100, but it's rather expensive. Any other suggestions?

I like the Hitachi 5K100. Very quiet and good performance. Search this forum for "5K100" to get other opinions.

#13 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 1:17 am

is this the thinkpad you are having trouble with: ThinkPad T23 2647-4MU from your sig line..!

if so i probably have a set of recovery CD's..

but you need to be sure it IS the HDD and not something else..
like a bad socket or bad memory..

teamdaddy · #14 Post by **teamdaddy** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 2:09 am

Bill, yes it is the one in my signature line, and to be honest, I'm shooting from the hip. I don't know enough technically about the computer to know for sure whether or not it is the hard drive. The memory that's in it was working fine up until yesterday when I turned on the computer. I pulled one of the memory sticks out and tried it again, but it didn't make any difference. As for plugs, I don't have a clue what plug you're talking about. What I do know is that sometimes the computer will crank up and work fine like it did tonight, but after it runs for a while, the HDD will start making a heck of a racket. I mean you can hear it across the room. It's a grinding noise that definitely hasn't been there before. When it starts making this noise, the computer will quit working, lock up and I have to push and hold the power switch to turn it off. If I try to reboot it back up, it usually will just show a blue screen, or I get a message saying it can't find the drive or some words to that effect, or the screen will just stay black. If I let it sit for a day or two, it seems to crank up and run fine for a little while, and then the whole process starts over again.
I'm going to purchase another hard drive and give it a try. I don't know if this tells you anything, but it's the best I can tell you with my limited knowledge.

#15 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 2:23 am

plug = HDD plug.. inside the drive bay..
sounds like it IS the HDD crashing..
you will need a new HDD and then you can restore the system..

teamdaddy · #16 Post by **teamdaddy** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 2:40 am

I actually removed the HDD (watched the IBM movie clip) and replace it just to see if that made a difference, but no cigar. Could you please check and see if you have the recovery disk and let me know if you do and how much you want for them. In the mean time, I'm going to order up a new HDD. I wish I could just order up a new ThinkPad, but I'm putting all of my extra money into my gas tank for now.

Thanks much.

How do I replace my dying HDD's with the OS?

How do I replace my dying HDD's with the OS?

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