Related:
- True or false : if the system shows an error message: "no timer tick interrupt" it could be a faulty motherboard.
- Voice message downloader - Guide
- Network error occurred - Guide
- Insert a tick in word - Guide
- Cmos checksum error - Guide
- Post error the system time is invalid ✓ - CPU & Desktop Forum
2 responses
xpcman
Posts
19530
Registration date
Wednesday October 8, 2008
Status
Contributor
Last seen
June 15, 2019
1,826
Sep 22, 2009 at 02:08 PM
Sep 22, 2009 at 02:08 PM
If you ran the Dell diagnostics and it found a hard disk error - I would trust Dell. The problem with getting a hard disk from Dell is that it will not come with Windows installed. I hope you ordered the laptop with the optional Windows disk. You might be able to beat that price at a local repair shop and they might be able to use their OEM copy of Windows and your COA serial number to install Windows.
If you have a standard 2.5 inch laptop drive you can try purchasing a external drive adapter (cost under $25). You plug the OLD drive into the external adapter and connect the USB cable to your computer. Some small Dell laptops (like my D420) use a 1.8 inch drive (same as the Ipod). I haven't found a external adapter that works with 1.8 inch drives.
The problem is that drives are sensitive to SHOCK. If the computer was operating when it fell the read/write heads will have bounced off the disk surface. The PC may continue to work until it needs to read or write data to the disk. If the damage was to the I/O heads you can't recover any data. If the damage was to a critical Windows file, on the disk surface, then you should be able to recover most of your data. My guess is that you will not be able to recover anything.
Good Luck
If you have a standard 2.5 inch laptop drive you can try purchasing a external drive adapter (cost under $25). You plug the OLD drive into the external adapter and connect the USB cable to your computer. Some small Dell laptops (like my D420) use a 1.8 inch drive (same as the Ipod). I haven't found a external adapter that works with 1.8 inch drives.
The problem is that drives are sensitive to SHOCK. If the computer was operating when it fell the read/write heads will have bounced off the disk surface. The PC may continue to work until it needs to read or write data to the disk. If the damage was to the I/O heads you can't recover any data. If the damage was to a critical Windows file, on the disk surface, then you should be able to recover most of your data. My guess is that you will not be able to recover anything.
Good Luck
