anybody a pc expert?

[glosterseagul]

Primary hard disk drive not found

fixed optical drive not found

no bootable devices--strike f1 to retry boot, f2 for setup utility



Dell Inspiron 8200....(not) running xp pro

 

[Beach Hut]

Not a great expert but sounds like a rebuild

Have you tried F8 when you boot up and going in via safe mode ?

 

[beorhthelm]

What happens when you hit F1, does it boot anyway? If you go into the 'setup utiliy' does it show the drives as present (something like Primary Hard Drive and Modular Bay)? if you put a bootable (ie XP install disk) in the CDROM dose it read it and start up?

If not then it sounds like the IDE cable/controller is knackered, given that both devices are not found. doubtful a rebuild will be needed (this is pre-OS loading), but a Dell engineer fix. that'll be fun.

 

[The Great Cornholio]

Primary hard disk drive not found

fixed optical drive not found

no bootable devices--strike f1 to retry boot, f2 for setup utility



Dell Inspiron 8200....(not) running xp pro

It could be that your CMOS battery has run flat - as suggested, press whatever key takes you into setup (F1, Del etc) and set the Primary Master and Slave and Secondary Master and Slave to Auto Detect and reboot.

Difficult to diagnose without seeing it but that is one option.

 

[glosterseagul]

When I hit F1 it gives out a short screach then repeats "no bootabledevices--etc"
hit F2

Primary hard drive: None

insert the xp system cd - nothing!

 

[Dave the OAP]

Get yourself a disaster recovery contract with us, pay over lots of money and we will restore your backups onto our machines and give you lots of machines with your stuff on it, including internet access, and you can then use our machines whilst you get your PC fixed.

Voila


That is in essance what we do!

We recon the CD and HD are both set to Master instead of Master slave. Unplug the CD ROM and then reboot it. See if it sees the Hard Disk. If it does, then that is your problem. Check the cable coming out of the back of the HD and the CD Rom make sute they haven't come out at all.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Get yourself a disaster recovery contract with us, pay over lots of money and we will restore your backups onto our machines and give you lots of machines with your stuff on it, including internet access, and you can then use our machines whilst you get your PC fixed.

Voila


That is in essance what we do!

We recon the CD and HD are both set to Master instead of Master slave. Unplug the CD ROM and then reboot it. See if it sees the Hard Disk. If it does, then that is your problem. Check the cable coming out of the back of the HD and the CD Rom make sute they haven't come out at all.

I think Inspiron's are laptops aren't they? If so, if you haven't f***ed about with the bios, chances are the hard drive is not properly connected or toast.

 

[looney]

anybody a pc expert?

yea, tell me what word you find offensive and I'll provide you with an alternative.

 

[king Wombat]

did this just start happening? or did you install new software/hardware?

 

[glosterseagul]

I think Inspiron's are laptops aren't they? If so, if you haven't f***ed about with the bios, chances are the hard drive is toast.

its just loaded from the cd.

which one?
to set up windows xp press enter
to repair xp installation using recovery console, press r

to quit set up without installing windows xp

R looks facourite.

I changed something in set up from minimal to max

 

[glosterseagul]

Microsoft Windows XP(TM) Recovery Console.

The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionaity.

Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

C:\>

after the > is a solid square. not flashing

Is it doing something? Should I wait......
How long is a piece of string?

 

[glosterseagul]

did this just start happening? or did you install new software/hardware?

It just started ... or should I say just stopped starting!

 

[beorhthelm]

If there's nothing happening at the C:>, no responce at all to any keypress, then its most likly the HD is shagged. Try reinstalling XP (if youve got no data to loose) and if that doesnt work get onto dell for a new HD or buy a new one (about £60-70 ?? havnet bought a laptop hd for a long time)

 

[Cian]

err, the XP recovery console will do NOTHING for you if you HDD is not attached right (which is what that error is). Believe me, I've got a house full of Dell laptops. I'm even using one I built of of two damaged ones (and some IBM parts too) ATM.

I've never worked on the Inspiron 8200 chassis but I guess to remove and reseat the HDD you do the usual - remove one or two screws, slide it out and wham is back in again

Then, if the HDD is in good condition still, XP will boot. If not, the HDD is damaged.

Just give up on recovery console et al, you've got a hardware issue

 

[Cian]

Also, when you've got the HDD out. look at the maker name. If its IBM or Hitachi and it doesn't work when you put it back in, its the disk. If its Fujistu (Dells normal supplier), it could easily be the BIOS

 

[beorhthelm]

all true MYOB, but you try telling that to the Dell call center drone. Unless you say you've done xyz twice and still get the error, they'll just get you to go through their check list... and thats with business so called 'gold' support, god knows what its like for home users.

On that note, when asked tell them you have no access to the internet or a floppy drive, or they'll try to get you to download and run the HD diagnostic tool that will say that, yes it really is shagged.

 

[Cian]

Thats why I never, ever, ever phone Dell the services manuals are on the website, and with those, a good set of screwdrivers and somewhere flat, and a selection of components (which I have endless quantities of for Latitude C-series machines), you can fix pretty much anything

Except destroyed power circuits, unfortunately. Which is what a lot of mine have got.

Also, the HDD diag tool that a lot of those companies use is crap. By the time my Omnibook told me the disk was about to go, I'd already heard it myself, backed up all the data, and got the S.M.A.R.T. error on bootup. However, HP wouldn't replace the disk without the diag tool getting it....

 

[Tazman]

I had a similar problem a few months back...make sure your ribbon lead from HDD is securely in to the MotherBoard and HDD....failing that, replace it....

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Have you tried switching it off and on again?

 

[glosterseagul]

Have you tried switching it off and on again?

Yer thanks Tom.

Phew what a day! Thanks for your help guys.

I gave the laptop to a pc guy. he ran diagnostics and said the hard drive is F...broken he said a new hard drive was around £70-£80 (Iknew that from on here - Ta q)

He said "ms dos data recovery blah blah" I nodded and went to leave.

I said "A mac engineer once told me as a last resort gently tap the hard drive on a hard surface!" I asked if this was a good idea. "No!" he said giggling

So I took the laptop home after spending most of the day messing with it. Took it into the kitchen smacked the thing on the kitchen table ...........and it started up.

I am now copying all the files not backed up on to cd.

We've visited this before; but as a Mac user I hate PC's. Sure mainley cos I havn't a clue about them. If the problem was on a mac I would insert a system cd in the drive restart the 'puter and hold down the "c" key this would force it to start up from the cd. I can then search for the HD. I have been using Macs for over 18 years I have never paid for support - I havn't needed to! They seem to think for me and they just seem logical.


One last question.....