Corrupted Files, Bad HDD/Bad Connection or Both?

Question

I have a friend's laptop that she gave me to fix. She told me that the hal.dll file was corrupted and needed a boot disk to fix it (just the recovery console with XP really...). So as I get into it, it seems that the HDD doesn't exist on the laptop, as the recovery console was not able to find the HDD with Windows on it. As a matter of fact it's not able to find any hard drive at all.

I cannot boot into any Windows XP mode (safe, command, etc.) because of this hal.dll file being corrupted or missing as the error message says. So I go into the Setup screen on the laptop and I'm able to run a diagnostic tool on the HDD. Apparently the diagnostic tool thinks there is a HDD in the laptop as I was able to run the diagnostic tool successfully without errors.

I tried loading an OS to an external HDD and trying to boot the external HDD but that didn't work for different reasons. I put a different HDD on the laptop and it loaded the OS on that HDD fine, but the other laptop didn't load the OS on the HDD in question (in other words, I swapped the HDDs). I got the same error when I tried swapping the HDDs.

I haven't tried putting the HDD in question to a docking station to connect to a stable PC, but I also don't have a docking station either. What do you guys think? Pitch the HDD and get a new one? Or should I invest in a docking station as they are useful anyhow?

Answer 1

Your tests show that the HDD is bad. Get a replacement, load the OS and you are good to go.

Answer 2

If you need to get data off of it, try imaging the drive with BootMed (just google it). It is an ubuntu live cd that comes with recovery tutorials. After you image the drive you can access the data in windows. I have done it a couple of times with drives with corrupted sectors and have been able to recover my files.

Answer 3

it truly is a important ADSL connection. something over 5 or 6 Mb/s is nice for get carry of you're in no way going to get greater suitable than sixteen devoid of going to Fibre. so 12 out of sixteen is amazingly the max you may assume except you're next to the replace itself. considering boradband ADSL speeds began at 0.5 no longer even 5 Mb/s, having 12 is nice. back the theortical max is a million Mb/s up and you have 0.8 (or 80%) of that. PLUS upload is not any the place close to as significant, except you're importing video clips. back, fibre if available (and quite some places nonetheless can not get it, regularly single roads regardless of if the encircling ones can). you're advantageous.