Check ur BIOS first. It may not be HDD issue. If BIOS is ok, U may get free Linux OS (Knoppix, etc..) which runs directly from CD. You dont need to install them on HDD. Start your machine using linux and try to access your HDD. If success, copy all your data to external HDD.
Shahnaz. --- On Thu, 3/9/09, homeworker9992 <[email protected]> wrote: From: homeworker9992 <[email protected]> Subject: [tech4all] Desperate To Get MY Hard Drive Back To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, 3 September, 2009, 7:58 AM So my HP Pavilion 760n ( I know it is old but it is all I got until I can find an a suitable laptop alternative) running windows xp sp3 with a Seagate 7200.10 320 gb hard drive that suddenly won't boot up...and I have been researching why online the last few days and am bending towards the problem being the Seagate hard drive failing, although I am not expert so correct me if you think I am wrong in my thinking. And so, since I always exhaust all "do it yourself" options before moving to the "pay someone else to do it for you" options, I want to ask if using a program such as a data recovery tool, like Pandora Recovery or Data Recovery would be a next step for me? My system will not boot up, I get a black screen with a blinking dash at the bottom of the screen and that is all. I have already tried, uninstalling and re-installing the hard drive and memory, I do not have a copy of my windows os cd's because I bought it as a floor model and the guy at Best Buy said there were none. If there is another, better, easier, safer (so I won't lose all my data) means by which to get my system to boot into the operating system so I can access the data on my hard drive, please feel free to share this information with me...I am desperate to get back onto my system and access my data! Thanks so much, Dar P.S. as a gesture of grateful appreciation, I will gladly offer my pesonal consulting/advising /mentoring/ coaching services freely to whomever can assist me with successfully getting back into my system. :~Dar Get your new Email address! Grab the Email name you've always wanted before someone else does! http://mail.promotions.yahoo.com/newdomains/aa/
