Laptop HDD replacement

[balloonshark]

I've been working on my niece's laptop and was able to backup her data using a Ubuntu live cd. I can't restore her system via the hidden partition or restore dvd's. Now I can't get Ubuntu to recognize the drive to attempt an install on it as a test. Everything else seems to work when running the live cd. I also got errors when running the Hitachi drive fitness test cd.

The laptop is a Toshiba Satellite L655D-S5093. Model number PSK2LU-02700C.
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/...5093&selCategory=2756709&selFamily=1073768663

This HDD is on sale this weekend at NewEgg for $50 with promo code EMCYTZT1471.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...8%20HN-M320MBB

non-redirected link. Change the hxxp to http. hxxp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152288&Tpk=SAMSUNG%20Spinpoint%20M8%20HN-M320MBB

Here are two pics of the HDD in my niece's laptop. It doesn't have the 4 pins on the left hand side that the NewEgg drive has. Is it the correct type of drive and will the HDD at NewEgg work as a replacement?

 

[Rhoxed]

The pins on the newegg drive seem to be for a jumper (master/slave). I'm 100% sure the drive will work with no problems.

(I NEVER use laptops, so hopefully someone else will chime in)

 

[Charlie98]

It should, the 4 pins are for master/slave jumpers I believe, and not necessary in your laptop.

That Hitachi is not even 2 years old, what's wrong with it?

 

[corkyg]

It should, the 4 pins are for master/slave jumpers I believe, and not necessary in your laptop.

Not possible - it is a SATA drive (SATA 3/5400 rpm) - they do not do M/S. Each SATA drive has a separate channel. Is the drive formatted with an active partition?

Does the laptop take SATA or PATA drives? The pins you describe sound suspiciously like PATA poer pins.

 

[Charlie98]

Not possible - it is a SATA drive (SATA 3/5400 rpm) - they do not do M/S. Each SATA drive has a separate channel. Is the drive formatted with an active partition?

Does the laptop take SATA or PATA drives? The pins you describe sound suspiciously like PATA poer pins.

Well, I thought of that, too... my old PATA laptop drive (I don't have it in front of me...) I think had jumpers, and my daughter's SATA drive does, too (I just pulled it out to check.)

My PATA laptop had an adapter as well, to go into the Dell socket.

 

[balloonshark]

That Hitachi is not even 2 years old, what's wrong with it?

I have no idea. When I first got the laptop it would start to boot and then hang up at the Windows 7 flag if I coaxed it there. I then found out it had important data so I backed it up using Ubuntu. I tried restoring the system using the hidden partition and dvd's but they also hang up and I can hear the HDD making repetitive ticking noises (not loud). Now the laptop won't do anything. It says something about PXE-ROM, gives an error and says no bootable device.

Edit: The Hitachi Fitness test (quick test) is showing corrupted sectors. I'm going to try and erase disk right now.

Check Cable Connection!
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel PXE Rom

Does the laptop take SATA or PATA drives? The pins you describe sound suspiciously like PATA poer pins.

The pics above are of her laptop drive. The vague specs are below.

Storage Drive
• 320GB (5400 RPM); Serial ATA hard disk drive

Will the NewEgg drive work? The sale ends in 4 hours at 3 A.M. EST.

 

[corkyg]

There is a big difference between SATA and PATA laptop drives.

In a laptop, an adapter is not possible - no room!

There are no user settable jumpers on a laptop SATA drive.

What does the drive being replaced look like? What does the label say?

 

[Arcanedeath]

I have no idea. When I first got the laptop it would start to boot and then hang up at the Windows 7 flag if I coaxed it there. I then found out it had important data so I backed it up using Ubuntu. I tried restoring the system using the hidden partition and dvd's but they also hang up and I can hear the HDD making repetitive ticking noises (not loud). Now the laptop won't do anything. It says something about PXE-ROM, gives an error and says no bootable device.

Edit: The Hitachi Fitness test (quick test) is showing corrupted sectors. I'm going to try and erase disk right now.

The pics above are of her laptop drive. The vague specs are below.
Will the NewEgg drive work? The sale ends in 4 hours at 3 A.M. EST.

the drive in you photo is a standard sata 2.5" sata laptop drive with a 9.5mm height the drive you linked from newegg would be a direct compatible replamcent the jumpers on some sata drivers are to force sata 1.5G mode for compability with older drive controlers.

 

[balloonshark]

Thanks for the pic corkyg!

the drive in you photo is a standard sata 2.5" sata laptop drive with a 9.5mm height the drive you linked from newegg would be a direct compatible replamcent the jumpers on some sata drivers are to force sata 1.5G mode for compability with older drive controlers.

Great to hear that the NewEgg drive will work. Thank you!

 

[balloonshark]

Pardon the double post. The erase disk procedure took a long time. After it was finished I popped in a restore disk and it made it to the install options which was a first. It would normally just hang with only the pointer on the screen. It started restoring the system with the first disk while I had the NewEgg disk in my cart. To my amazement it took all 3 disks and Windows updates.

I was assuming that a new install would do a quick format before installing. What was keeping the restore and Ubuntu installs from starting? Was the MBR so screwed up that it wasn't recognizing the HDD? For future reference is there an easier way to fix the drive without erasing everything?