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TheGirlNextDoor
Joined: 08 Jul 2004
Posts: 22608
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| Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:52 pm Post subject: Harddrive not detected? |
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I got a black screen earlier with a 'message' that Harddrive (or disk, can't remember exactly what it said, sorry) could not be found? Then it gave me the option of running setup utility or pressing F1 to continue. :? When I pressed F1 to continue, it gave me the same error message. I restarted the computer, ran the setup utility (which didn't do a damn thing as I hadn't changed anything in there before anyway) and then escaped out. I ran through this a few times and then finally when I hit F1 to continue, it recognized my harddrive and ran everything normally.
Is my harddrive about to blow up or what's the deal? Any ideas/suggestions? |
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cap'n queasy
Joined: 15 May 2004
Posts: 34968
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| Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Better back up that data just to be sure. |
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Pzatchok
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 6659
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| Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds exactly like a dying BIOS battery.
Did you have the computer turned off totally for a few hours just before this happened?
Restarting it and trying few things gave it just enough juice to remember the hard drive one last time.
If you leave it off all night and it does the same thing I would check that first.
Otherwise it could be a tanking hard drive. Save the real important stuff now to another drive or CD just in case. |
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TheGirlNextDoor
Joined: 08 Jul 2004
Posts: 22608
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| Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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Pzatchok wrote: Sounds exactly like a dying BIOS battery.
Did you have the computer turned off totally for a few hours just before this happened?
Restarting it and trying few things gave it just enough juice to remember the hard drive one last time.
If you leave it off all night and it does the same thing I would check that first.
Otherwise it could be a tanking hard drive. Save the real important stuff now to another drive or CD just in case.
How do I find out if it's the BIOS battery and if it is.. can that be replaced or....?
It had been on standby for awhile earlier this evening and when I woke it up, that's when that message came up.
I hope it's not my drive getting ready to fry. That'd make this the THIRD time I've had to replace a g.d. harddrive. :evil: |
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FCTE
Joined: 11 Mar 2004
Posts: 18697
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Pzatchok wrote: Sounds exactly like a dying BIOS battery. |
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TheGirlNextDoor
Joined: 08 Jul 2004
Posts: 22608
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| Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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So again I repeat....
Is that something I can fix and if so, HOW? |
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FCTE
Joined: 11 Mar 2004
Posts: 18697
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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TheGirlNextDoor wrote: So again I repeat....
Is that something I can fix and if so, HOW?
Yeah, you can get a replacement battery and put it in yourself. We'll walk you through it.
You need to open up your case and look at the model printed on the board, from there you can google a battery replacement. |
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Kt
Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 3806
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| Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Run a SMART test on the drive to be sure. |
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FCTE
Joined: 11 Mar 2004
Posts: 18697
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:00 am Post subject: |
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| Better yet, it's a Dell, so just give them a buzz and tell them your "service tag" and they'll have the battery. No need to open the case.............until you get the battery. |
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cap'n queasy
Joined: 15 May 2004
Posts: 34968
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:03 am Post subject: |
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Pzatchok wrote: Sounds exactly like a dying BIOS battery.
Did you have the computer turned off totally for a few hours just before this happened?
Restarting it and trying few things gave it just enough juice to remember the hard drive one last time.
If you leave it off all night and it does the same thing I would check that first.
Otherwise it could be a tanking hard drive. Save the real important stuff now to another drive or CD just in case.
You mean the CMOS battery? Could be. They last about 5-7 years, is the machine this old? |
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FCTE
Joined: 11 Mar 2004
Posts: 18697
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:05 am Post subject: |
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cap'n queasy wrote: You mean the CMOS battery? Could be. They last about 5-7 years, is the machine this old?
Yeah right, we order these things left and right for our machines at my company. You test them and only 10 out of 15 are any good and out of those ten only 5 have a full charge. 7 years my ass. :lol: |
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Pzatchok
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 6659
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:29 am Post subject: |
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Yes the CMOS battery. I mix that stuff up but most people can see theres only one battery on a motherboard. It's my little mistake.
If you can, run a hard drive test just to make sure its not that.
After that yes you can change a bettery.
Normally they are quarter sized and shaped shinny things on a mother board. Held in by a small clip.
Make sure the system is fully unpowered before opening the case. Unplug it if need be.
Using a perminent marker mark the side of the battery facing away from the mother board(mark the side you can see) just for future reference.
Fiddle with the retaining clip gently untill the battery pops out.
Take it to a local electronics store (radioshack or something like it).
Buy the replacement and install it just like the old one.
Restart the system and see what happens.
Stupid Dell may have a proprietary battery type though. So don't be suprised if it doesn't look like I discribed. If it doesn't come out easy find some local help or call Dell.
Jump in with any other pointers guys. |
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Kt
Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 3806
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:30 am Post subject: |
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FCTE wrote: Better yet, it's a Dell, so just give them a buzz and tell them your "service tag" and they'll have the battery. No need to open the case.............until you get the battery.
hmm he's right, putting in a simple industry standard battery might cause the computer to blow up and the motherbored to catch on fire. |
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Pzatchok
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 6659
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:37 am Post subject: |
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I don't think a little over three volts will catch it on fire. But if its off a bit it might tank it.
As with anything always double check. |
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FCTE
Joined: 11 Mar 2004
Posts: 18697
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:38 am Post subject: |
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Helena` wrote: putting in a simple industry standard battery might cause the computer to blow up and the motherbored to catch on fire.
That would make her night exciting and eventful. :lol: |
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FCTE
Joined: 11 Mar 2004
Posts: 18697
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:40 am Post subject: |
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| Usually hard drive death is accompanied by a whinning high pitched squeal for a couple days and read errors unlike the ones she described. |
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Kt
Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 3806
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:41 am Post subject: |
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FCTE wrote: Helena` wrote: putting in a simple industry standard battery might cause the computer to blow up and the motherbored to catch on fire.
That would make her night exciting and eventful. :lol:
Ever see a standard power supply plugged into a dell motherbored?
also exciting and eventful. |
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FCTE
Joined: 11 Mar 2004
Posts: 18697
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:42 am Post subject: |
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Helena` wrote: Ever see a standard power supply plugged into a dell motherbored?
also exciting and eventful.
I avoid Dells like the plague, so no. :) |
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Kt
Joined: 23 Jan 2006
Posts: 3806
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:47 am Post subject: |
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FCTE wrote: Helena` wrote: Ever see a standard power supply plugged into a dell motherbored?
also exciting and eventful.
I avoid Dells like the plague, so no. :)
As do I, but customers do not. |
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The Grandmaster
Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 12400
Location: West Lafayette, IN
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| Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 2:16 am Post subject: |
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Helena` wrote: FCTE wrote: Helena` wrote: Ever see a standard power supply plugged into a dell motherbored?
also exciting and eventful.
I avoid Dells like the plague, so no. :)
As do I, but customers do not.
Dell = s*cks
Self Built Computer from Mwave/Newegg Components = Awesome, Proper computer. |
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