FZ21S HDD Restore....The Hard Way

I just need a quick verification about something. My FZ21S recently bit the dust due to that nVidia error that Sony in all
fairness repaired free of charge when it happened a few weeks back (out of warranty also).

Now very recently my screen overheated causing some damage apprantly this was due to the graphics card again but this time even though they will repair the motherboard free of charge again, they will charge me for the screen....£756!!

I then decided to sell my laptop and it just sold on eBay (as damaged) and now I face the dilemma of cleaning my HDD and setting it back to normal without a screen and more importantly without recovery discs.

I have been told a way around this and an IT technician said it should work, he suggested that I wipe the HDD completley on another machine (using a SATA to USB connector) reinstall Windows Home Premium (I have a legal copy here at home) and send the original FZ21S drivers (that I copied onto disc, they are available on the Sony website) for the recipient to reinstall onto the HDD.

In theory this sounds sensible I would just like to know if this would work in practice or not?

Thanks
Stef

(I know I should have made recovery discs and it is the first thing I will be doing on my S-series when it arrives )

 

That will work, or you can use an external moniter.
Or just buy another HDD and keep the old one.

 

Cheers for that mate , yer I have been outputting it through HDMI all week but that has also ceased to work now, and I don't fnacy buying another 200GB HDD want as much profit as possible.

 

maybe try the VGA out (if it exists on the laptop).
I have a feeling it's not showing up because of a software setting, rather than hardware failure.
Regardless though you can also get a 'Boot and Nuke' disc (google it)
which if i'm correct all you do is hit enter after it boots, then let it sit for 24 hrs before restarting, then blindly install windows (should be easy to find instructions or just look for pics online). Also there is a way to make an "unattended install" cd (again, google it) so you wouldn't have to enter anything afaik

 

Thanks once again, I've read some great things about that "Boot and Nuke" disc....btw it is possible to install windows onto a HD that is connected into a computer by a USB isn't it? (Not to conifdent doing it blind )

Rep to you (even though I don't think it counts for much because I'm a newbie )

 

yea, you can do it off of a usb. does the Z not have a disc drive?
http://www.emergingtechs.com/posts/how-create-windows-vista-unattended-installation-cd/
for unattended install

 

If you sold it as faulty you could have sold it without the drive, I'd have kept the memory too.