Got hit by a car...

as I was walking and my laptop was in my back pack. Now, it won't boot. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. The first thing that do happen on the screen I get the message "scanning and fixing your C drive" or something like that. After some time , it freeze at 29 % or 5 % or 39 or 40. Once I got it to go right through and I did get message Windows didn't start properly so restart it. I did and it was fixed but...it did last just a few seconds, it died. I guess the hard drive has been hit badly. This laptop is a HP with Windows 8.1 . I got another hard drive from my x laptop that was running Windows 7. Could I swap the hard drives to fix this? Also. I have a had drive enclosure. Could I use that to retrieve my stuff from the HP Windows 8.1 laptop? Thanks!

 

You most likely need to reinstall Windows if your laptop came with Windows 8.1, I guess it doesn't have a license for Windows 7.

Maybe consider buying an SSD, if you have to reinstall anyway? It is usually a great upgrade, and SSD's are definitely more shock proof.

There are no guarantees for the data on your broken HDD, but the more you try to use it, it harder it might get to retrieve the data. Just let it be until you have a new disk for your laptop with Windows installed, then try to move files with your enclosure.

 

Thanks! I did buy that laptop used about a year ago so I have nothing to re-install Windows 8.1 on it. Could getting Linux be a fix...but how can you Linux if you can't boot the laptop?

 

First of all, what OS do you want to run? Linux, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10? All you need is a 4 GB or larger USB drive with the OS, then you install the OS on the HDD.

 

Or do you mean that your laptop doesn't start at all? No HP logo on the display, no fan spinning?

 

I think HDD's head has crashed/scratched some surface of platter corrupting nearby good areas. I'd ask you to salvage any important data and buy a new HDD/SSD and get the laptop up and running.

 

What about the idea to swap the HDD from my X laptop that was running Windows 7. Will this work, would my Windows 8.1 laptop work by getting a Windows 7 HDD. If that doesn't work, could I upload Linux on Windows 7 HDD now in the HP laptop. This is an old machine ( 4 years old) and I don't want to put much money in it. The DVD drive is dead the wireless network adapter is not working ( I have a WiFi dungle) the battery is extremely weak.

 

Sometimes, the HP logo appears sometimes it doesn't. When it does, the next thing I see on the screen is something like "scanning and fixing your C drive". After that, it usually freeze in the fixing process.

 

According to this post, I could install my Widows 7 HDD in my hard drive enclosure and then connect it via USB to my Windows 8 laptop and I could be good to go...right? or is it that this will only allow me to see what files are on that drive but I would never be able to start up Windows 7 from that hard drive?
https://askleo.com/can_i_move_my_old_computers_hard_drive_to_my_new_computer/

Well...I guess this was a stupid question...if the Windows 8.1 laptop doen't work plugging anything in the USB port won't allow you to see anything and even worst to start anything from it.

 

I've already answered that. You install the W7 HDD, format it, installl W8.1 operating system, then you connect your broken HDD with the USB enclosure.
Optionally you can also upgrade to W10 later.

Your Windows 7 HDD doesn't have a license for your laptop, that's why you have to install W8.1, which your laptop was sold with.

 

Unless I'm wrong. you can't install it without having that installation CD...I don't have it and worst, the DVD drive doesn't even work. Prior, you wrote just install Windows 8.1 on a USB stick...how do you get a Windows 8.1 installation on a USB stick???

 

I now have Windows 8.1 on a USB stick. Got it from here:
https://www.groovypost.com/howto/install-windows-81-easy-way/

 

What's the model number of your laptop? My laptop is an HP Elitebook 840, but the specific model number for my configuration is H9W20EA.
If you can find your number/code, we can google it and see what kind of specifications it has, but if you already know the CPU type and the amount of installed RAM you can just tell me that instead.

Did you choose 32 or 64 bit version of the Windows installer?

I'm asking about the laptop because you made it sound like it's too old for being any good. I disagree, it all depends on what specifications it got, maybe it just needs some fixing. It could be good to know before continuing.

 

I did choose 64 bits since I know it is a 64 bits system. It's a HP Notebook-15-r150sa (ENERGY STAR). Yesterday, I did remove the HDD from the laptop and did install the Windows 7 HDD in the Windows 8.1 laptop. I did switch it on and ( I was expecting to get a place to click to format it) all I got was: boot device not found please install an operating system on your hard drive. I guess the formatting has to be done elsewhere on another computer before you install the HHD in the laptop? Then it was written you could press F2 to do some test( that is HP test) . I did pass the smart check test but did fail the short DST. I also did fail the memory test. So, I did check the Windows 8.1 HDD in my HDD enclosure and I can get access to all my pictures. Next, I was to remove the Windows 7HDD from the laptop and format it in my enclosure and then put it back in the laptop and try to upload Windows 8.1 that I now have on USB stick. I think I read that the one I did download yesterday is only good for 24 hrs so I may have to download it again? Now, this morning, I did start having the same problem I had with the Windows 8.1 in the laptop. Sometimes it boots, sometimes it doesn'.t Sometimes the little red LED goes on but the screen stay black. Sometimes it starts ( the LED goes on) and then it stops (the LED goes dark) Sometimes the LED goes on and the white LED form the "caps lock" comes on and off and on. So, will have to check something else.

 

Problem solve. The connector just after the power source switch was loose. Now the Windows 8.1 works as it should. Thanks SL2 !

 

Seems the website I went to download Widows 8.1 on my USB stick is just a scam or kind of a malware. Can't get rid of it on my laptop...it won't delete...unless you change its name.

 

How is that even possible.. the link is directly from MS.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/15088/windows-10-create-installation-media

It could be that you don't have the permission to delete it, that doesn't make it a malware.
Try using takeown and icacls before deleting.

https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/take-ownership-of-file-or-folder/

 

It's an old trick from hackers to build pages extremely similar to the real legit thing so...you never know. I just had to change its name to " junk " then I was able to delete it.

 

So you're actually suggesting that my link, that comes from your link, is not legit??? I don't believe that for a second.

Have you even looked at the URL?

 

I'm not suggesting anything. Thanks for the help and have a good day!