Dell Hard Drive Issues

[amiableadder]

Ok so I bought my Dell about 3 months ago from their website. About two months after I bought it the hard drive started crapping out. I get the pxe-e61 "operating system not found" error. (I've been told it could either be the boot order, hard drive, or motherboard).

I called them and told them I want to send it in to replace my hard drive, and they said "Oh its probably just Vista, so we'll help you re-install it." At the time, I didn't know exactly what the problem was so I just went with it and they helped me reinstall Vista, and after about 4 hours they succeeded in installing it, but they didn't install my drivers correctly so I got to do that all on my own (it's not hard, but when you pay for a warranty you shouldn't have to do the work for them).

Well, I started getting the error again the next time I started it up (at this point I knew it couldn't be Vista unless I got a bad disk, which isn't likely).

So I did a little experiment and installed Ubuntu this time (deleted Vista completely so that it would rule out the buggy Vista theory) because I've always wanted to try it. It still had the same error on startup about 2/3 times (at this point I was 100% sure it wasn't Vista because I don't even have it on my computer).

Then I messed something up in Ubuntu so I had to re-install it completely (which I don't really mind because I hadn't really put anything on it and it only takes about 20 minutes to install).

It reinstalled fine. I downloaded the updates and it said I needed to restart, so I clicked restart. When it booted back up, some funny stuff happened with the screen (there was a line of blurry Ubuntu logos at the top of the screen instead of one crisp one in the middle) and it wouldn't load the Ubuntu login page

It could be the boot order for the operating system not found error, but that would be easy to fix.

The reason I think it is something wrong with the hdd or motherboard is because when I went to install Ubuntu the second time, the partition manager couldn't find any partitions on my computer to install it to. So I restarted my computer and it found the main partition and I re-installed it. BUT the third time I installed Ubuntu, it couldn't find the partition at all (I tried restarting about 5 times).


I'm thinking what happened is either my hard drive got knocked out of place a little and I could just slip it back in and it would work fine (but would that void the warranty since I would have to sort of take my computer apart?), or it's fried and I need a new one, or the motherboard is buggy and I need a new one.

The thing is, I REALLY don't want to send it back to Dell and have to wait a month, just so that they can put the same crappy model of hard drive or motherboard in, or they may even send it back like IBM did for my friend's computer (with a note saying "If it doesn't work, just smack it" [no joke]).

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Should I just buy a new hard drive ( the problem with that is it would void the warranty, and then if the original problem was actually the motherboard I wouldn't be able to send it in or afford a new one)?

Should I just get an external one (because you can run Ubuntu off of an external hard drive)?

My max budget is $150 if I need to buy something.

Or should I just send it in and hope they know what they're doing.

Right now I'm running the Ubuntu 9.04 demo thing off of a 700mb DVD so I can't really put anything on it. I just use it to check my email, youtube, and myspace until I figure out what to do with my $1,100 PoS .

 

[kimsland]

Ok so I bought my Dell about 3 months ago

You have a new Dell with HARDWARE warranty

I get the pxe-e61 "operating system not found" error. (I've been told it could either be the boot order, hard drive, or motherboard).

Correct, although likely hard Drive cable loose

I called them and told them I want to send it in to replace my hard drive, and they said "Oh its probably just Vista

Incorrect

but when you pay for a warranty you shouldn't have to do the work for them

You have HARDWARE warranty, but they will help you install the OS, and provide minimal software support.

Well, I started getting the error again the next time I started it up (at this point I knew it couldn't be Vista unless I got a bad disk, which isn't likely).

Correct

When it booted back up, some funny stuff happened with the screen (there was a line of blurry Ubuntu logos at the top of the screen

Don't know, but could be related (obviously Dell will say re-install Vista )

The reason I think it is something wrong with the hdd or motherboard is because when I went to install Ubuntu the second time, the partition manager couldn't find any partitions on my computer to install it

Refer to my last comment

it couldn't find the partition at all (I tried restarting about 5 times).

Same original fault

I'm thinking what happened is either my hard drive got knocked out of place a little and I could just slip it back in and it would work fine (but would that void the warranty since I would have to sort of take my computer apart?), or it's fried and I need a new one, or the motherboard is buggy and I need a new one.

You are allowed to open the side case
You are still trying to work out the original fault

The thing is, I REALLY don't want to send it back to Dell and have to wait a month, just so that they can put the same crappy model of hard drive or motherboard in

If they replace the Hard Drive it will be a new one
If they replace the Motherboard it will be a reconditioned one (unless you explain that it was new 3 months ago, and you are not happy (they might replace the motherboard for a new one, if found faulty)

or they may even send it back like IBM did for my friend's computer (with a note saying "If it doesn't work, just smack it" [no joke]).

Rediculous and impossible, unless they used different words, like refit the Hard Drive connectors

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Reconnect the internal Hard Drive connectors

Should I just buy a new hard drive

You have HARDWARE support, ie NO

Should I just get an external one

Irrelevant, the choice is yours. This has nothing to do with your issue.



I hope this helps

 

[amiableadder]

You have a new Dell with HARDWARE warranty

Correct, although likely hard Drive cable loose

You have HARDWARE warranty, but they will help you install the OS, and provide minimal software support.

You are allowed to open the side case

If they replace the Hard Drive it will be a new one
If they replace the Motherboard it will be a reconditioned one (unless you explain that it was new 3 months ago, and you are not happy (they might replace the motherboard for a new one, if found faulty)

Reconnect the internal Hard Drive connectors

Irrelevant, the choice is yours. This has nothing to do with your issue.

Alright, thanks for the quick reply

I'll check the hard drive before sending it in, because if that's the problem it will save me a lot of time.

I know they would put a new hard drive in, but I think it would be the same type. Unless they don't have any more of the same kind and have to put a Western Digital one in (which I would be more comfortable with than them putting another one of the same kind in).

I'm going to buy an external one eventually anyway because 250Gb is not quite enough. I was just debating with myself whether I should get one now so I don't have to send it in, or just get one later.

Not really related to the current topic: Once I get a steady job, I'm just going to build my own computers. Right now I only get minimum wage and a couple hours a week though, so I can rarely afford to buy new parts if something goes wrong. I know enough about computers to put one together and get all the software set up. Basically the only thing I can't do yet is coding (the only reason I passed my programming class last year is because whenever I wasn't copying and pasting javascript off of yahoo answers and places like that, I was installing power supplies and new RAM and stuff like thatm for my teacher, on the cheapy school computers).

 

[kimsland]

I actually don't think its the Hard Drive (they're pretty tough things really)
You could mount the Hard Drive in another working computer (as a slave Hard Drive) just to reconfirm

I think its either cabling or the Sata Connector on the Motherboard, or maybe the Power Supply
Its a matter of process of elimination:
Hard drive works in another computer? yes/no
Different Sata Port works? yes/no
Hmm, also reset Bios settings too
Replace Sata cable (just borrow the sata cable from another computer
Unplug the DVD Drive (you never know, there could be a issue with this
Change the power connector for the Sata drive
Eventually get some results

 

[2048Megabytes]

Anyway you can put the suspect hard drive into another desktop computer? Reformat the drive with NTFS file system and then run an error check (also called checkdisk). See if the test states you are getting errors.

You might also want to try a different Serial ATA cable when you do the reformat.

 

[amiableadder]

I called Dell and after about 5 hours of diagnostics tests they said it's most likely either the power supply or the hard drive, so they are supposed to send someone over to my house to replace them. Hopefully within a few days.

 

[kimsland]

Please keep us posted

 

[amiableadder]

The repair guy came today and put in a new hard drive and motherboard. I'm not really sure which one had the problem, but it works now so I don't really care haha.

 

[kimsland]

Probably motherboard
I wonder if you got a used one or a new one? (probably refurbished motherboard)

 

[2048Megabytes]

A computer technician got out to you pretty fast. Good to hear you have a working personal computer again.

 

[amiableadder]

Yah I was pretty pissed that it was breaking down that much after only owning it a couple months, but I'm happy the guy got out here the next day.

I'm not sure if it was new or not, but he took it out of one of those plastic, kinda charcoal tinted, bags.

 

[johnb35]

Those are antistatic bags, protects electronic parts from static electricity. The motherboard could have been new or refurbished. But didn't you say that it was the either the hard drive or power supply but they replaced the hard drive and motherboard?

 

[kimsland]

they might replace the motherboard for a new one, if found faulty

I thought it may have been the Motherboard back at post#2 as well
But I would have asked them to bring a new one with them
Seems strange to have everything reasonably brand new, except the main board

If you had argued with them over this, they probably would have installed a new one, but now that you are signed off and working, I doubt it can happen now

 

[amiableadder]

Yah, I'm happy he came over soon and it's fixed now. I haven't had any errors or anything.

Hopefully when I install Ubuntu on a separate partition tonight I won't mess it up