Netbook wont go past startup menu

Hi everyone, I am a total novice with computers and my netbook wont go past the startup menu.

I turn it on, and it goes to the black and white setup menu. It says harddrive error and wont go out of the menu although I have completed all of the scans available several times.

I have taken the harddrive out of its position and put it back in as advised on hp website. Have tried BIOS instructions as well and nothing is working. Phone hp and told to take it to a shop. Is there anything else I can try before I do this?

Its a HP Mini Netbook.

Thanks in advance!

 

You did not state what Operating system, what model of Netbook. Disregard the idiocracy that the HP website is stating. It is about as bad as the info their India call center reps give out. If you have a USB DVD drive, use it to attempt to do a boot up on a Ubuntu LiveDVD and check the S.M.A.R.T. info on the drive.

If it is showing as bad, now is the time to get a SSD for the Netbook. If you have not upgraded the RAM to the max RAM that it will take, now is also the time. Majority of the Netbooks will run 64bit Operating systems btw.

 

Thanks for your reply. It's a HP Mini 200 running windows 7starter.

I don't have a USB cd drive is it possible to download anywhere onto a USB?

Also I don't understand what you mean by SSD and how do you update it. Sorry I am so clueless this is the first time I've ever had a problem with a computer

Thanks

 

brownizs means a "Solid State Drive" (SSD).

Those flash, a.k.a. thumb drive you use are the same thing, only smaller in size. They are faster, run cooler, and draw less current than normal "platter drives" and have no moving parts to fail.

If you drive has failed, it would be time for an upgrade, and an SSD would be the better choice for a replacement in a netbook. The only issue would be recovering the operating system, from the recovery partition of the old drive. You would most likely need to contact HP for OEM software (W7 Starter), or copy the recovery partition from the old drive, or clone the entire drive using the new one with an Apricorn style device. Ordering from HP would probably be easier for a "novice".

How long have you been running this netbook? Average hard drive life expectancy is five years, unless it takes a few hard shocks now and then.

 

Thanks for your help. I will seek help in a local pc shop as it all sounds very complicated/expensive as I dont have any of the drives/extras.

Thanks

 

There is nothing complicated about it, nor is it expensive. What will be expensive is dealing with the computer repair shop, and in turn, you will not learn how to fix it yourself the next time. As for not having the drive or the USB DVD, those can be purchased through places like Newegg.com.

 

A USB thumb drive is at most ten bucks. The Windows 7 Starter could be downloaded from HP, on any computer.

All you need to be able to do is use a small phillips head screwdriver, and how to ground yourself. Electrically, not ethereally. This just means if you were touching the shell of a desklamp. that would be a decent precaution.

Swap the drive, boot the USB flash drive, and BANG! You've got a piping fresh install...