HP G62-339WM Notebook

Hey all...

Our daughter bought the grandkids a HP note book laptop from wally world for $399 for xmas.

The grandson apparently spilled a glass of iced tea on it... he says not in it, but when I took the cover off and the hard drive out, the board had a tiny hole burned in it.

OH yea... what does a brand new HP have a Toshiba hard drive in it? Is that normal, or did she get a repair?

When it begins to boot it says,

'does not have hard drive' and 'load new operating system'.

I've run the suggested diagnostics and unplugged and replugged the HD and it will do nothing else.

I want to save the grand sons young buns so how do I tell what to replace. I can surely go to Frys Electronics and pick up whatever I need there?

FYI... the daughter sent it to an HP repair center and I'm sure all they did was start it as I did, read the prompt and call and say 'customer damaged' (needs new hard drive and mother board) and costs $765 to repair and reinstall new operating system.

Who would pay those doofs $765 for a $399 computer?

The reason I say 'doofs' is my experience with these warrant centers IS NOT GOOD. When our 42" LG led tv took a crap, I took it into Best Buy and they called the warranty company, who 'didn't even look at it' and said its beyond repair and we'll give you another tv... BB did give us a TV which was a Toshiba and the picture was CRAP... my half blind 90 something grandfather sees things more clearly... I took it back, got the the chincy *** check for $600 and took the tv to a local repair shop and they laughed as if to say, 'we hope you learned' and fixed it in 7 days for $250.

So again, isn't there something I can do to keep the grand son from getting his bacon fried???

BTW... don't worry about the operating system, I have a friend who will give us a legal copy of either XP or Vista, but I need to fix the puter.

Bruce

 

Greetings, bdelapp.

I agree: a $765 repair bill for a $399 machine is somewhat unrealistic.

"The board had a tiny hole burned in it" - do you mean the hard drive's controller board? If so, you might be able to find a replacement on eBay. Be advised that it would have to be from a drive that is exactly like yours.

Frankly, though, I think your best bet would be to purchase and install a replacement hard drive (the fact that the machine will boot at all seems to indicate that the motherboard is functional). If the controller board did smoke, it may have taken some other HD components with it, so even if you find a replacement controller, you might still have a dead drive.

 

Yes... the controller board on the hard drive had a small amount of a jade looking ooze and it appeared something had burned thru from the other side...
I could see it with my eyes, but I also looked at it with a magnifying glass.
It really doesn't boot up... my mistake... when I turn the puter on it shows this:
Boot Device Not Found
Please install an operating system on your hard drive
Hard Disk – (3FO)
F2 System Diagnostics
For more information, please visit: www.hp.com/go/techcenter/startup

 

Hi bdelapp,

By "booting up", Caliban means that the machine turns on and the motherboard and BIOS seem to be ok (evidenced by the fact you get the message which states a problem finding an operating system).

It seems the damage may be limited to the HD.

My personal suggestion would be to download a bootable Linux CD file and burn it to a blank CD or put it on a USB thumb drive and then boot the computer from that. If the computer works running Linux from the CD or thumb drive then you know the problem is limited to the HD.

You could then replace the HD. If the laptop did not come with OS installation discs or they were not burnt when first using the CD as recommended then you will also have to purchase replacement Windows installation discs from HP. HP usually only charges a nominal fee for disc (under $20).

 

Hi Sach2... thanks for the info... can I download from MGs?
I can't say this often enough... you guys are fan f'n tastic...
When I get back to work I want to make a nice donation to MGs.
Bruce

 

I like Linux Mint which is a (700mb) download for the Cd version. Their regular website is slow today but there is a list of downloads at the bottom of this page (may take a minute for the download links to open). You can use the CD or DVD version depending on what blank media you have around. (32bit version should be fine but I think your laptop could take 64bit if I have your specs correct)

You will save the ISO image to your HD and then write it to CD/DVD as an image file using imgburn or similar burning software. (In imgburn use the "Write image file to disc" option)

Or if you have an empty thumb drive you could use linuxUSBcreator to write the ISO to thumb drive.

Whichever you choose you then boot from CD/USB. It will give you a Windows looking desktop with a similar Start button on the taskbar that includes things like FF web browser. You are mainly looking to see if it loads up correctly--your keyboard works, display works, if you try FF you can see that internet works. If all looks good then it is probably worth investing in a new hard drive to go ahead and reinstall Windows.

***
Any questions ask! I am writing this in a hurry.

 

U kick *** dude... thank you.. we've told the repair center to bug off and send the lap top back...

 

I just remembered that HP was playing some game with their recovery CD(s) not working on a hard drive not purchased from them.

So before purchasing a HD that should be looked into. I don't know how that is/was legal but it may be a factor. It wouldn't matter if you have an installation disc but it would matter if you were to order recovery discs from them.

If anyone has information about whether HP is still doing this, please post current information.

Thanks.

 

I'll watch the post... thanks man

 

Hey Sach... Re: HP G62-339WM Notebook

Hey Sach,
Sorry this has taken so long, but we just recieved the HP laptop back from HP repair this past Saturday, and it is unrepaired.
The HP rep said the repair techs gave her so many different diagnoses of the one laptop that she almost gave up.. the final dx given us by HP is the HD is ok, but the MB is MOLDED. This one they couldn't explain and only would say it was the 'customers fault'.
What a bunch of :crap
As you suggested above, I have downloaded Lili to a flash drive... but I am a little confused regarding Mint 10... I see the following downloads on the link you furnished, so which one should I use as I don't see a FD dowload mention, I only see DVD, CD and OEM and USA/Japan?

■Download Linux Mint 10 DVD 32-bit
■Download Linux Mint 10 DVD 64-bit
■Download Linux Mint 10 CD 32-bit
■Download Linux Mint 10 CD 64-bit
■Download Linux Mint 10 USA/JAPAN 32-bit
■Download Linux Mint 10 USA/JAPAN 64-bit
■Download Linux Mint 10 OEM 32-bit
■Download Linux Mint 10 OEM 64-bit

So, when I choose your recommended download, do I just click download and it will use Lili, or are there simpleton instructions for me to follow?

Remember... I'm the one they wrote the book, 'computers for dummies' about. lol...

After downloading all this to the flash drive then I plug the FD into the sick laptop and turn it on and boot the FD in the USB port?

 

Hi, let's see if it will run Linux. If it does then we can really trash HP!

You want to download Linux Mint 10 CD 32-bit which will be fine. Download it to your working computer's hard drive. It will be an ISO file about 699mb.

Install Lili on your working computer. Run Lili from your computer. Here is the User's guide for Lili.

There website has changed so I haven't gone through the guide yet. It is late for me tonight. The confusing steps are: Step 2 you choose your ISO, Step 3 for Persistence is just a number like 500mb is fine. Step 4 for options you want to check Hide Files and Format key and uncheck launching Linux in Windows.

I'll be happy to go step by step but not tonight.

 

Hey man... catch some zzzzzzzzs and you can help me tomorrow... it looks as though we're on the same time... so I'll check in tomorrow and you let me know what is good for you and I'll make myself available.
Later

 

Hi,

I still think Linux will be a good test of whether the laptop functions. I'm surprised HP says the problem is the MB and not the HD when the error seems to indicate the laptop motherboard is working sufficiently to look for the HD and produce an error message when it doesn't see one. They may be right but testing won't take long. Once you download the ISO putting it on flash drive should only take another 15 minutes. Then 5 minutes to boot to Linux.

 

Hi Sach...
FYI... before we start if this tells you anything, I had a copy of Windows 98 on a cd so I put in the laptop.
It tried to boot but said there were no drivers for 98 and went no further.
Moving on:
I downloaded 'Lili' and then 'linuxmint-10-gnome-dvd-amd64' to the desktop on my regular puter.
I then copied the 'linuxmint' to a flash drive.
I then did an F10 start, went to system configuation, scrolled down to boot options, went to boot order, moved 'USB Diskette on Key/USB Hard Disk' to the top then exited saving changes. There were no others choices for a USB plugin.
I plugged the flash drive into the main USB port, shut off and restarted the computer and it displayed the following:

Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller Serives v1.19 (08/10/09)
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-MOF: Exiting PXW ROM.
No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key

HELP... what have I done wrong?

 

Install Lili to your regular computer. So run the LiliUSBcreator.exe you downloaded to install the program.

Then run the program from the shortcut on the desktop. You will see an interface like below.

Step 1 choose your USB drive.
Step 2 Click ISO and Browse to the Linux Mint ISO
Step 3 Choose a size for Persistence (Any number between 200mb and 2gb is fine depending on how big your flash drive is. You really don't need any since persistence is for making changes to the Linux OS like saving Firefox extensions and passwords etc. which you probably won't be doing. You can just use 500mb as a good number.)
Step 4 Choose to format the drive and hide OS files. Uncheck use Linux in Windows.
Step 5 Click the lightening bolt to format the USB and install Linux to the USB.
When complete try to boot to the USB.

Two pics below: Lili before going through steps
Lili after going through 1-4

 

Let me run thru it all once again by the numbers... I've done it twice, but I could have screwed up.
Be back.

 

I may have misread your previous post, I thought you just copied the ISO to the flash drive but did not run the Lili program. When you did it the last two times after step 5 did it say it completed successfully?

 

It completed the download of Linux to my desktop and then I transferred it to the flash drive.
I really think I screwed it up the first time, so I started all over and I am about 40% complete downloading Linux from a mirror somewhere in California via the dowload button on lili to the flash drive now.
Then I follow your steps to finish?
ISO
Persistence
Hide - format - uncheck enable
Lightening

Then I plug the flash drive into the main USB drive on the laptop and it should load?

 

Yep, it should load. You skip ISO because you have told it to download a new copy. So you just go to persistence. then step 4 and 5.

I've never used the download function of Lili. So we will see. It should work fine.

Just so you know you don't manually copy anything to the flash drive. You just have the flash drive connected. Lili will format and then write the files from the ISO to the flash drive in a way to make it bootable. When it is done it will tell you the drive is ready.

Then you try to boot from it. If you successfully set the boot order using F10 previously then it should just be a matter of connecting the USB to the laptop and powering on. It should find the USB and try to boot from it.

 

Dude.. you'll be the second to know... lol
Still only 80% downloaded...

 

OK, I'm trying the live download now.

First time it didn't work for me. Second time I was paying attention. You may not get the option for persistence (I didn't--it just said LIVE MODE). Just go to Step 4 and check the first two boxes and uncheck the Windows Linux Launch box then hit the lightening bolt to begin writing.

 

Its writing 215/500... slowly be surely so far... everything looks fine...

 

OK... it is ready... it is telling me to put the key in the USB port... turn the puter on... and press the 'keyboard key'... WTF mate... what is a keyboard key?

 

You got the confirmation the key is ready? If that is lili saying the keyboard key just ignore it.
Put the USB in the notebook and turn it on see if it finds the key and boots.

You will choose Live Mode if you get a Linux Mint Menu (not install).

 

With the laptop off, I inserted the flash drive into the main USB port and turned the computer on.
It displayed the following:

Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller Serives v1.19 (08/10/09)
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-MOF: Exiting PXW ROM.
No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key

I restarted the second time with the same results.

I did an F10 start the third time, scrolled across to system configuration, scrolled down to boot options and opened it and I saw:

CD-ROM
FLOPPY BOOT
INTERNAL NETWORK ADAPTOR BOOT

I scrolled on down to boot order and saw the following:

USB diskette on key/USB hard disk
Notebook Hard Drive
USB CD/DVD rom drive
Internal CD/DVD rom drive
Network adaptor

I then chose: USB diskette on key/USB hard disk - restarted and got:
Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller Serives v1.19 (08/10/09)
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-MOF: Exiting PXW ROM.
No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key

Should I try a different boot, or can I/should I burn this flash drive to a cd and try it that way?

 

It looks like your boot options are set correctly.

So you have the USB plugged into the computer. You hit the power button does the USB flash at all?

 

Nope... no matter which of the 3 USB ports I place it in... I think the HD has crapped out... but I'm open to suggestions...

 

The PXE error means it has gone through all of the boot devices (should be all five) and not found anything to boot from. PXE is the network adaptor boot option the last in the list.

Could be trouble booting from the USB. Could be bad transfer of file to the USB. Could be a motherboard problem.

I didn't realize you had an internal CD drive. Yes you could burn a Linux boot disc to CD. You could use imgburn. You have to have a downloaded ISO on your HD. Then you would open imgburn and choose to "Write Image File to Disc" and browse to your ISO and then hit the Write icon at the bottom of the imgburn window.

If you are burning to CD you need a version of Mint 700mb or less. So you would have to download the standard Live CD http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=67 which should be fine.

If you just want a smaller Linux with less bells and whistles PartedMagic will tell us if you can boot to CD and if your keyboard etc. works. A 143mb download here. Really depends if you have extra CDs and don't mind burning PartedMagic for a quick test and may never use the disc again.

***Sorry, this has taken so long. I'm not sure why we are having so much trouble getting a bootable media. I'd like to get past the PXE error to see how the motherboard responds to a valid bootable media. I'm off to bed for the night. If you are curious you could try to boot your PC from the flash drive to see if it is written correctly (it should be since you did not get an error). Again you do not want to install anything just run it off the USB drive as a test.

 

Thanks man... I sure appreciate all your help... I think my plan is to:

1 - email the chic at HP and take her up on a free HD and boot disk.

2 - continue to play around with this machine a little to learn more.

3 - wait for the new HD... then I'll likely be asking your to help me check the MB it it doesn't boot and work.

BTW... I wanted to take the case apart and carefully removed all the screws, took off all three covers and removed every screw I could see, but the darn thing acts as if there is a screw hidden somewhere? What am I missing?

 

I'll just put in a warning laptops have very delicate parts and have to be meticulously put back together. I don't recommend just taking a look around. That said many time sthere is a hidden screw under rubber feet pads or under a sticker that says something about not removing.

 

Advice taken... I'll stay out and just change out the HD when I get a new one... I guess it the darn thing needs a MB for reason then we'll just trash it...

 

It is better to put off taking it apart until you try the HD and recovery media. It takes bad reassembly out of the equation of figuring out what is wrong. [By the way, in your situation that offer does not sound like a bad deal. Most likely the problem is a result of a spilled liquid/drink so HP might not be responsible to fix it at all. They charge a premium for their HD but you need it for their recovery disc to work so you would have to buy one from them anyway at their inflated price.]

I still think it is worth testing a Linux CD (would cost less than a dollar to burn both discs). That way you know if the laptop is functional as far as graphics, internet etc. You also find out if you will have a problem using the recovery discs from HP.

I'd suggest downloading the ISO(s) when you are not staring at the screen waiting for them. Then when you get a chance burn the CD(s) making sure to use the write as IMAGE option. See if you can boot up.

You could always try to boot from any Windows installation CD you may have to see if it will run but you won't get a good idea about internet or true graphics capability.

 

Good advice... I won't complicate this situation anymore than it already is by disassembling and reassembling the unit.. I'll first burn a Linux CD and try to boot from there..

 

Hey Sach... I burned a CD with Linux, put it in the puter and turned same on and it did not boot... :cry
Same old information... Pixie says media test failure, check cable, blah, blah, no bootable device blah, insert boot desk and press any key
Should I unplug the hard drive and try it?:confused

 

I also unplugged the HD and tried to boot it and it didn't work either... :cry

 

I of course know not what I am doing... but does the MB have something to do with booting and should I check it?

 

When you burned the disc did you use imgburn and did you choose "Write Image File to Disc"?

That would be my first thing to check.
You can try booting that disc in your current computer to see that it is burned correctly.

 

It doesn't boot in my desktop either... d ____.... I'll try it again...

 

Just scroll down to burn an ISO here.

 

Wait... I was downloading the ISO to the desktop and then was going to use imgburn to burn the CD... or should I burn it directly from the site?

 

Yes that is correct. Download the ISO to the desktop then use imgburn to write it to CD.

It is really very easy. The hardest part is in screenshot 2 on that how-to-burn iso link that the icon to browse to your ISO file is hard to see.

 

Approximately 15 more minutes and then I can burn the CD :cool

 

Cool!

Sorry, if I wasn't clear before but you can reuse an ISO as many times as you want. Once it is completely downloaded to your HD you can burn it as many times as you want. No need to keep downloading the same file. I must have 20 different ISO files of different flavors of Linux or rescue discs on my HD, downloaded over the past year. When I need one I just slap it on flash drive or CD (that is why I like to download and save the ISO separately before writing so I have a copy and don't have to re-download).

 

You Majorgeek you... it is booting up :cool

 

How long does it take???

I have a Linux Mint trademark in the middle of the scree and the cd drive is running like crazy

 

Now I have 3 icons... computer - mints home - install linux mint

 

This is on your laptop, I hope?

I would shutdown ( Use the Start button and Shutdown to quit) . Install the HD if not already installed. Connect the laptop to your internet by way of LAN/ethernet cable and reboot (you can temporarily disconnect your computer and use that cable).

In Mint, there should be a button where the start button in Windows is. It gives a list of applications. Try looking under Internet and find Firefox web browser. Click that and see if you can connect to the internet.

I'm trying to figure out if all the functions of the laptop still work. So you want to make sure graphics look OK and keyboard works and internet works. I'll boot up Mint and take a look if there is anything else we should look at.

 

Hey Sach... :-D on the laptop hook to MG

 

Cool!

The motherboard can't be that bad if you have decent graphics, keyboard and internet. I'm on Mint now so I will take a look around to see if there is anything else that is useful.

I think the only reason I don't like Linux is that Firefox doesn't look so good and I have never figured out how to get the top menus to be as small as possible--they take up too much space.

***
You have the Hd hooked up? Try clicking Computer on the desktop and see if it lists anything like the size of the HD--it would be large compared to the CD so something in gigabytes.

 

Graphics are fine... keyboard works fine... I tried to get to the HD but it appears the HD isn't recognized...