My Laptop's Hard Drive Might Be Failing

[DarkSilence43]

Hello, I think my Laptop's Hard Drive might be failing. I just want a secondary opinion. I have had this computer for some time. Around 6 years I think. About 2 years ago it started going on haywire with problems. It was over heating a lot and started to get slower. So slow that to a point it would take around 30 minutes and up to start up to the login screen. I decided to take a look at it around 5 months ago and take it apart. I pulled out the processor and put new thermal paste on it. I also cleaned the fan and got a huge hunk of dust out of it. I started it back up and it was still slow to start up but the over heating was gone. I stubbornly continued to use it with it being slow and I removed alot of crap software trying to fix the problem. I was going it to write an essay I was working on for school one day and the computer wouldn't come on. I was getting the message "Error finding operating system". I put the computer away till now. I have tried booting it up in safe mode and all I got was a black screen. I tried to use a windows recovery disk and I got a black screen with a cursor. I tried to install Ubuntu and all I got was a never ending I/O error. I tried booting up Ubuntu and format the drive but the partitions could never be found. The Hard Drive is recognized in BIOS. I tried unplugging the HDD and plugging it back in but no results except for a new message when I boot up sometimes. The message was something like windows has failed Press ctrl+alt+delete to reRECOVERY and the some weird symbols after it. I cant get it to do it again or I would have typed it correctly. Here are my specs http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834200339

 

[jaguarskx]

Although I cannot be 100% certain, it does sound like the problem is the hard drive.