Toshiba Satallite HD Failure & Replace

[gb777]

Hello,

Got a friends Toshiba Satallite L455-s500 that while attempting to boot, just get a black screen with the cursor flashing in the upper left corner after displaying the Toshiba logo. Can get into the CMOS and boot menu. Looks to me like the HD is bad.

Can I just use a stock 2.5" SATA hd from Newegg to replace? Are most laptop hard drives the same, nothing propriatary for Toshiba or this model?

Haven't pulled the drive out yet but can I connect it to a std SATA power and data cable on my desktop to try or copy data if it will let me?

Thanks

 

[WR2]

Can get into the CMOS and boot menu. Looks to me like the HD is bad.

Hello gb777;

That's what it sounds like to me too.

Satellite L455-S5000 specs (note: you wrote S500 - this is S5000)
http/www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/retail-product.jsp?poid=460991

That's a standard 2.5" SATA II laptop drive all right. Nothing special there.

A couple things you can do. Make yourself a bootable rescue CD or USB thumb drive.
You can use that to inspect the disk and see if you can recover files. Also does an easy check of the rest of the hardware.

Ubuntu Desktop
http/www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

To hook it up as an external disk, or another internal disk to another PC you'll need an adapter.

example:
Vantec NexStar TX 2.5" SATA to USB 2.0 External Hard Drive/SSD Enclosure
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817392032

 

[gb777]

So the SATA 2.5" drive connectors aren't the same as 3.5" SATA connectors?

Thanks

 

[WR2]

It's not the same.

 

[gb777]

Can I used Ubuntu to boot and backup a harddrive to a usb external drive using a backup utility ie Ghost?

Thanks

 

[WR2]

You could just use a bootable version of Ghost and skip Ubuntu.

 

[gb777]

You could just use a bootable version of Ghost and skip Ubuntu.

Unfortunately my Ghost is quite old so I need to be able to boot Win. My DOS version doesn't see the USB drives. Is there a way to run Win apps in Ubuntu?

I created USB Stick & CD versions of the Ubuntu. When my buddy brings over his laptop I'll be able to use it to check out his drive. Thanks for the links!!

If you have a link how to boot XP from the memory stick or cd so I can create backup images, that'd be great.

Thanks