is this most likely a hard drive issue?

[Matt]

I have an older Compaq laptop and it started booting extremely slow at the
beginning of the week, then it started giving me an error message saying
that no OS was detected and now sometimes it won't turn on and sometimes I
get the No OS is Detected error. I'm thinking it's the hard drive but I
wanted some opinions before I spent the money. I realize that this isn't
really enough information, I'm just looking for others gut feelings... that
way when I spend the money on the HD and it doesn't work I can come back in
here and start blaming other people besides myself

Thanks!

 

[Rod Speed]

I have an older Compaq laptop and it started booting extremely slow
at the beginning of the week, then it started giving me an error message saying that no OS was
detected and now sometimes it won't turn on

That last is unlikely to be a hard drive issue.

Much more likely to be a power problem, and thats what
produces problems with access to the hard drive too.

and sometimes I get the No OS is Detected error.

All that really means is that it cant read the drive properly. That
may just be because of a power problem, not a hard drive problem.

I'm thinking it's the hard drive
Unlikely.

but I wanted some opinions before I spent the money. I realize that this isn't really enough
information, I'm just
looking for others gut feelings...

Mine is that its got a power problem and that if you dont get
the same result with the battery removed, its likely the battery.

that way when I spend the money on the HD and it doesn't work I can come back in here and start
blaming other people besides myself

We'll just send the death squad |-)

 

[philo]

I have an older Compaq laptop and it started booting extremely slow at the
beginning of the week, then it started giving me an error message saying
that no OS was detected and now sometimes it won't turn on and sometimes I
get the No OS is Detected error. I'm thinking it's the hard drive but I
wanted some opinions before I spent the money. I realize that this isn't
really enough information, I'm just looking for others gut feelings... that
way when I spend the money on the HD and it doesn't work I can come back in
here and start blaming other people besides myself

No need to guess...
run a harddrive diagnostic.

The manufacturer of your HD should have a free download

 

[Kent_Diego]

........

No need to guess...
run a harddrive diagnostic.

The manufacturer of your HD should have a free download

Get Hiren's Boot CD off alt.binaries.warez pr peer-to-peer. It is the best.
It has every utility program ever made including all the hard driver
manufacturer's programs.