Dead HP Pavilion xf145

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware,comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I can no longer boot from my HP Pavilion xf145. I get a blue screen
telling me "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME". I attempted to boot from the
recovery disks, and it tells me "Wrong Model Notebook".

Discussions with HP tell me that possibly:
Hard drive is bad
"tattoo" can't be read
Wrong recovery CDs.

HP wants $120 ($100 + 19.95 shipping) Cdn for recovery CDs, a little
much for something that I should have received in the first place.
Anyone got some I can get a copy of? I wouldn't mind too much paying
the $100, but I have no guarantee it'll be the answer, and returning
them, should they turn out to be the same as the ones I have, would
cost me a 15% restocking fee plus shipping both ways.

Can anyone tell me the number on your recovery disks? Mine say "hp
notebook pc F3378-12004B".

If it turns out to be the "tattoo" (notebook ID number stored
internally), I will have to have it re-tattooed, and I shudder to
think about the cost of that.

If I need a new hard drive, HP wants $370 Cdn exchange ($727 Cdn
without the exchange), for a 20 GB! They will be a long time awaiting
my purchase of a new HD, methinks.

If I can't fix it easily and reasonably, I'll be testing it to see if
it floats in my dugout, and I don't think I'll ever buy anything made
by HP again.

Thanks,
Lego

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware,comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

As often the case, the advice from a name-brand manufacturer is often
misleading, in addtion to being costly.

First, remove the hard drive and determine its manufacturer and model number.

Next, download the diagnostic software from the drive manufacturer to test the
drive, and test the drive. Better to know that the drive has failed or if
something else is wrong before going further.

Next, new 30GB drives are less than $US 100 without the bother of an exchange.
Not sure what a new 20GB costs, but probably less than a 30GB. If the drive is
bad, buy another one. It does not matter whether the replacement drive is
Hitachi or Toshiba, the two leading manufacturers of 2 1/2" drives for notebook
computers. These drives are commodity items with identical physical layout.

Next, screw the tatoo! Try the recovery CDs. If they do not work, get a copy
of the Windows XP Home or Pro install CD, and install it using the Micro$oft
Product ID code stickered to your computer. You'll pay less for a copy of XP
than to have some HP-certified joker apply the tatoo, a double-secret set of
data on the hard drive. Only HP knows the secret, too.

If you don't want to put up with any of this, I am willing to buy the remains,
such as they are. Let me know what you have there (model and accessories), and
I'll make a fair but not overly generous offer.

One more thing... No matter which brand of notebook computer, hard drives fail
at an alarmingly high rate. I have replaced drives, mostly under warranty, on
three Dell notebooks recently, and a 4th replacement drive arrives tomorrow for
yet another one. Dells are very popular around here, but the same scenario
applies to all brands of notebooks, which use the same brands of notebook
drives... Ben Myers

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 11:45:40 -0600, Oleg Lego <nucknuck@spamslam.com> wrote:

>I can no longer boot from my HP Pavilion xf145. I get a blue screen
>telling me "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME". I attempted to boot from the
>recovery disks, and it tells me "Wrong Model Notebook".
>
>Discussions with HP tell me that possibly:
> Hard drive is bad
> "tattoo" can't be read
> Wrong recovery CDs.
>
>HP wants $120 ($100 + 19.95 shipping) Cdn for recovery CDs, a little
>much for something that I should have received in the first place.
>Anyone got some I can get a copy of? I wouldn't mind too much paying
>the $100, but I have no guarantee it'll be the answer, and returning
>them, should they turn out to be the same as the ones I have, would
>cost me a 15% restocking fee plus shipping both ways.
>
>Can anyone tell me the number on your recovery disks? Mine say "hp
>notebook pc F3378-12004B".
>
>If it turns out to be the "tattoo" (notebook ID number stored
>internally), I will have to have it re-tattooed, and I shudder to
>think about the cost of that.
>
>If I need a new hard drive, HP wants $370 Cdn exchange ($727 Cdn
>without the exchange), for a 20 GB! They will be a long time awaiting
>my purchase of a new HD, methinks.
>
>If I can't fix it easily and reasonably, I'll be testing it to see if
>it floats in my dugout, and I don't think I'll ever buy anything made
>by HP again.
>
>Thanks,
> Lego
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware,comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

The Ben Myers entity posted thusly:

>As often the case, the advice from a name-brand manufacturer is often
>misleading, in addtion to being costly.
>
> ... much sound advice snipped ...

Thanks a bunch, Ben! You know, I spent 25 years fixing computers, for
IBM, Memorex, CDC and Sun, but had never done anything with a laptop.
I figured they were probably different enough that I would require the
manufacturer's software (for drivers and so on). I'm glad to hear that
I can use a generic XP Pro. Hmm... perhaps I can even use Win2K?

>If you don't want to put up with any of this, I am willing to buy the remains,
>such as they are. Let me know what you have there (model and accessories), and
>I'll make a fair but not overly generous offer.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind as I go along, and if it turns out to
be too much hassle, I'll let you know.

Thanks again!
Lego

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware,comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

You should be able to use whatever version of Windows you want, but you need a
valid Windows Product Key for what you install, of course. It's most convenient
to use the Product Key affixed to the computer chassis.

I DO understand why you might prefer Windows 2000 over Windows XP, which is more
or less Windows 2000 with stiletto heels, fishnet stockings, a short skirt, and
an overabundance of bad makeup. On top of all that, Windows XP integrates ever
more bloated features into the bowels of the operating system, and the bowels
seem to give way more often under the added stress... Ben Myers

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 14:46:24 -0600, Oleg Lego <nucknuck@spamslam.com> wrote:

>The Ben Myers entity posted thusly:
>
>>As often the case, the advice from a name-brand manufacturer is often
>>misleading, in addtion to being costly.
>>
>> ... much sound advice snipped ...
>
>Thanks a bunch, Ben! You know, I spent 25 years fixing computers, for
>IBM, Memorex, CDC and Sun, but had never done anything with a laptop.
>I figured they were probably different enough that I would require the
>manufacturer's software (for drivers and so on). I'm glad to hear that
>I can use a generic XP Pro. Hmm... perhaps I can even use Win2K?
>
>>If you don't want to put up with any of this, I am willing to buy the remains,
>>such as they are. Let me know what you have there (model and accessories), and
>>I'll make a fair but not overly generous offer.
>
>Thanks, I'll keep that in mind as I go along, and if it turns out to
>be too much hassle, I'll let you know.
>
>Thanks again!
> Lego
>
>