Pavilion dv4 will not read HDD

[70k3r]

I have a pavilion dv4. The HDD drive went out a week ago. I purchased a replacement drive and installed it. Neither windows nor the bios will recognize the HDD. If I take the optical drive out, I can feel the HDD spinning and the HDD light on the laptop lights up but no recognition. Please help.

 

[hang-the-9]

Are you sure it was the drive that went and not the motherboard controller? Is there another drive you can try?

 

[70k3r]

There I don't have another drive, but i can access the bios and windows works up until the part where it tries to find the hdd. Is this one of those thing where i am going to have to buy the restore software, because I really don't want to have to do that. I have my own windows I am trying to install but I cannot do that until the hdd is recognized.

 

[hang-the-9]

There I don't have another drive, but i can access the bios and windows works up until the part where it tries to find the hdd. Is this one of those thing where i am going to have to buy the restore software, because I really don't want to have to do that. I have my own windows I am trying to install but I cannot do that until the hdd is recognized.

Originally you said the bios does not not see the drive, does it or no? Just because you can get to the BIOS does not mean the drive is seen there. If the BIOS does not see the drive, it's either a bad controller or a bad connection. Could be another bad drive just by chance. Restore software won't do anything to fix this. If it's only Windows that does not see it and you are using XP with SP2 or bellow to install it, it may not see the disk as it won't have the drivers for it. You need to get an XP SP3 disk to use. You can make your own though http://lifehacker.com/386526/slipstream-service-pack-3-into-your-windows-xp-installation-cd

If you put in the old drive back, and go into the BIOS, do you see it listed there?

 

[70k3r]

Originally you said the bios does not not see the drive, does it or no? Just because you can get to the BIOS does not mean the drive is seen there. If the BIOS does not see the drive, it's either a bad controller or a bad connection. Could be another bad drive just by chance. Restore software won't do anything to fix this. If it's only Windows that does not see it and you are using XP with SP2 or bellow to install it, it may not see the disk as it won't have the drivers for it. You need to get an XP SP3 disk to use. You can make your own though http://lifehacker.com/386526/slipstream-service-pack-3-into-your-windows-xp-installation-cd

If you put in the old drive back, and go into the BIOS, do you see it listed there?

The bios does not see the hdd. I am using windows 7. So if it is a bad controller how hard are those to replace? Does it mean the laptop is now trash?

 

[hang-the-9]

If the BIOS does not see the drive, and you checked to make sure you inserted it properly, and it does not see the old drive, or maybe another one you can try, it can be the cost of a new motherboard to fix.

Which are about 150 with labor to replace, maybe more if you don't shop around. Usually if you need to replace a motherboard, unless the laptop is only a few yrs old,it's better to spend the money towards a new laptop with a fresh warranty.