is my laptop knackered?

[PeeBee]

Gary
You may find the CD key is on a label stuck on the bottom of your laptop. I think your plan is exactly the right one, from what you have described I think your hard drive is failing and thus some of the boot sectors have become corrupt. It may have affected some of your date (files as well) but you should be able to get most of it off with Ratty's caddy once you have the new OS and harddrive installed, the pain will be reinstalling all the othere applications.

Once you have the external hard drive as well then it's worth using some back up software to not only copy your data but also take a complete immage of your harddrive so that you can do a full restore. there is plenty of software around that will do it for you some of it freeware or share ware. PM me if you want names/links

[warmwaterdiver]

cheers Pete

luckily there wasn't much stuff in the way of other applications, a couple I can think of, one grahics, one for the MP3 player but I can reload them no problem

oh and AOL broadband will need to be reloaded

[MattS]

Originally Posted by warmwaterdiver

again assuming, but if we stick the new HD in, we can use my restore disk to do a full install

Big assumption. The recovery CD might be dependant on a large chunk of data on the disk which is being swapped out (rescue partition). The recovery CD might be locked to the hard disk it was shipped with. Either way you end up at a dead end, unable to boot to Windows with the new disk and still unable to recover the disk swapped out.

A proper XP Install CD and matching serial both to hand will ensure you can install and boot Windows on the new disk, and so recover the data from the old disk.

The matching XP Install CD and serial has nothing to do with being legit. There are flavours of XP Install CD that will refuse to accept other flavours of perfectly legitimate serial numbers. You end up at a different dead end, with Windows installed and booting but stuck prompting for a number you do not have.

Alternatively you get an XP Install CD and Serial Number that are known to match and after installing XP you can change to your own number within the 30 day activation period.

[edit]The caveat to be aware of attempting to use a USB drive caddy and with the backup disk you plan to buy. USB caddys and Hard Disks are virtually always USB2. Some USB2 devices will refuse to work with some USB1.1 interfaces found on older PCs and Laptops.

Good this isn't it

[warmwaterdiver]

many thanks to Grant (G man) for his brand new FREE hard drive that arrived this morning

is that a bit more on the electric bill then Grant?

Derek, I've got a job for you

[warmwaterdiver]

well Derek came over and fixed the new HD in & reloaded the software and all is well

just need to sort my old HD out next week and it'll be a complete success

cheers for everyones inputs, especially the useful ones

[DannyB]

Originally Posted by warmwaterdiver

well Derek came over and fixed the new HD in & reloaded the software and all is well

just need to sort my old HD out next week and it'll be a complete success

cheers for everyones inputs, especially the useful ones

Only just seen this thread, ratty when you go over if you have concerns or need telephone assistance give me a ring, I think you have my number.

Danny

[ratcliffe]

I haven't actually, cold you pm it to me ?

(Just in case, of course LOL)