[flyboy1565]

Ok so i got this computer to work on. its a gateway lx6810-01. My co-work oldmanjim gave it to me telling me he thinks it has a fried hard drive. So of course first thing i do is run through every forum imaginable trying to figure out what I can do because this system is way out of date with what gateway can provide a fix for. I found that my co-worker had listed this one windowsbbs.

Needless to say i think he decided to see if i can make it work. I got as far as double checking his work. Its a western digital hd. It doesn't respond to the dos disc but i think that is due to maybe a faulty cd drive.

Next i tried to get a hold of a oem recovery disc, thinking i might be able to get a new drive and then run everything except that i can't find anything that should be free and the third party cites don't look so legit.

Any ideas i'm open for trying.

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Well if I'm reading that link right then someone has put a RAID setup on the drive and it's hard to tell whether it's dead or not when reading the thread.

Don't you have any OS disks that you can use to do a basic install just to test the system as it were?

As an aside an OEM Recovery disk in its real terms is about as useful as a glass hammer so don't use one of those.

[Wolfeymole]

Well if I'm reading that link right then someone has put a RAID setup on the drive and it's hard to tell whether it's dead or not when reading the thread.

Don't you have any OS disks that you can use to do a basic install just to test the system as it were?

As an aside an OEM Recovery disk in its real terms is about as useful as a glass hammer so don't use one of those.

[iammykyl]

Hi.
What happens when you start the computer,
Do the fans start?
Any lights on the keyboard?
Any activity on the case lights?
anything on the screen?
Any error messages displayed?
Any beeps?
Does the computer switch itself off?

[rshaffer61]

As an aside an OEM Recovery disk in its real terms is about as useful as a glass hammer so don't use one of those.

Just to understand this Wolf I only run OEM OS disks on my system and they do everything a retail disk will do. If you are referring to a branded OEM disk then I agree completely. They cannot perform some of the most basic functions of a regular Microsoft OS installation disk.

[flyboy1565]

What happens when you start the computer, Do the fans start? Yes
Any lights on the keyboard? Yes
Any activity on the case lights? Yes
anything on the screen? Loads bios gateway splash screen but Windows..
Any error messages displayed? If you follow the link the error message is posted..
Any beeps? Beeps while loading
Does the computer switch itself off? No

Unfortunately I don't have a Vista os disc but I do have the Windows validation screen..

[iammykyl]

Thanks for the update.
What is the sequence for the beep code?
AS you think the CD rom may be suspect, try any bootable disk in it, like a windows OS disk. Or try burning this Data Lifeguard to USB stick. > http://www.bestfreew...e-fmpjbsqi.html

Would restoring to factory default be an option?

[flyboy1565]

Yeah the owner has given up on any possible recoverable info... Supposedly gateway set this system to use a single HD with radien to partition a recovery drive but the alt f10 function doesn't work. I'll try the bootable DlD and get back to you

[Wolfeymole]

As an aside an OEM Recovery disk in its real terms is about as useful as a glass hammer so don't use one of those.

Just to understand this Wolf I only run OEM OS disks on my system and they do everything a retail disk will do. If you are referring to a branded OEM disk then I agree completely. They cannot perform some of the most basic functions of a regular Microsoft OS installation disk.

I was taking the OP literally when he mentioned an OEM Recovery disk, a disk or disks made on a given machine in a back to factory scenario and are not true OS installation disks.

[iammykyl]

A far out possability, bottom of the user guide.
https://docs.google....number=23&w=800

[flyboy1565]

Data Lifeguard to USB stick. > http://www.bestfreew...e-fmpjbsqi.html

ok guys i've got an a different error using the usb disc. this time it says "Non-system disk error replace and press any key when ready

I'm ready for the next tip.

[flyboy1565]

also this time while loading i see the gateway splash screen and an american trends load something and then flash out into the same loop i've been going through. if that helps at all.

[Wolfeymole]

This Arie bloke over at that other forum has said twice that he thinks the drive is dead and I have to agree with him.

[iammykyl]

Yep, have to agree with Wolfeymole.
If you have the service tag, give the suggestion in Post #9 a go.
Would be interesting to know support response.

[flyboy1565]

Yeah I get that wolf, but I always double check others work. And the CD ROM didn't sound right. So back to my original post,

recovery disc, thinking i might be able to get a new drive and then run everything except that i can't find anything that should be free and the third party cites don't look so legit.

I also did the suggested atl+f10 and nothing. So could I look online find the same western digital HD and then how to I get an os back on the system?

[Wolfeymole]

Well you can put any sata hard drive in and from what I see of this box online it used to have Vista so it should be perfectly ok to install Windows 7.

Consider this...

http://www.amazon.co...f=pd_cp_sw_h__1

Whether the optical drive is still ok is another matter.