Notebooks & Netbooks

[Rramirez]

 I have Acer A150  netbook that the hardrive went bad about 2 years ago. I replaced the harddrive and about 2 weeks ago the netbook no longer reconzies the harddrive. I know it is not the harddrive because I it from it another computer, I also try another hardrive that is working and it still does not reconcises the harddrive. Any Ideas ?

[mrpete]

If you know how to download torrents you might try the latest GParted boot CD. The reason that I suggest the latest is that that version will have the most seeders. You can get the GParted boot CD from the web search. Configure your laptop to boot from the CD. Then boot the CD.

See if GParted can see your HDD.

There are also boot CDs, but I suggest starting with GParted.

Steps: (these steps were written for an older version = things might have changed very slightly)

- boot the GParted CD on the A150

- accept all the defaults during the boot process ... just keep pressing Enter

- the 1st default to accept is to choose "GParted Live (default settings)" from the initial menu

- the other choices offered are for ... keymap, language, mode (use X windows) ... just press Enter [[I'm assuming you want English, but maybe not.]]

- the CD has booted and the GParted utility has started up ... it has a GUI interface ... you are immediately/automatically put into the GParted disk partition program

Does GParted see you disk drive? In the upper right corner of the program that auto starts does it show something like /dev/sda 110GiB? If it does then it is able to see your HDD. If not then you have big problems.

Does it see that there already is a partition on the HDD? If you put in an HDD that already had a partition on it then the program should see it. If it is able to see the HDD, but does not see a partition then you may have to reinstall the OS (however one does that on an A150).

Let us know what the GParted boot CD shows you.

[Rramirez]

Is GParted Boot CD the same as GParted live ? The most current GParted Live is 0.18.1. It also it show for different CPU's. My guess is that A150 is i686 cpu.

Thanks

[mrpete]

Yes, "GParted Boot CD" IS the same as "GParted live."

I recommend the i486 version of GParted. It is a "universal version" and should run on all x86 compatible CPUs. The A150 has an Intel Atom CPU which is an "in-order"/low energy consumption x86 compatible CPU. The only drawback of the i486 version is that on multiple core CPUs only 1 core will be used. That is not big deal, particularly for a low-CPU disk partitioning program like GParted. use the i486 version of GParted.

[edited to comply with guidelines]

[Rramirez]

    Regarding the Gparted Boot CD. Once the CD is created and inserted and the system boots (hopefully from the harddrive),  will the netbook have to be always booted from the CD, or can it boot directly from the harddrive.  By what I have read it maybe a problem with the netbook bios (on this models). I have tried to flashed the bios, but I still get the the same thing I can not see the hardrive, but I am not sure if updated the Bios because it not does give any information whether it do or did not do it. Thank you for you help.

[mrpete]

RRamirez and I traded emails back and forth to try to solve this problem. He finally got the software in a way that rhymes with abhorrent. He ran the self-booting Linux disk partitioning software and it could not see his hard drive. That tells me that there is a really bad problem there, either with the HDD (likely) or with the disk interface. No nice solution here.

[Rramirez]

 I would like to thank mrpete for the effort in trying to fix the problem. I think it is probably a bad motherboard.

[Thedeathofxp]

You may want to look at the SATA wire ,when you replaced the HHD you need to lay the wire the same way ,sort of to the left. If it's to the right the wire can burn (low voltage will take time)   P.S. we are talking about AOA150 right?

[Rramirez]

   Thanks for the suggestion, but the you can put the harddrive backwards because it will not fit since they a keyed to go in one direction. If it was forced backwards it would likely shorted the motherboard and the harddrive. The motherboard still works, but it wants to boot from a network card.  Here is what I have tried.

1. Flashing the Bios. Followed the instructions but it still has the same problem.

2. A second hard drive in case the first was bad. I test both drives to a desktop and they both worked.

3. Removing the battery (See attachments, but Mpete pointed out that it was for different model, but that model has the problem that mine has so I thought I would give that shot.)

4. I tried using Gpart CD and it still did not read the drive. Even put a different drive same problem.

I believed I also tried to clear the bios by using a combationg of keys, but it did not work.

I am curious as to what Acer has to say about this kind of problems or have they heard of them ?

I remember when the prolbem first appear it would tell me that there not harddrive attached but it still worked.

Then finally it would read any harddrive and it will not appear in the Bios section. I would like to point that I can still boot from a usb harddrive, so it does see the usb but not the hardrive. I am wondering if is connection between the harddrive and the motherboard and that connects are loose perhaps a bad solder connection.

[Thedeathofxp]

"am wondering if is connection between the harddrive and the motherboard and that connects are loose perhaps a bad solder connection."....you could heat it up with a hair dryer on high...ya I know you can't put the HHD backwards ,but you could have layed the little black wire on something -on the later models Acer put a black tag on the wire to prevent that.