Dell problem

GolumGolum
edited May 2005 in Hardware
Hi there

I got a Dell Inspiron 8200 with BIOS version A11
It keeps giving this error at start...

Primary Hard disk not found
optical drive not found
Press F1 to retry boot or F2 to run set up.

Of course I can't boot it from CD.

I found no way to get around it. In the BIOS says... Primary HDD - none, Fixed optical drive - Not installed. I can't modify in the BIOS as doesn't let me.

Any ideas?

Thanks alot
Golum

Comments

  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited May 2005
    Do you have the cd rom in and the hdd in ?
  • GolumGolum
    edited May 2005
    Yes
  • SiggySiggy Sydney Australia
    edited May 2005
    Grab an antistatic strap, open the case and check the connections to the motherboard and to the drives.
    Are both the HDD and CDRom on the same IDE cable?
    Is there a setting in the BIOS to force it to search for the Hard drive?

    g'luck

    Siggy
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited May 2005
    Its a notebook :rolleyes:

    There is no ide cable.

    Try going into the bios and see if the hdd and that are showing up at all in there.
    (press f2 when the dell inspron logo comes up)
  • GolumGolum
    edited May 2005
    GrayFox wrote:
    Its a notebook :rolleyes:

    There is no ide cable.

    Try going into the bios and see if the hdd and that are showing up at all in there.
    (press f2 when the dell inspron logo comes up)

    The BIOS says.... HDD - none, Fixed Optical Drive - not installed... Those options are in green and I can't modify them, I'm sure there is a way to modify them but it seems I can't find it.
    It must be from BIOS coz... right when I start up the laptop, I hear the CD ROM and HDD working... there's no way to boot from CD or Floppy.

    Any sugestions?

    Golum
  • qparadoxqparadox Vancouver, BC
    edited May 2005
    How did this happen? Did you just reboot one day and have it not work? Were you having trouble with the machine (slowing down, dll errors, programs crashing a lot?) before the problem began?

    Have you ever opened up your dell?
  • GolumGolum
    edited May 2005
    qparadox wrote:
    How did this happen? Did you just reboot one day and have it not work? Were you having trouble with the machine (slowing down, dll errors, programs crashing a lot?) before the problem began?

    Have you ever opened up your dell?

    Yep... had a kernel_data_inpage_error Stop 0x0000007A error, I rebooted to fix the problem and the rest you know.... couldn't get into it anymore.
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited May 2005
    Looks like a dead board :(.


    That cant be fixed by you unless someone has a inspiron 8200 board on ebay.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited May 2005
    Yeah, it sounds most likely to be a dead mobo, but it's possible that the hard drive died and having the dead hard drive still connected is somehow interfering with the mobo from finding the cdrom drive too. Do you know anyone with a laptop perhaps so you could temporarily borrow their hard drive and see it your 8200 finds the hard drive on boot? Don't finish booting up with it though, so you don't bork their install up. Also, you could try removing the hard drive (I think it's just 1 or 2 screws that hold the hard drive cage in) and try booting up to see if the mobo can find the cdrom drive. If it can find the cdrom drive with the hard drive removed, then it's very possible that the hard drive is the culprit, which can be easily replaced..
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited May 2005
    Acording to a quick google image search the inspiron 8200 uses the same chassie as my 4000. If you want I can post instructions with pictures on removing the hdd :).
  • GolumGolum
    edited May 2005
    Thanks Gray :)
    I believe the HDD is fine coz I hear it trying to boot before the BIOS shuts is down.
    I think the BIOS went nuts and I wish I could find a way to edit it.
    Any sugestion?
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited May 2005
    You could try reflashing the bios again if you got the optional floppy drive.

    Heres a link for the bios
    http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/type.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&SystemID=INS_PNT_P4_8200&category=1&os=BIOSA&osl=en&deviceid=2287&devlib=1
  • GolumGolum
    edited May 2005
    Cheers Gray :D:thumbsup:

    I inserted the diskette with the BIOS, start the puter and gave me the options to start with cd or windows. Now seems to work fine ;)

    I tried yesterday to rewrite the flash, but didn't work, I guess the puter is PMSing

    Thanks again :thumbsup:
  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited May 2005
    No problem glad to help :)
  • GolumGolum
    edited May 2005
    It failed again, same thing :grumble: :mad2:
  • SiggySiggy Sydney Australia
    edited May 2005
    GrayFox wrote:
    Its a notebook :rolleyes:

    There is no ide cable.

    Try going into the bios and see if the hdd and that are showing up at all in there.
    (press f2 when the dell inspron logo comes up)


    Oops, :o

    Deserved that for not reading the question properly!!! :o
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