Hard Drive Issues Regarding Windows

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  1. Posts : 13
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit.
       #1

    Hard Drive Issues Regarding Windows


    See this thread for hardware specs.

    Recently Windows stopped booting on my PC. I was told by a professional that re-installing was probably my best bet, I had figured as much, but I wanted a second opinion.

    Then from the thread I linked above, I was told that my hard drive was likely dead. So, two questions; 1. Is a hard drive truly dead if it is detected by BIOS and can be edited in other operating systems? 2. Is it possible to install Windows to an external hard drive?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 6,285
    Windows 10 Pro X64
       #2

    1. Maybe, maybe not. Check the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.
    Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
    Bootable Hard Drive Diagnostics

    2. No, Windows will not install to a removable drive.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 13
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit.
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks, I'll try these.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 10,200
    MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit
       #4

    Tiamarth
    Update your SevenForums System Specs
    User CP (located on the top menu bar) |
    Your Profile | Edit System Spec
    (left-hand column)

    To gather info, use Speccy (my favorite) or SIW or System Info

    In the System Manufacturer Block, enter:
    Manufacturer and Model and
    ADD the word laptop, desktop, netbook or tablet.
    For example:
    Toshiba Satellite L305D notebook.

    Provide full windows version info, for example:
    MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit

    Use the “Other Info” block for Optical Reader,
    Mouse, touchpad, wifi adapter, speakers, monitor, etc

    Scroll down and click on SAVE CHANGES.

    You will find that in Speccy, you can select info from the display
    using your mouse/touchpad and then paste that info into your specs.

    SIW is a marvelous program, but the free version does not offer
    this capability.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 148
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
       #5

    Try Disk check and see if there are any errors
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 13
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit.
    Thread Starter
       #6

    karlsnooks said:
    Tiamarth
    Update your SevenForums System Specs
    The problem with that is that the problem computer cannot be booted. Which was the purpose of my posting on these forums in the first place. If I gave you the specs of the computer I am on right now it wouldn't help me or you in the slightest, because this computer (though it is very old and nearly useless) is running just fine. I am still in the process of doing what Ztruker suggested, I will post the results when I am finished.

    However,

    GTraymond2820 said:
    Try Disk check and see if there are any errors
    In afterthought, I really should have done this to begin with. So I'll just go ahead and do that now, lol. (Better late than never.)
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 13
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit.
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Yeah, thanks for the help guys. The hard drive is definitely gone and dead. Luckily I am one of the few people that took the droning advice and made backups of my files. That's not what's bothering me. What is bothering me is that I can't afford a new hard drive unless it is $50ish.

    So, before I mark this as solved, are you absolutely positive that Windows cannot be installed on an external hard drive? If it can't, does anyone know where I can buy a hard drive that is in the $50ish range?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 6,285
    Windows 10 Pro X64
       #8

    Windows will not install on an external hard drive. Do a Google search on install windows 7 on external hard drive

    How big? SATA or PATA (IDE)?

    I would try Ebay and a Google search for cheap xxxgb ide hard drives or cheap xxxgb sata hard drives (xxx is size in Gigabytes).
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 4,751
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit - Build 7600 SP1
       #9

    Tiamarth said:
    Yeah, thanks for the help guys. The hard drive is definitely gone and dead. Luckily I am one of the few people that took the droning advice and made backups of my files. That's not what's bothering me. What is bothering me is that I can't afford a new hard drive unless it is $50ish.

    So, before I mark this as solved, are you absolutely positive that Windows cannot be installed on an external hard drive? If it can't, does anyone know where I can buy a hard drive that is in the $50ish range?
    I just did a quick search and here are some 160 GB in your price range.
    http://www.pricegrabber.com/sata+har...oogle_us_broad
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 13
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit.
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Ztruker said:
    Windows will not install on an external hard drive. Do a Google search on install windows 7 on external hard drive
    Thanks, doing a Google search of that exact phrase led me to a video tutorial on installing Windows 7 to an external hard drive. I am now typing this on the computer that was causing problems, using the external hard drive rather than the internal one.

    bigmck said:
    And thank you, I may be using an external hard drive as of right now, but I don't plan on using it as a permanent fix.
      My Computer


 
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