Laptop won't boot (Logo screen),can't boot from USB/DVD or access BIOS

Good news!

I think I don't need to go all the way through to the BIOS battery.

I removed the hard drive and started the notebook. I easily got into the BIOS. I set an USB stick as first boot option and I could boot from that live Ubuntu USB stick.

So thank you all very much for your help so far!

The problem remains though:
I shut the PC down and put the hard drive back in. When I then started the computer, I had just the same problem as before: black screen with logo on it and I can't access the BIOS any longer. I have not removed the USB stick I had used before.

Maybe I need to format the hard drive? How would I do this? Can I put it back in while the PC is running (as ubuntu live system)?

Anyway, you are the specialists: please, tell me how to go on.:)

Sorry late reply mate it looks as if the drive might have some sort of a problem then. Well formatting the drive is up to whether you have access to another machine to do that with as I cannot think of how that is going to happen as is.

If you are thinking of a clean install then I would be inclined to wipe the drive - clean or clean all rather than just a format. Now depending on the machine you use to do this you could either install the drive into that machine and use DISKPART to find the drive and do the job on it. The other option is to get an adaptor so that you can hook it up to another laptop/desktop via a USB connection see pic (there are other types but the principle is the same)

The DISKPART process is here Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command

Ok mate you can try just using just the silver cable but the drive needs a power source to run and the power form the laptop might not be enough even if you use the power USB port on the machine.

As I said that one is a tad overly cabled and there are others (usually more expensive) available that are less "wired up" but still need a power supply.

Ok mate if the drive is SATA for the data then you will need to use the red lead to hook the drive to the block on the USB connector it is hard to see but on that black block there is a SATA socket.

The power block has a Molex connector and if the drive is a SATA power you need to use that lead that has the four coloured cables in it to convert the Molex (on the power supply block) to SATA power for the drive.

So in effect the drive has two connections 1. the red one for data (from the drive to the "head" and 2. the SATA power plug for drive power (uses the four cable connecting piece form power brick to the drive) .

Maybe this adapted pic might be clearer

Johannes mate another type I talked of - usually more expensive but simpler and you will find heaps on EBay