I installed Windows 7 onto my lap top on Tuesday, worked fine, no problems. Because im a bit anal, i was bugged by 10gb of unpartitioned space so I tried to expand C: into the space. Windows wouldnt let me do it.

I did a deep scan of the space and it was empty, no bootload on it or anything, just wasted space. In between that and C: is the boot partition.

Anyway, I installed Partition Magic and stupidly merged the boot partition, unallocated space and C: together.

The computer starts and then says "Cant find boot sector" (Or words to that effect)

So, i do a clean install of windows 7 and its going ok until around 30% then the dvd drive stops and the hdd starts making a clicking sound. I leave it for 10 mins and its stuck on 30%, mouse doesnt move etc.

So I turn off, let it cool down, try again. This time installation gets to 4% and does the same thing.

I turned it off about 1am, went to bed. Couldnt sleep, got up about 7 this morning and had another go. Now it wont boot from DVD, it wont eject and isnt responding. When i press the eject button it makes a sound as though its trying to open but doesnt.

Im pissed off.

Do I need to get a new HDD and try to boot from dongle or is there an easy fix to get the DVD to start loading again.

I dont want to buy a new HDD if the problem is the CD...

Thanks

Firstly, calm down, if there was nothing on there to lose, then you shouldn't stress so much yet, and you don't know what the fault yet (I know it's gut-reaction to think the worst, but try not to). Even if it is your HDD, at least you've lost no valuable data, and they are fairly cheap to replace (despite the recent increase in prices) and this is the perfect situation to find out your hard drive is dying - nothing worse than finding out when you have data on there (that may not have been backed up for a while/ever lol).

Initially, whilst the click HDD is not a good sign, it could also possibly be that the DVD disc is goosed. Does it have any scratches or is it pristine? How old is it, is it original, or is it a copy?

Do you have any old Windows/Linux discs, or access to a DVD burner?

Let's take it one step at a time, plenty of us on here will be able to help you don't worry.

While you're answering Matt's questions, in the future avoid Parition Magic. That software sucks. When it does work (and it doesn't often) it seems it didn't provide you with a warning when you merged your boot sector with the system drive ..

Thanks mate, thankfully, havent lost anything. Just dont want to be splashing out on a new laptop!

The DVD itself is new so no scratches etc. DVD stopped spinning and booting up yesterday.

Dont have access to a portable DVD without paying a shop (Which I want to avoid unless absolultley necessary).

Are laptop HDD's easily swapped out? Can I stick a second hand one in there if I can get one?

Laptop is about 5 years old, Advent P.O.S but its alright for what I need it for.

Cheers mate.

Yeah, will probably avoid that program in future!!

I have a USB DVD drive you could borrow?

Is the Windows 7 legit (I notice the laptop is 5 years old, should be Vista at best, originally).

Generally, laptop HDD's are pretty easy to swap, except on the likes of Dell and Zoostorm netbooks etc lol. Most Advents from that era were built by ECS iirc, so I'd imagine it would be quite straightforward.

But you really need to verify that it isn't the DVD at fault first, before you go changing the HDD (unless you have a spare knocking about of course lol).

Very easily swapped out. It's as simple as undoing the screws for the HDD enclosure and pulling out the old one and then (carefully) slotting in the new one. Some can be a bit fiddly when you need to connect the tiny little screws but most are easy.

Add to that Paragon Partition Manager 9... dunno why, but I still use it, and it's downright awful software haha!! To say it has fatal flaws would be an understatement, you have to have your wits about you if performing any crtitical tasks to avoid data loss lol.

Chris... Where abouts are you?

Windows 7 is torrented (Although it worked fine up until messing up the partition)

I wanted to reclaim the 10gb recovery partition because the drive is only 120gb and it was getting full. Thankfully I backed everything up before trying the partition.

Maybe you need the drivers for the DVD which has been wiped,Do you have the drivers disc for your laptop it should include all drivers for your wireless network and M/board,
If you don't have the Driver disc then I would try it again and just leave it as long as it takes(judder or not)with out the drivers it takes for ever but once loaded you can download all necessary drivers via Windows update job done

Say what? The problem is his hdd is busted, it has nothing to do with drivers. Drivers only come into the equation once the OS is installed and he can't get that far. It'd bluescreen before it finished the installation, especially if the drive is clicking like he says it is.

Its clicking because it wont recognize the DVD disc just a thought

Ya it will, it gets to the point that it's installing windows and then fails. The disk and it's contents are fine the problem is writing to the hdd.

Sounds like bad sectors on your HDD, that clicking is the acctuator arm bouncing around.

Just had another play with it at lunchtime. I got as far as selecting language on Win 7 installation before the DVD drive failed. windows recognised my HDD and I managed to run chkdsk earlier using a winxp console usb i had lying around. I think the HDD is clicking because the DVD drive is failing, tt worked around 12pm before failing and now its unresponsive again. I tried to run puppy linux from a USB but it fails at Loading Kernel Drivers so I cant get in and have a snoop around.

Im gonna give a portable DVD player a go tonight and see if it is linked to the DVD, for some reason the Bios recognises the DVD but wont spin or eject. Then randomly, when the computer has been off for a while, it spins the disk and boots win7 installation before timing out or randomly ejecting the disk half way through the installation.

External DVD Drive might get you through it,
you can so im told also copy win 7 to a Flash drive and install from that, not done it my self but may be another option.

Ive not read backwards only working off your last post.

You can use usb download tool to install the .iso onto a usb stick

Thanks Matt for the DVD. The hard drive has broken, somehow due to me ruining a partition. I get a BSOD when it starts copying files to the HDD and it was making all sorts of unholy noises.

Will fork out for a new HDD and I think that should solve the problem.

Oh well, at least I got to the bottom of it.

Called it

Your partition magic advice has been heeded ex0

If you want me to run some HDD tests on it to sign its death certificate, I can do mate. Have bought that diagnostics software home from work.

Yeah might be worth a go. Meanwhile, I require a HDD!!

http://tinyurl.com/77dg5rn (SATA)

Western Digital ftw.

http://tinyurl.com/7j3eq3q (IDE)

http://www.saverstore.com/product/2...s-5400RPM-8MB-Buffer-Internal-Hard-Drive

Love these!! Got two of the bloody things in the 12" lol!

Great deal, but ive only got about £30-40 in my budget... Dont think id need all that space... Resident Evil 2 doesnt take up that much!

Haha nah I was only sayin it cos you said you would like more

Fantastic drives though, even if they do seem noisier than others hehe!