Is it completely dead? If you can get into the system, you can usually obtain the hard drive manufacturers diagnostics tools which can test your drive.
Regardless, I would probably use Knoppix to get my data off the laptop and use the command line tools to check for hard drive errors, but you'll need to do some reading up on this if you are new to it.
Boot with another device such as a floppy, bootable CDROM (if your system is capable) and see if you have access to the hard drive. If your computer does not include a floppy drive, you may be able to buy an external one. Have you checked your CMOS settings? What makes you think it has failed? What operating system is loaded on it?
All I hear is a very brief clunk...like the HD tries to start spinning and does not. Only the power lights turn on like the machine is booting up...but nothing is happening.
The CPU fan eventually comes on...probably on temperature since it blows pretty warm air.
Nothing else. Just a blank screen. Cannot even access the CD drive to get it to open...its light never comes on.
Just ordered a new HDD off ebay. Will see how that works. Not out that much $$ if that is not the problem.
Me thinks you have a power problem. If your HDD was dead, you would've got a boot error on your screen. The fact that your screen is blank and your CD tray has no power leads me to believe you have a more fundamental problem that you originally thought.
You should be able to run one of the hard drive diagnostic tests that are on Ultimate Boot CD. Try either Seagate Seatools and/or Hitachi Drive Fitness Test, as they will work with any brand of drive:
Can't get anything to even start on the computer...just the clunk and the on light starts.
I tore it down to individual pieces...found the RTC battery at 2.25 volts instead of 3v. Could this be the problem? I would have thought it could go lower than that, but am not an expert on it.
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