Solved need help recovering HDD for Samsung NP-QX410

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Hello,

I'm seeking help trying to bring back
to life my college son's Samsung NP_QX410-So2 US


He gave me the laptop to fix and keep. If possible., If, with hopefully
some expert advice, I can fix it, my wife and I planto hand it down to our 10 yr
old son.

So here is what I know of it so far:

Seagate Momentous 5400.3 SATA 120GB HDD

4G
Ram

When I boot up computer, besides general lag probably bcz of
problems, I can basically click f2 or f4 for Samsung recovery or f8 for optional
startup screen (windows starts....restore point, networking, command
mode....etc....)

I have tried f4 to go to
Samsung recovery. it gets to a certain point, before any real options are
available and just hangs.

I have tried f8
and tried restore point and repair windows and have gotten basically the same
results.

So, I am asking for help on what to try
next to breath some life back into this thing. it's a very nice laptop
and would really like to be able to restore.

I do not have recovery or installation disks.

Samsung site & docs are useless. I did try F4 but wasn't successful.

I don't want to sound like I know what I'm doing. I DON'T.

So far, with the Seagate (Vista) HDD I've tried all
F8 options. Have BSOD, or seems so. I can get to Startup repair and it gets
basically nowhere. I checked Memory diagnostic(extended), checked out OK. I get
to command prompt from the startup repair utility, can see Directories. I've
tried restore points, nothing. I downloaded and burned Seatools for DOS, says
HDD is fine, I believe. I've downloaded and burned Kasperky bootable AV rescue
disk. found my internet and updated virus database and it found no threats.
Doing the same with Bitdefender and will post those results.

I'm well out of my element at this point. trying to learn as much as I can get advice
with. remaining optimistic it's not hopeless.

Is this BSOD? Is it
fatal? Or is it a corrupt damaged MBR?


Thanks anyone and everyone for reading and any thoughtful advice and
guidance you have to offer!!!

I have some images that might help. Any ideas are
welcome to steer me in a positive direction if there is any possibility of
recovering/restoring these drive, either or both. inve$tment is an issue, as we
have limited re$ources to waste on futile cause.


Thanks!!!!

Here is an article for your particular blue screen and troubleshooting steps some of which you have already done. The second code seems to indicate an issue with the device drivers; see #7.
How To Fix STOP 0x0000007B Errors (INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE)

Here is a tutorial for the recovery and repair options.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/101393-repair-vista-options-preferred-sequence.html

If it comes down to it you don't need to worry about not having a Vista install disk to repair or reinstall Vista but only the ability to download/burn an ISO as well as a serial number.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/301852-vista-iso-download-create-installation-dvd-usb.html

@ townsbg

Thanks for the reply!

EDIT to 1st post:

the image of the HDD is incorrect. that is a Samsung (originally in this laptop with Windows 7 OS) SeaTools for DOS diagnosis was that HDD was dead failing long and short test and unable to repair. The correct HDD for this post (with Vista OS on it) is Seagate Momentous 5400.3 as I listed in 1st post. I will attach correct image. Seatools for DOS determined, as the other images seem to show, the Seagate HDD is OK.

I will follow up with the links and suggestions you've posted. THANKS!!! I will update with results and findings......

@ townsbg

weird update...kinda....

I began to look thru the links you posted. got as far as the HOW TO FIX STOP errors. I read about the BIOS (or CMOS?) and different settings re HDD. So I booted up and hit F2. looked at OD and saw AHCI auto. (not that I knew what I was doing) I changed it to disabled. saved and exited. rebooted, got the " windows failed to start.....hardware changes, etc....choice 1 try to repair, 2 start normal). I chose NORMAL startup, and now I am here......Windows Vista Setup? Should I abort this and resume repairing process from the links? See attached images. I'm not sure what this means

That is the Vista install. Only do that if you want to reinstall Vista. The disabling AHCI is done in the BIOS/CMOS. When you start windows you will need to look for the key used to enter that menu. It might vary based upon system. Also that menu structure varies so you will just have to look around.

@ townsbg

I decided to just reinstall Vista from the recovery partition. I had already backed up what personal data we thought we might want.

As a novice, at best, I didn't fully appreciate that decision. now I realize (and it wouldn't have mattered if we could have saved the original OS) many of the necessary drivers required to run the hardware on the Samsung laptop would not be on the Seagate HDD running Vista. This Seagate HDD is from a HP/Compaq Laptop from 2006/7....the Samsung np-qx410 it's now installed in is from Jan 2012.

So, the Seagate HDD and Vista are working(I also installed Vista SP1 from a flashtisck as I can't5 get the Ethernet adapter, network adapter, and wifi adapter to work, so no internet accesability yet). I have a couple dozen screenshots with system and hardware specs illustrating the hardware conflicts and missing drivers. I have been to Samsung (their support is frustrating) for drivers for the following...

3D graphics driver; Ethernet controller; network controller; sm bus controller; pci data acquisition & signal processor; pci simple communication controller

Samsung site has many driver download....for Win7 and some for WinXP. nothing for VISTA.

I'm going to mark this thread as solved and post a new thread on the DRVIERS section of the FORUM.

If you feel you can help me with any of these driver issues I would really, really appreciate it!

Thanks for all your help!!l

I missed it if you said that you where transferring Vista from one system to the next. That explains the blue screens. You can't transfer Vista from one computer to another and legally you can't us a copy obtained from hp in a samsung. That is a violation of M$ terms of use. Only a retail copy can be used on multiple systems just not at the same time. Even then it is safest to perform a clean install.

@ townsbg

I swapped out a bad samsung HDD with Win7 and Replaced it with a sick Seagate HDD from our older HP/Compaq that had Vista OS. I reinstalled Vista from the Seagate recovery Partition. It's working now. We have product keys for both.

My son just texted me and advised that I could download Win7 OS in an ISO file from Microsoft for the Samsung laptop with product key on bottom of np-qx410 ....which is now operating with the older Seagate hdd & Vista?

I will visit Microsoft. I also have an enclosure I could put the bad Samsung HDD in. I may be able to access the Win7 OS in it's recovery partition as well. If so, I might be able to reinstall Win7 with all the laptops correct hardware drivers without having to search for them at Samsung.

(The Seagate was experiencing BSOD when it was installed in it's original HP/Compaq laptop, we discarded that laptop 2 years ago. Originally purchased in '08. I saved the Seagate just in case we might ever need it or wanted try to fix it and put in an enclosure for use as an external HDD)

LMK if you understand, have other advice, or I'm doing something wrong.

THANKS!!!

Product keys for OEM licenses (which come from manufacturers) will only activate on one system so if you discarded that laptop then you are out of luck. The Microsoft activation people might or might not help you with a work around however the install disk for an hp will probably only work on an hp due to device driver requirements. It might also refuse to install on another system. It is best to go with the OS that came with your system unless you have retail copy of Vista. Here's where you can go to get windows 7 download. Microsoft Software Recovery

@ townsbg

after a week on the slippery slope of learning and researching.....problem solved. the original Samsung HDD win7 was all but dead, however, I was able to recover the system files and drivers with Samsung recovery solution 5 and backing them up on a usb ext HDD.

I then reformatted the Seagate drive I had restored with Vista, and with recovery 5 again I installed the backed up Samsung system files and driver (with hard coded win7 product key) onto the Seagate.

the Samsung np-qx410 now is running again and well with the Seagate 120G HDD Win7 OS.

thx for your help. See ya on the Seven Forums.....