Possible laptop hard drive failure

[alaskagene]

I have a Toshiba Satellite 4300 that will not boot. Took it to the shop the other day and asked them to install XP over the top and save the data.
Had a problem receiving an error message when closing a page. They returned to laptop with out doing the requested install and I found when I got home, the computer was 'dead'.

I do not have any rescue disk or way to boot up the origional XP. Went to Microsoft and downloaded the boot disk creation program. Used the six floppys and got to the point where there was a request for the XP.

Before I buy software and hard drive maybe I need to find out if the drive is still useable.

Not sure how to proceed. Maybe buy a case and plug it by way of usb into my other laptop.

I am ready for some advice............

 

[MMDominator88]

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16812156102 if you wanted to do the latter of things mentioned

 

[alaskagene]

Thanks for the information. The company you directed me to does not do business in HI or AK. I did find a data transfer kit with ghosting software included from CMS. Twice the price however.

Would it be possible to use the kit to clone my drive in my HP laptop and plug said clone into the Toshiba? Doesn't solve the problem of data recovery but I do have the drive info backed up on a Maxor external drive.

Sorry to be such a klutz but please bear with me. The Toshiba is not worth buying a new hard drive and $200 for a new operating system. Just trying to find an inexpensive way to have a spare laptop.

 

[MMDominator88]

when you say "plug the said clone..." do you mean plug the external Maxxtor HDD to the toshiba laptop and boot off of the clone you made...or do you mean make a disc of your HDD using the ghosting software and put the disc into the DVD drive when booting up using the floppies you made ?