This is a post I made in the HP support forums but so far no response. Can anybody help on the below?

HP G70-120EA upgrade HDD problem

I’ve been having problems with my notebook crashing. A test confirms it’s a HDD problem. So I buy a replacement HDD exactly the same as before (WD Scorpio Blue) only this time 320GB. The original was 160GB.

I’ve fitted the new HDD and tried 3 times to reinstall the software using the Recovery discs. But it keeps failing to install the software properly.

Is the problem caused because the new HDD has a larger capacity or is it something else?

Your help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Sometimes the recovery disk just copies from one partition on the hard disk back over the top of the other. Hence if the disk goes el wrongo you have no way of reinstalling.

Did you get a windows disc with the lappy or just the recovery one?

It didn’t come with any discs. It allowed me to create a recovery disc which I did when I bought the lappy about 3 years ago. I’m doing the “recovery” onto a newer bigger HDD.

Any message when the recovery disc fails, or does it just not work?

In your situation I personally would download the same version of Windows disc and use the valid licence (sticker with key underneath?) you have and do a clean install. The only bummer is finding drivers for all your hardware.

The probably more legal way would be to phone HP and see if they will send you an installer disc.

Edit:
Read this:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00810334&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=18703#N29

What test did you run on the original disk?

I get a message saying it failed and get an option to retry or cancel. On the 3rd attempt I did manage to get it working for a short while despite the failure message and even managed to send an email. It would not reboot however.

I tested both HDD’s with a bootable CD tester from Western Digital.

If you can get the orignal to boot again I’d be tempted to run an error check on the disk (assuming XP go to C drive properties, Tools Tab, Error Check all options ticked). Be warned if there are dodgy sectors chkdsk can take ages to run but do not stop it running mid-job even if you think it’s hung because it hasn’t. This “should” put the disk in a usable state and allow you to image the disk including the recovery partition onto your new disk.

I’m actually using the original HDD now. It works most of the time but will randomly crash then get a non bootable disc error when it starts back up.

I wanted to trasfer everything onto a new hdd before it goes kaput and I lose all my data.

I was hoping to do a clean install.

If I do clone the hdd what is the best software to use?

I’ve got a sneaking suspicion the laptop hardware doesn’t support a HDD as big as 320gb.

You still need to fix disk integrity if you want to clone it. From the symptoms you describe you have a disk about to break for good so I’d run the disk check imo as this should provide you with enough breathing space to take the image. You dont need to boot off the disk in question to run a check disk so maybe buy a 10 quid usb etc converter. What type of disk is it, ide, sata etc?

it’s a SATA

It might sound silly, but your recovery software might require the disk to be partitioned before accepting an image – long shot but worth a go

ok. check disc done on the original hdd. i’ll re-format the new hdd then do an image copy with laplink disc image.

Mandog what version of windows were you using and where are you based?

FWIW,

I did a clone of Vista on this very laptop, from a dodgy HDD that kept crashing onto a new one. It worked fine and was rock solid afterwards. Seems the Vista family is a bit more robust than its predecessors.

Well I’ve tried the recovery discs, I’ve tried imaging, and I’ve tried cloning.

Nothing works, it’s probably just me so I expect I’ll be taking it to the shop at the weekend.

I’m using Vista and I’m based in Surrey shindigga