failing hard disc

[jeremiah]

My laptop keeps stopping.
I hear a sort of 'ping' before it stops
it sounds like the hard disc?
Prior to this problem, on many occasions, I was have difficulty booting up - all I achieved was a flashing cursor. Ten attempts later I would achieve a successful boot.
Sometimes at boot a message occurs saying no operating system found.
Question 1: are these related?
question 2: should I buy a new hard disc and install myself? Or send it off to Sony
I shall need a new install of XP on the new hard disc and if I replace the disc, where do I get the software? If Sony do it, do they replace all software on existing disc onto the new disc?

sorry a bit long-winded but I am scared that my the Vaio is about to go belly up.
Kind regards,
Jeremy Staniforth

[Blencogo]

Hi Jeremy,

What model of Vaio do you have?

Have you made Recovery discs?

Have you backed up your personal data just in case?

Although it sounds like a Drive problem it could be worth checking that your memory modules are seated properly and not loose.

[kee-lo_]

Have a backup session ASAP

[jeremiah]

I have a Vaio PCG R600HFPD + docking station (it doesn't seem to appear in any of the lists of models any more - I purchased 3 years ago)

How would I tighten any loose memory modules? Does it mean going into the base of the machine. Why would the system 'ping' and stop soon thereafter?
cheers
nice to think soemone cares!
PS do you know anything about e-support? why is my club vaio name and password invailid? and, when I reregister it says I have done so already and promiose to email me the name and password and it does not.

By the way, Club Vaio is a waste of space.

JS

[jeremiah]

By the way, I have made a backup of some of the data most important to me.

[Twisted-Rizla]

By the way, Club Vaio is a waste of space.

JS

What do you mean by that?

I count two people in the above posts who have given up their own personal time to offer you some advice. No one here works or belongs to Sony in any way - they are all just volunteers who are happy to offer their time to help people like you.

If you regard it as a waste of space don't use it. That way those people who have given up their time to consider your problems wouldn't needed to have wasted their time on someone so ungrateful.