Member Avatar for Dashiznit

Sorry if somone already asked about this but I'm new. I was installing a new hard drive in my laptop went to the bathroom and my 8yr old son did somthing to the laptop now it say (no os) and when I try to get winXP to run it says hdd write protect. I tried to call Hitacchi tech support and they have no idea whats wrong and gave me a link for a format porgram but it tells me the same thing. Can anyone out there help me?

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Dani AI

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Brief, practical checklist for a drive moved between machines that the Windows installer reports as write‑protected — expanding on 's boot-order tip and tying it to 's situation.

Start with quick isolation steps. Boot into the laptop BIOS and confirm the drive model shows up and whether the BIOS reports any security/password state. If the drive is detected but the installer still refuses to write, remove the drive and test it on another PC or in a USB‑SATA/IDE adapter. If the problem follows the disk, it is almost certainly a drive-level issue; if it works elsewhere, the laptop or its controller is the culprit.

Collect evidence with a live Linux USB to avoid Windows setup limitations. The kernel kernel log and simple utilities reveal the problem class (locked, readonly due to firmware, or failing hardware). For example, run a short SMART/firmware query and check the ATA security state:

sudo hdparm -I /dev/sda | grep -i security
sudo smartctl -a /dev/sda

If the drive reports an ATA "Security" lock or the firmware has set the device read‑only (a protective mode some drives use when failing), normal format tools will fail. ATA security requires the unlock password (or a manufacturer service operation). Firmware read‑only states often mean hardware failure; some vendor utilities can attempt an erase or reset, but that will destroy all data.

Recommended next moves: if the data must be recovered, stop and use a data‑recovery service. If data is disposable, try a manufacturer diagnostic/low‑level utility (Hitachi/HGST diagnostics) or a secure‑erase tool — only after confirming the drive is not password locked. Check simple things first on older PATA drives (jumper positions) and always note model/serial when contacting Hitachi support.

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Member Avatar for zandiago

try to change the boot settings from Hard-drive to allow it to boot from the CD (given that you've got the windows XP CD). Could you be more detailed. So when you turn you're laptop on, does it just say that the hard-drive it right protected and that's it? How far does the booting go?

Member Avatar for Dashiznit

Hello Zindiago No its a new HD with no OS on it I'm not sure what he did but the manufacture tells me its my problum and that this dose not fall under warenty. When I say new I meen new to this laptop it use to be a backup HD for my music.

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