Member Avatar for lori14

My Compaq 2500 (2538CL) laptop will not boot. The first error message that appears says a hard drive failure is imminent, press F1 to continue. I press F1 and then a message appears saying media test failure, then operating system not found. I have tried wiping the hard drive using the recovery CDs. However, I can't even get through the first CD...it throws some sort of error and ejects the CD. I have tried to run a hard drive test. HP's site says to turn on the laptop and hold down the F10 key to enter BIOS, but this doen't work. I have tried removing the battery and the AC cord but this hasn't made a difference. Also, sometimes it makes a horrific sound like a woman screaming if this helps the description at all. I'm about to take a sledgehammer to it. Any advice?

  • 6 Contributors
  • 5 Replies
  • 598 Views
  • 7 Years Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by vikas mohite

Dani AI

Generated

A short, practical troubleshooting guide and recovery plan based on the reports in this thread (not repeating the original error text).

Start with data safety and noise isolation

  • Power the machine only briefly (10–15 seconds) to confirm whether the high‑pitched noise comes from the hard‑drive bay, the optical drive, or the cooling fan. Do not leave the laptop powered if a component is screaming or grinding — that can accelerate failure.
  • If comfortable with basic disassembly, remove the bottom cover to localize the sound. Note: static precautions and small screws; service manuals can show panel locations.

Quick checks that save work

  • Remove the 2.5" drive and test it externally on a working PC (USB-to-IDE/SATA adapter or external enclosure). This isolates whether the storage is dead or whether the laptop electronics/optical drive are the cause (this follows ’s and ’s instincts).
  • On the host PC check SMART and run a manufacturer quick test or a utility like CrystalDiskInfo (Windows) or smartctl (Linux). If SMART shows reallocated sectors or pending errors, treat the drive as failing and prioritize cloning.

Rescue workflow (if the drive contains important data)

  • Clone with a tool designed for failing media (example using GNU ddrescue):

    # clone once quickly, then attempt recovery passes
sudo ddrescue -f -n /dev/sdX /dev/sdY rescue.log
sudo ddrescue -d -r3 /dev/sdX /dev/sdY rescue.log

    Replace /dev/sdX with the failing disk and /dev/sdY with the target disk. If unfamiliar with these commands, stop and seek a technician to avoid making recovery harder.

Repair / replacement notes

  • Optical drive failures can cause recovery CDs to eject; an inexpensive external USB DVD drive is an alternative (but older BIOSes may need the internal drive or a BIOS hotkey to boot USB — see ’s comment about USB visibility).
  • For final repair: a compatible 2.5" replacement drive (confirm IDE vs SATA on the removed drive) or a replacement optical/fan assembly are usually low‑cost fixes. Fan failures can cause overheating and further damage, so check cooling hardware early as recommended.

If data is critical and the drive is noisy or SMART is bad, professional recovery is the safer path. Avoid prolonged power cycles or “stress tests” on a failing disk.

Recommended Answers

All 5 Replies

Member Avatar for hoppingturtle

My Compaq 2500 (2538CL) laptop will not boot. The first error message that appears says a hard drive failure is imminent, press F1 to continue. I press F1 and then a message appears saying media test failure, then operating system not found. I have tried wiping the hard drive using the recovery CDs. However, I can't even get through the first CD...it throws some sort of error and ejects the CD. I have tried to run a hard drive test. HP's site says to turn on the laptop and hold down the F10 key to enter BIOS, but this doen't work. I have tried removing the battery and the AC cord but this hasn't made a difference. Also, sometimes it makes a horrific sound like a woman screaming if this helps the description at all. I'm about to take a sledgehammer to it. Any advice?

Wear saftey goggles ;)

If you decide not to kill it, try this....

You will PROBABLY need to replace the CPU...the squealing you heard was the cpu fans' last gasp of life...when the fans go, the cooling for the cpu goes...cpu burns up and usually toasts the motherboard with it....Start by tossing a compatible cpu in it...turn it on for only a minute to see if is worth fixing....don't keep it on without proper cooling!

Next ...find a replacement heatsink/fan combo on ebay...

here's the manual to get you started!

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00246219.pdf

Good luck! :eek:

Member Avatar for kosmig

My presario 2500 quite old cd rom not work.When it's boot press F2 to Bios set up but Bios not see USB. So how can I fix it.?

Member Avatar for altuin

I think that the message you told us about speaks for itself

The first error message that appears says a hard drive failure is imminent, press F1 to continue.

. Do you have any possibility to test it with another hard drive? The noise is probably caused by the CPU cooler.

Member Avatar for sparkax

A sledgehammer is hard work-use a hammer.

Member Avatar for vikas mohite

hi am useing compac presario 2500 laptop recently i have face booting problem so tell me how can i resolve this issue

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.