Dell Latitude D600, won't see the harddrive. I took the harddrive out and stuck it in a desktop(with a 2.5" adapter) and was able to boot all the way up to XP just fine. Now I am aware that these latitudes are notorious for failing motherboards, but was hoping someone here might be able to give me another direction to look.

This is when I prefer old hardware where a controller could've been easily replaced without doing the whole mobo.

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Have you got the data and power cables connected in all of the right places?
This is a common mistake by leaving a cable out of it's place.

Have you got the data and power cables connected in all of the right places?
This is a common mistake by leaving a cable out of it's place.

It's a laptop, no cables. It just snaps into connector which I'm assuming is connected straight to the board. Though, now that I think about it, there could be a thin ribbon running from that side connector to the board. I believe my cousin did say she dropped it a few times. Seems like a stupid question to even ask, but after doing this sort of work all day long(bank hardware support) I tend to forget a few obvious steps occationally.

Ribbons usualy can be reseated at both ends. Maybe dropping it shook one end a bit loose. Try reseating.

1. Sorry i didn't know it was a laptop :P
2. Do as Chaky says, check if the ribbons were dislodged/unseated by the fall it took.

Some ribbons have plastic pins that are keeping it in place. You can pull those pins back to disconnect the ribbon. That would be proper way to reseat it. Don't try to push the ribbon back in without releasing pins first. You can only do more damage. Those wires are VERY thin.

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