To test that I slip in a new HDD and quick install/restore the OS. Since a 500GB HDD is now about 50 bucks that's less than half the cost of a service counter encounter.
You can also boot a Live CD/DVD that I noted a few years back. Read http://tips.oncomputers.info/archives2004/0401/2004-Jan-11.htm
There are newer versions but these allow you to look around the OLD HDD if it's still working and get your files out.
Bob
Hi All - Total computer novice here, so I'm sure this is a question that has already come up numerous times. Yesterday all of a sudden we were unable to log into our Lenovo desktop, receiving the message "Boot and select proper boot device. Insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key." We're stuck in a loop.
I dug around on the internet a bit & found three possible causes/solutions:
(1) The hard drive connection was jarred loose somehow & just needs to be tightened.
(2) The hard drive crashed & there's no solution - which hopefully is not the case, given the computer is only 5 years old.
(3) A bunch of other stuff I couldn't follow, about the hard drive not being recognized & different things to do in the setup in order to fix it. I was lost reading these ones.
I'm hoping this wasn't caused by a virus. I renewed my Kaspersky license about a month or two ago & it caused us to not be able to receive E-Mails, so I turned it off & have not remembered to turn it back on... so we've been unprotected during that time.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Andy

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