Laptop no longer recognizes hard-drive HELP!!!

[joshdaniely]

my laptop (sony vaio pcg-fxa-36 does not recognize the presence of my hard-drive. any suggestions for fixing it and avoiding the $600 sony wants to charge me to send it to them to fix?

 

[kestrel1]

Is the hard drive Faulty? Is the hard drive connected correctly.
Try another HD to determine if it is the drive or the motherboard.

 

[KarlC]

With all my experience of laptop hard drives - I've found the usual culprit is the HDD becoming unseated - check this first.

 

[rclarke250]

Well if reseating does not work, download a file from IBM called Drive fitness test(type it into search) Make a diskette and it will tell you if the drive is good or bad.
If it is bad, buy another drive of the web,and save $500.
Rich