Harddrives Not there?

[andrewisback]

I turned on my computer the other day and suddenly it didn't reconize its own hardrives. I then looked in Bios by holding esc while the vaio animation loaded and they were they both 100GBs it even knew the make.
So i decided to try reinstalling windows.....however windows could not detect any hard disk devices to install to. So i decided i would try to fdisk the probelm away as it said they may need paritioning. SO i went ahead got a boot CD (which took ages!) and fdisked it and formatted it. No Good!. So i have come to the extreme now it seems i'll have to flash my bios as it seems to be a problem there. God knows how this got corrupted but if so at least i might be able to fix it. I have a Sony Vaio VGN AR21S Series I now need to know either

1. Where i can find suitable BIOS and how to flash it on

2. Any way i haven't tried to fix it

P.S. Is there any way of Sony knowing if you've open up your laptop?

[Thalamus.]

Hi Andrewisback,

have you tried starting your AR21 and when you see the Vaio logo press the F10 repeatedly, this should start the recovery process.?

[andrewisback]

It just beeped a lot and then loaded and didn't work still

[ProperBritish]

yeah, probably because you reformatted it

[andrewisback]

Is that it F10? nothing else?

[andrewisback]

I think there might be a problem with the BIOS so i think i am going to flash it is that a good idea?

I have a file downloaded from Vaio and it is my BIOS

However i need to make this into a bootable CD how?

[Thalamus.]

I think there might be a problem with the BIOS so i think i am going to flash it is that a good idea?

Why do you think that there is a problem with the BIOS...

What version of Windows have you tried to install.?

If you tried installing your own retail version of Windows XP on your AR21S XP this could be the reason for the HDD not being detected, as XP does not contain the RAID/SATA drivers..

Did you create a set of recovery disc's.?

If not and as you have formatted and removed the hidden HDD recovery partition then you can if you wish purchase a set of recovery disc's by contacting Sony Vaio support, you can do this either by phone or via e-Support, use the following link to find the contact details: Sony Vaio Support

If you would rather try to install your own copy of XP then you may find the guide from Costap useful, use the following link to view: Full instructions to downgrade an AR31M from Vista to XP Pro

[Blencogo]

Please keep all your questions in one thread or you will be wasting everyone's time.

I have replied to another of your threads here: -

http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/gb/en/forum/viewthread?thread=55940

I suggest you just use this thread from now on.

[Thalamus.]

Please keep all your questions in one thread or you will be wasting everyone's time.

I have replied to another of your threads here: -

http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/gb/en/forum/viewthread?thread=55940

I suggest you just use this thread from now on.

 

Thanks Blencogo I missed your earlier reply.. :smileyblush:

[andrewisback]

Sorry about that.

There aren't any SATA drivers for the hardrives I have in my VGN-AR21S on the Sony support

So i looked up the hardrives on Google and it said they are on the Windows XP disk.

Its a nice tutorial that i was sent to except all the links are dead

I forgot to mention that i tried the HDD in another Sony Laptop i have a VGN-CR11S. It detected the HDD and allowed me to install windows without any additional drivers.
However when i place it back into my VGN-AR21S it doesn't load up windows. Nor when i try to reinstall windows it still doesn't detect the hardrives. The transfered one was the primary HDD and just for safty sake i swapped it with the secondray just incase. The reason i believe it to be the BIOS is this, I understand what your saying about needing drivers as it is SATA but why would i be able to detect and install on to them on a different laptop?
Also now the the OS is installed it should just start up.