I don't think I'm going to make any upgrades to this one; it's a laptop and... not one that I want to put a lot more of anything into. I'm running it as a skeptic these days, and will anticpate the HD to fry again - until it reaches that "magic" mark or, minimally, the point beyond when the first HD fried (slightly over one-half-year-old).

My desktop? Now, that's something I'll seriously consider doing as you mention .

Nothing about this laptop could have been easy, if someone were to ask the manufacturer. Of course, it could have been far less stressful if the phone jockeys hadn't behaved so arrogantly and as if they know-all, when, clearly they don't. Anyone who says that data cannot be recovered (especially after they've been told that the data is not corrupt), user-end, is full of y'know, that nasty stuff .

I do plan to do one thing, at least: As soon as I have time, I'm going to make a tutorial on data recovery. It tweaked me when one of the phone jockeys took great delight in relaying that he's lost count of how many times he's told "grandmas and grandpas that they cannot recover their grand babies photos." He should have said, "Sorry, folks. I don't know." Or, maybe, "I'll have to refer you to someone else because ... " he sure made an a$% of himself when he stuck his feet in his mouth while speaking with me.

I don't find it humorous that he was laughing as he was telling me about the "grandmas and grandpas." I feel for the people he mis-informed.

If I can do it with a fried (non-booting) drive, it'd be far easier on a drive that will boot.

Out of this, and his idiocy: An idea was born .