Need a new harddrive

[bluecountry]

Posted here:http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,119548.0.html


Summary:  Sony VAIO PC fell, windows has not worked since then.  BestBuy thinks it needs a new harddrive but they will charge $300 to officially diagnosis, replace, and insteall it+another $100 for data recovery.

This is too expensive, can't afford new PC.
If it is just the hardrive, that is 70 bucks, but
1)  I want to know for sure it is only the harddrive
2)  How do I install a new one?
-Can anybody help me with that?

Do I just unscrew, then screw it in?  Or is more involved?
Any good guidance I can use?
Heck if any of you live near me I'd consider hiring you for it!

[quaxo]

If it fell, it's entirely possible the drive was damaged and no longer works. It's also possible something else has broken instead.

It's not just a matter of popping in the new drive, you have to reinstall the operating system and drivers. If your computer has recovery CDs, this won't be such a big deal. But if your computer was designed to do recovery from the hard drive, it will be a problem since the recovery files will be on the drive you're taking out.