Dropped my laptop: Fixable?

Factual Questions
1

I dropped my HP 550, Compaq, onto the floor yesterday…twice!

So, when I reboot, I get a black screen with Compaq centerred in the middle in white text.
At the lower left hand are two lines of text:
Press esc for different setup order.
Pressf10 for…something…
I’m away from computer, so I can’t remember for sure what it is.
When I press f10, I get a screen with ‘diagnostics, x, x,x’ tabs.
When I press enter it goes either back to the compaq screen, or stays on the same screen with the tabs on it.
So, when I press escape, or don’t press anything, the screen goes to a black screen with “No operating system Identified”.
So, Is my computer hosed, or did I just knock the OS off? Will a reinstall of an operating work, or is it broken totally?
I don’t have any discs, or anything from the manufacturer, but, it was a Windows vista, so will I have to pay for a new OS?

Thanks,
hh

2

It’s telling you it can’t find and/or access the drive. If the drive is the only thing damaged consider yourself very fortunate. A new 160 to 320 gig SATA notebook drive can be had at Best Buy or Newegg for 50-80 dollars. Use your OS install CD if you have one or you can buy a new one from Compaq/HP for around $ 15 or so.

On the other hand if the unit is misbehaving because the notebook MB is fractured you are in pretty deep poo affordable repair-wise.

Here are your specs. The drive is an SATA notebook drive.

3

Did you check to see if the hard drive is still properly seated? If so, see if you can boot from an external boot disc on a CD or flash drive.

4

OK, what CD or external boot disk?
I have one source that says I can download a recovery disc, I’m suspecting that that’s the same thing?

Thanks!
Best wishes,
hh

5

Thank you very much!

hh