Windows 7 Ult: No Boot Drive Detected

[kandrews]

My HDD has been on its way out for some time now. It finally went out last night. I have a copy of Solidworks on that HDD and I do not have means of reinstalling the software.

I have two questions:
Will a repair Disc, made from a different computer running Windows 7, work to boot the system?

Once I have it booted, and a new HDD (most likely a SSD), is it possible to clone the entire HDD over to the new drive and still have everything function as it is supposed to?

 

[Ralston18]

What make and model HDD?

It is difficult to know what may or may not work without some understanding of the overall problem.

If possible use the HDD's manufacturer's diagnostic tool to examine/test the drive.

 

[kandrews]

MAke and model will have to be determined when I get home. This computer was custom built for me, by a client, in exchange for some design work. This was 5+ years ago.
I know that the OS is not "Genuine"...mainly because it tells me every time I run the system. I do plan, however, to remedy this when I get a new hard drive.

The first thing I am going to try is to completely down the system. Unplug it from the wall, take the case apart and clean everything out real good. I'm guessing a mild detergent will be OK for this.
Then I am going to unplug the HD, plug the system back in and power up without the hard drive in place. Then I will shut down and reinstall the HD...hping that this might trigger something somewhere and the HD will work.

All in all, it doesn't necessarily seem like it is a mechanical issue with the hard drive. Maybe a connection issue (hoping)...

By the way...I was joking about using a mild detergent to clean the inside. I honestly do know better than that.....

 

[USAFRet]

Your client installed a bogus OS for you.
That really, really needs a full wipe and reinstall. There is no telling where that actually came from.

Any 'not-genuine' Win 7 that has been running that long carries a significant risk of having other malware included.
Full wipe and reinstall of a valid OS.

This also means all your applications will need to be reinstalled. Including Solidworks.
Assuming you have a valid license, you should be able to download a new install for that, direct from Solidworks.