[redmini]

Hi really sorry if this has been posted before, but really need a quick answer as Dell are picking up this laptop tomorrow.

What has happened is my mum tried to install something, not 100% what, that allowed her to have a F11 and F12 key. But all it has done is kill the laptop now all that happens is the power LED comes on but black screen nothing else.

I though I could just pull out the hard drive and wack it in a caddy to recover the data, but obviously not as it has a tiny little SSD. This is the problem I really really need to recover the data as it has her uni assignments on which she has been working on for months plus lots of very important business stuff, which of course hasn't been backed up for ages =/

thanks in advance for any answer just a bit desperate
Jake

[Ichiban]

All I can think of, besides locating another Mini 9 in your area, is to get a hold of one of the MDD USB enclosures:

RunCore 70mm/50mm PATA IDE Mini PCI-e External USB Enclosure Runcore Mini PCIe External PATA Enclosure Detail Page

or

RunCore 70mm/50mm SATA/PATA Combo Mini PCI-e External USB Enclosure Runcore Mini PCIe External Combo SATA amd PATA Enclosure Detail Page

Unfortunately, both are on backorder. Wish I could help, but I've got one on backorder myself. Maybe some kind soul who has purchased one of the Pro IV drives from MDD could help you out. I'm pretty sure those come with a compatible enclosure.

Sounds like you should postpone the Dell pickup until you get the data off there, in any case. Best of luck. This sort of stuff can be a real pain.

[redmini]

thanks for the link mate, was looking for a enclosure before couldn't find one, im in the UK as well will have a look for a uk shop for selling them

[Ichiban]

A user named Mad Mux mentioned purchasing such an enclosure in the UK from memoryc.com.

It's the last post in this thread:
http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dell...ggestions.html

I took a quick look at memoryc.com, but didn't find a PCIE enclosure. Maybe PM Mad Mux and see if he can point you to the right spot?

[edit]

I didn't look hard enough. I think this is what Mad Mux was referring to:
http://www.memoryc.co.uk/products/de...ble/index.html

It shows as in stock, so this sounds like the way to go.

[redmini]

mate !
thank you so much for all the help, just ordered one, hope its all goes to plan lol
=)

[Ichiban]

Great! I hope it all works out. Good luck!

[edit]

I should add, take care when removing the screws which hold the SSD in place. The combination of a poor screw head and loctite can be challenging. I wasn't careful enough and ended up stripping the heads.

Good info can be found in this thread:
http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dell...ut-screws.html

[robmal]

Can't you boot it off a linux live CD on USB CD drive and then recover the files onto a USB pen drive? Never done it on a Mini9, but surely t'wld work?

Actually Ubuntu Remix has a pen drive boot version now I think more. Way to go?

[Ichiban]

Oh. I took "all that happens is the power LED comes on but black screen nothing else" to mean the machine wasn't POSTing and so couldn't be booted at all. But redmini may have meant it was POSTing and then showing a black screen when it tried to boot from the HD. I probably should have verified all this before suggesting the enclosure.

If the mini is getting through POST, booting from a Linux live CD/USB key is definitely the way to go. My apologies to redmini for leading him down a more difficult path is that turns out to be the case.

[edit]

LOL! If this is a BIOS update failure, the answer might be right here in this forum:
http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dell...m-dvd-rom.html

[redmini]

no your right, it wont boot at all, with or without hard drive in you get nothing !

[fbyte]

To get the F11 and F12 working (z and x keys) you need a new bios, so I guess that's what your mum was "installing/updating"
Flashing a bios from Windows is never a good idea, DOS is far better option.
If something goes wrong, you could end with a bricked machine.

As Ichiban suggested, you can recover from a non-booting mini using the procedure in the link he posted, Dell has a nice option that would allows flashing a bios with no interaction from the user (you would need something to boot from usb) and that should recover your mini and of course, the data in the SDD.

btw, where in UK are you based?