Sir!!!!
What are the causlties vital signs?
The Sony Vio Casulty could be suffering from other trama.
I think you may need to establish if the HD is the only thing wrong.
With some computers you can boot into Bios,
WITH OUT an HD plugged in...
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/bios.htm/printable
The Bios is usually built in Software on the Mother Bord that tells the HD how to boot into Windows and does other system monitoring things.
The Mother Bord is like your Spine, everything is connected to it....
The Bios is like your lower brain and instinct to breath, ect ect ect...
Check to see if Sony is breathing....or POST ing
POST is like an all systems Go test your computer does at start up that may tell you what may be wrong with certain beep codes.....
Ever wonder why some computers Beep once, have all the lights on the keybord and mouse flicker....Its a POST....
The Mother Bord got twitched from the CPU brain being switched on,
so the Mother Bord activated your BIOS automatically, like the lower part of your brain telling you to breath....
Once breathing and Vitals are established through CPU, Mother Bord, Bios, POST process the Hard Drive Kicks in with the Windows Operating system.
Much like how your body has to be breathing, beating, for you to be aware.
Good, Sir....
If you want to transplant your HD. I first would look for a BIOS and a POST.
Simular to doctor looking at the health of a pre tansplant patient.
To indicate the HD is truly the only problem and that the VIO is
expected to make a full recovery with a new HD and OS.
Especially if you have to pay $$ for a new Hard Drive that may or may not fix the problem.