well, if it got knocked it can be anything really ;)
does it even show anything on the screen when you power it on?
if you suspect loose memory, it usually can be found under a small flap on the bottom of the unit. just try to remove it + put it back in.
on some laptops memory is located under the keyboard.
if you get *something* on the screen and the laptop is just not booting to windows, then indeed it might be a dead hard drive (especially if the laptop got knocked when it was running). in this case you'll need a new hard drive + reinstall.
dupalopez
June 2007