Laptop advent 7098

Let me start by saying, this message is usually an indicator that the hard drive has failed and needs replacing. Sometimes you can get away with an operating system reload, but more often is hard drive replacement.
To check the bios settings, you will need to enter the bios at start up. There will be a screen that tells you which button to press (usually F2) in order to go into the bios or utility set up. Some machines don't give you much time to do this, so you'll need to be quick. When in the bios, check to see if the hard drive is enabled, if there is that option, some don't have the option.
If the hard drive crashed or failed it wasn't your son's fault, it would have crashed no matter who was using it at the time. Hard drives do this, they have a small electrical motor in them, and just like the starter on your car, they work or they don't, and will fail without warning.