different "Boot Disk Failure Insert System Disk and press Enter" error

[Justh8me]

OK, never seen this one. I did a fresh install of xp on this hard drive. everything went fine, I deleted the existing partition and started over fresh. Formatted (full not quick) and when the install was complete I rebooted the pc changed the boot order in bios, and when it rebooted it said the press any key to boot from cdrom, I did not press anything and it went right to windows and could do anything as normal. Then I removed the xp cd and rebooted, that is when I get the error Boot Disk Failure and so on. I put the cd back in reboot and it gives the press any key to boot from cdrom again, again I do not touch anything, and right back into windows it goes like nothing is wrong.

 

So as long as I have the cd in it works fine. Take it out, and error?

I had someone tell me they had the same problem and it ended up being a bad cmos batt. I didn't think it made much since, but stranger things have happened so I changed it, still same thing. Any ideas. Thanks in advance!

[RandyL]

Hi Just; Welcome to FreePCHelp.

I'm at a loss so I hope someone else can help.

 

Is there just one hard drive on your computer?

Is it a SATA perhaps?

Did you save your settings when exiting the bios? Not that it should matter.

Do you have the recovery console option?

Are all your ribbon cables secure?

 

One last question. Was there any particular reason you formatted?

 

I wish I had a solution ready made but maybe with just a little more info someone might have a clue;

RandyL

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Hi Justh8me

 

Welcome

 

Ok on a new install you would have immediately gone into the bios to change the boot order to cdrom so as to install Windows.

When the bios sees the install files on the cd it will ask you to press any key to boot from cd.

 

Press this only once at the beginning and do NOT press it again.

 

Windows installs so you remove the cd and reboot going back into the bios to change the boot order to IDE 0 or 1

MAKE SURE YOU SAVE ALL BIOS CHANGES ON EXIT.

 

The boot order now should be;

C: Hard disk drive

D: Optical drive

A: Floppy (if applicable)

LAN (as above)

We are talking about an IDE drive here yes, or is it sata?

[Justh8me]

Is there just one hard drive on your computer? ---- Just 1

Is it a SATA perhaps? ---- No, it is an IDE

Did you save your settings when exiting the bios? Not that it should matter. ---- Yes all saved

Do you have the recovery console option? ---- Yes the option is there, was going to try the FIXBOOT and FIXMBR on it when I get off of work today to see if that may help.

Are all your ribbon cables secure? ---- Yes they are all secure.

 

And yes Wolf everything is set correctly.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Did you save your settings when exiting the bios?

Not that it should matter. ---- Yes all saved

I rather think it does matter, because by not saving the setting to boot from the hard disk drive it will attempt to boot from the cdrom.

If the operating system has not been installed correctly and the windows disk has been removed then you will get an operating system not found error.

If all procedures have been done correctly and this error still occurs then I suggest that the hard disk is failing.

[Seth]

Does the hard drive appear in the bios?

[hardware_dave]

Dont worry,for some reason the mbr never got loaded.

 

Boot from the cd as if you are doing a install, when asked press R for recovery mode.

 

At the dos prompt type -

 

fixmbr

 

fixboot

 

exit

 

You should no longer need the xp disk to boot.

 

Dave

[Justh8me]

Wolf, I was not saying "not that it should matter" to Randy, it was part of what he said to me. I would not say that to someone trying to help :)

 

And yes the hard drive is found in bios and is saved Seth.

 

And Dave, that is what I was going to try when I get home this evening to see if that will do the trick, I will let you all know in a few hours if that resolved the problem or not. Again thanks for all of the help!

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Full apologies mate I misread the text.

[Seth]

If all procedures have been done correctly and this error still occurs then I suggest that the hard disk is failing.

I second that!