missing operating system

[ninjaman]

hello

im having a problem. i wanted to install some software, i found that i had to adjust the maximum memory in the advanced boot options. i changed them to 200 by mistake, i think this is incorrect. i think i should have put 2000 instead.

after this i restarted the computer, it wouldnt start. it came to a black screen with grey writing. it had two options, one repair and the other start as normal. i tried the repair and it said that the computer cant automatically repair. i tried the other option and it would just restart and end up on that page again. i went into that bios setup page (blue background, grey screen with options along the top)

i looked through it and went to the last option, there was a part that showed the harddrive then sata and cd/dvd, i cant remember the option that i chose but it seemed to remove the hard drive.

now the computer starts and goes to a black screen with missing operating system

can i save the operating system or has it gone?

i would really appreciate any help you could offer

thanks

simon

[seedy21]

Hi ninjaman and Welcome to FPCH.

 

Have you tried accessing Safe mode ?

 

 

• Turn your computer off through Shut Down.
  
• Wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.
  
• Once your computer's manufacturer logo (eg. 'ACeR') starts to show, start pressing the F8 key repeatedly.
  
• Keep pressing it until the Windows Advanced Options Menu loads up.
  
• Make sure 'Safe Mode' is selected, navigate to it by using the arrow keys.
  
• Press enter, and your computer will start booting into Safe Mode.
  

[ninjaman]

hello

thanks for the reply and advice, but i have tried that and it doesnt work. i have tried different ways of using f8 and none work. i am looking at getting linux on bootable disc to find the things i want to keep and save them. though i dont know what i would save those things on. or removing the hard drive and trying that. could i remove the hard disc, put it in another computer and make changes that way?

i dont know how i would get it working on the original pc again. any suggestions?

 

thanks again, all the best

 

simon

[Starbuck]

Do you have a Windows 7 installation disc?

[ninjaman]

no i dont have a disc, i was going to try a bootable usb ubuntu. i read about it on here. nothing seems to be working. i think somehow the hard drive has been removed from the software. it has two sata and a cd drive. the other option is to remove the hard drive and put it in a hard drive caddy attach it through sata connector and try that. though i have two lots of memory, two lots of 400GB. am i being daft in thinknig that these are two hard drives or are they just memory. im thinking they are just memory, if someone could just confirm that. also, without taking apart the computer, what size is the hard drive usually, is it a standard thing or do they come in different sizes. this is for the caddy. £4 including postage, not bad as i dont want to loose any of the stuff on my computer.

[KenB]

Hi

 

i have two lots of memory, two lots of 400GB. am i being daft in thinknig that these are two hard drives or are they just memory.

If what you are talking about looks like this - click here - you have 2 hard drives.

 

If they look like this - click here - They are RAM ( Random Access Memory )

 

If they are RAM - they will be 4GB each.

 

Both are "memory".

The RAM is used by Windows - you cannot save anything to it.

 

The Hard Drives are you memory store. Here you save your photos / files etc.

Windows is installed on one of the Hard drives ( if you have 2 )

This is called the Primary Drive and will show up as C:/ in "Computer"

 

what size is the hard drive usually, is it a standard thing

No - they are not standard.

You can get small ones ( small in capacity - not size ) that are 40GB and they increase up to 1 TB ( Terabyte ) or even larger.

Your 400GB is average but drives are tending to get larger in new machines.

 

If you connect the hard drive up to another machine let us know if you can see it in "Computer" as a drive letter ( F:/ for instance )

If you can see it you should be able to access your files etc.

We can also run some checks on the drive from here.

 

 

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, as yet we don't know what you have, is this a desktop computer or a laptop, and also can you tell us the make and model please.

 

We can advise better from knowing that.

 

Nev.

[ninjaman]

hello

i think i have two hard drives, they are seagate, pr-hd506s 500gb and 6gb sata

i have a desktop

[ninjaman]

i contacted some on online at novatech and they helped me get back to the repair, or start windows normally.

the start option goes to blue screen then restarts, the repair says cannot repair automatically.

i can get advanced boot options from f8

anyone know where i can go from here

[KenB]

seagate, pr-hd506s 500gb

This is definitely a hard drive.

Do you have the caddy yet?

The next stage is to connect it up to another system and run a couple of checks on it.

 

If you do have the caddy - let me know if the drive is recognised and allocated a drive letter.

 

[ninjaman]

i was told by the novatech help that i would have to reinstall windows which i dont want to have to do.

is there a way i can change this without wiping the disc?

i can get the f8 screen, its the maximum memory in the advanced boot option that i have to change, i think. could that have caused some damage to something or if reset should everything go back to normal?

i dont have the caddy yet, i cant find the size of the harddrive any where. i have two hardrives i dont know what to do with two of them.

should i connect them one to the other? so i would need two caddies

[KenB]

You only need one caddy.

 

You DO need to know which hard drive Windows is on.

 

its the maximum memory in the advanced boot option that i have to change

Who told you this ? It doesn't make any sense to me at all.

 

i was told by the novatech help that i would have to reinstall windows

This is always a last resort.

 

now the computer starts and goes to a black screen with missing operating system

What does the error message say ?

 

If you can get to Advanced Boot Options is "Repair your Computer" an option?

If it is - give it a try.

 

If your hard drives are 500GB and just 6GB then the Operating System will be on the 500GB one.

[Ray1000]

Is it the 500GB Hard Drive that is 6GB/second ... and there is only one hard drive? I wonder ...

 

Ray

[KenB]

Now I think about it .....I'm thinking that the 6GB is the installed RAM

[seedy21]

Hi Guys

 

It could be a reading of the Hard Drive, Sata revision 3 transfer speeds is 6GB per second .

[KenB]

Hi Ray / Seedy

 

I do think you are both right and somebody else is barking up the wrong tree :)

 

http://lestrollops.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/barking-up-wrong-tree.jpg?w=388