Hi,

We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine is
stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.

What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the most
likely causes?

Thanks!

--Randy Starkey

In news:(E-Mail Removed),
Randy Starkey <(E-Mail Removed)> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

> Hi,
>
> We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving
> an error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also.
> Machine is stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4
> basic machine.
> What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the
> most likely causes?
>
> Thanks!
>
> --Randy Starkey

Harddisk failure? I'd start there. Try a new drive, try the drive in an old
system.

Galen
--
Signature changed for a moment of silence.
Rest well Alex and we'll see you on the other side.

"Randy Starkey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi,
>
> We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
> error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine is
> stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.
>
> What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the most
> likely causes?
>
> Thanks!
>
> --Randy Starkey
>
>

Your first step should be to determine if WinXP is OK or not.
Perhaps you have only a minor problem with your boot environment.

- Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP/2000 PC.
Don't do it on a Win9x PC - it won't work. And don't try
and create some type of boot disk - just format it, nothing else!
- Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
ntldr
ntdetect.com
- Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=3
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
- Boot the machine with this floppy

Post the result here.

Take the floppy out.

Modem Ani

"Randy Starkey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi,
>
> We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
> error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine is
> stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.
>
> What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the most
> likely causes?
>
> Thanks!
>
> --Randy Starkey
>
>

Hi Modem,

Good point - but I'm better than that - checked that first thing. No floppy
in there.

The BIOS is sporadically not detecting C Drive so I'm pretty sure C is
dying/dead.

--Randy Starkey


"Modem Ani" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Take the floppy out.
>
> Modem Ani
>
> "Randy Starkey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hi,
>>
>> We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
>> error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine is
>> stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.
>>
>> What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the most
>> likely causes?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> --Randy Starkey
>>
>>
>
>

Thanks for the tips - I'll keep that on hand - it looks like the drive is
dying/dead though - it won't boot in another identical machine, and the BIOS
is sporadically not even recognizing the drive at all. Still think I should
run this?

--Randy

"Pegasus (MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:O$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Randy Starkey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hi,
>>
>> We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
>> error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine is
>> stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.
>>
>> What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the most
>> likely causes?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> --Randy Starkey
>>
>>
>
> Your first step should be to determine if WinXP is OK or not.
> Perhaps you have only a minor problem with your boot environment.
>
> - Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP/2000 PC.
> Don't do it on a Win9x PC - it won't work. And don't try
> and create some type of boot disk - just format it, nothing else!
> - Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
> ntldr
> ntdetect.com
> - Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
> [Boot Loader]
> Timeout=3
> Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
> [Operating Systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
> Professional" /fastdetect
> - Boot the machine with this floppy
>
> Post the result here.
>
>

Very well could be. Might also be the cable, the jumper or the BIOS itself.

In general, I always investigate the simple things first, since I'm not
knowledgable enough to cause an advanced problem. Yet ;->

Modem Ani

"Randy Starkey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi Modem,
>
> Good point - but I'm better than that - checked that first thing. No
floppy
> in there.
>
> The BIOS is sporadically not detecting C Drive so I'm pretty sure C is
> dying/dead.
>
> --Randy Starkey
>
>
> "Modem Ani" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Take the floppy out.
> >
> > Modem Ani
> >
> > "Randy Starkey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> > message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
> >> error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine
is
> >> stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.
> >>
> >> What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the
most
> >> likely causes?
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >> --Randy Starkey
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>

It won't hurt. If the drive is dying then you should
download and run the diagnostic program from your
disk manufacturer's home site.


"Randy Starkey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks for the tips - I'll keep that on hand - it looks like the drive is
> dying/dead though - it won't boot in another identical machine, and the
BIOS
> is sporadically not even recognizing the drive at all. Still think I
should
> run this?
>
> --Randy
>
> "Pegasus (MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:O$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >
> > "Randy Starkey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> > message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
> >> error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine
is
> >> stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.
> >>
> >> What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the
most
> >> likely causes?
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >> --Randy Starkey
> >>
> >>
> >
> > Your first step should be to determine if WinXP is OK or not.
> > Perhaps you have only a minor problem with your boot environment.
> >
> > - Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP/2000 PC.
> > Don't do it on a Win9x PC - it won't work. And don't try
> > and create some type of boot disk - just format it, nothing else!
> > - Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
> > ntldr
> > ntdetect.com
> > - Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
> > [Boot Loader]
> > Timeout=3
> > Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
> > [Operating Systems]
> > multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
> > Professional" /fastdetect
> > - Boot the machine with this floppy
> >
> > Post the result here.
> >
> >
>
>

It's a WD so will do that and see what it says. The freezer trick didn't
work <g>.


"Pegasus (MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> It won't hurt. If the drive is dying then you should
> download and run the diagnostic program from your
> disk manufacturer's home site.
>
>
> "Randy Starkey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Thanks for the tips - I'll keep that on hand - it looks like the drive is
>> dying/dead though - it won't boot in another identical machine, and the
> BIOS
>> is sporadically not even recognizing the drive at all. Still think I
> should
>> run this?
>>
>> --Randy
>>
>> "Pegasus (MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:O$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >
>> > "Randy Starkey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>> > message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >> Hi,
>> >>
>> >> We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving
>> >> an
>> >> error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine
> is
>> >> stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic
>> >> machine.
>> >>
>> >> What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the
> most
>> >> likely causes?
>> >>
>> >> Thanks!
>> >>
>> >> --Randy Starkey
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> > Your first step should be to determine if WinXP is OK or not.
>> > Perhaps you have only a minor problem with your boot environment.
>> >
>> > - Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP/2000 PC.
>> > Don't do it on a Win9x PC - it won't work. And don't try
>> > and create some type of boot disk - just format it, nothing else!
>> > - Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
>> > ntldr
>> > ntdetect.com
>> > - Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
>> > [Boot Loader]
>> > Timeout=3
>> > Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>> > [Operating Systems]
>> > multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>> > Professional" /fastdetect
>> > - Boot the machine with this floppy
>> >
>> > Post the result here.
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>