trying to start computer and get error message about boot failure

[FIL helper]

I am tryingt o hlep my fatherinlaw with his computer. He has had some XP
issues but I think those had been solved. When you go to start the computer
you get a black screen that states: disk boot failure, insert system disk and
press enter. He does not have a system disk and windows xp was an upgrade.

I am not super computer literate so any help you give would be great!

 

[sgopus]

his primary hard disk has failed, he needs a new one, and the operating
system installed on it.

 

[Mick Murphy]

Is there a CD or floppy in the drive, that boots instead of from harddisk?
Take it/them out.
In BIOS check your bootup sequence. Normally it's floppy/CD/Harddisk

 

[Randem]

The error you are getting means a number of different things not neccesarily
that the hard disk is bad. It could mean any or several of the following:

1 - Attempting to boot from an unbootable device such as USB drive, floppy
or CD that is listed before the HD in the boot sequence.

2 - Attempting to boot from an unbootable HD. Not the same as a hardware
damaged HD. This means that the boot record is damaged or missing.

3 - File Systems error. Will require the running of chkdsk /f or chkdsk /r
in recovery console.

4 - Anomaly that is created by the OS and the OS can't find the boot sector
or has created a false link in the boot record rendering the system
unbootable.

To check some of these conditions you can boot from a Linux System Rescue
Disk or Bart PE. You then run chkdsk /f or witht the Linux CD run TestDisk.
There is also a Windows version of testdisk. These are free utilities. If
you know the drive manufacturer you can download a disk test from them also.

If your disk is indeed bad. You know what needs to be done. If it is not and
chkdsk works you may be bootable again (not always). You can try the MS
utilities Fixboot and Fixmbr though I have never had them work for me on a
NTFS file system. Some people report that it works. If item number 4 is the
case you will need to restore from a backup to get a bootable system or
re-install a FRESH OS. Attempting to do a repair will be hopeless. Now if
you boot from the Linux utility CD or Bart PE and you can see your files,
you need to copy them off the disk before you do anything else along with
your profile (which has the settings for some of your software).

Of course Windows only notices there is a problem after you shut down the
computer and by then it is too late. Unfortunately MS has not gotten this
correct and it is still a problem in Vista. Plenty of computers come into
the shop with Vista constantly attempting to repair itself and it gets stuck
in a infinite loop and can't figure out it is in a loop that it perpertrated
on itself. I have to blow away the OS and re-install for this to be
corrected.

Good luck.

--
Randem Systems
The Top Inno Setup Script Generator
http://www.randem.com/innoscript.html
http://www.rndem.com/installerproblems.html
http://www.randem.com/vistainstalls.html
http://www.financialtrainingservices.org

 

[Randem]

The error you are getting means a number of different things not neccesarily
that the hard disk is bad. It could mean any or several of the following:

1 - Attempting to boot from an unbootable device such as USB drive, floppy
or CD that is listed before the HD in the boot sequence.

2 - Attempting to boot from an unbootable HD. Not the same as a hardware
damaged HD. This means that the boot record is damaged or missing.

3 - File Systems error. Will require the running of chkdsk /f or chkdsk /r
in recovery console.

4 - Anomaly that is created by the OS and the OS can't find the boot sector
or has created a false link in the boot record rendering the system
unbootable.

To check some of these conditions you can boot from a Linux System Rescue
Disk or Bart PE. You then run chkdsk /f or witht the Linux CD run TestDisk.
There is also a Windows version of testdisk. These are free utilities. If
you know the drive manufacturer you can download a disk test from them also.

If your disk is indeed bad. You know what needs to be done. If it is not and
chkdsk works you may be bootable again (not always). You can try the MS
utilities Fixboot and Fixmbr though I have never had them work for me on a
NTFS file system. Some people report that it works. If item number 4 is the
case you will need to restore from a backup to get a bootable system or
re-install a FRESH OS. Attempting to do a repair will be hopeless. Now if
you boot from the Linux utility CD or Bart PE and you can see your files,
you need to copy them off the disk before you do anything else along with
your profile (which has the settings for some of your software).

Of course Windows only notices there is a problem after you shut down the
computer and by then it is too late. Unfortunately MS has not gotten this
correct and it is still a problem in Vista. Plenty of computers come into
the shop with Vista constantly attempting to repair itself and it gets stuck
in a infinite loop and can't figure out it is in a loop that it perpertrated
on itself. I have to blow away the OS and re-install for this to be
corrected.

Good luck.


--
Randem Systems
The Top Inno Setup Script Generator
http://www.randem.com/innoscript.html
http://www.rndem.com/installerproblems.html
http://www.randem.com/vistainstalls.html
http://www.financialtrainingservices.org

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

On Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:59:00 -0800, FIL helper <FIL

I am tryingt o hlep my fatherinlaw with his computer. He has had some XP
issues but I think those had been solved. When you go to start the computer
you get a black screen that states: disk boot failure, insert system disk and
press enter. He does not have a system disk and windows xp was an upgrade.

I am not super computer literate so any help you give would be great!

Make sure that there is neither a floppy or CD left in its drive.