"DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK..."

[Cowboys11]

Ok, I just finished putting together my brand new computer, but it is showing this error everytime I boot up. The new hard drive is completely bare and has never had any OS's installed on it.

"DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER"

I have tried as many things possible to fix this, but I can't seem to get this error resolved. I have tried every possible combination for my boot sequence but none of them work. I have made sure that all the cables are connected properly and all of them are. I have even searched the internet for any answers that would resolve this but none of the possible resolutions worked.

Both the hard disk and the dvd burner are recognized in the system BIOS, so I am pretty sure neither device is faulty. They are also identified during the boot before I get the error message. The hard drive didn't come with any jumper switches so the pins in the back are empty, but I thought that was only necessary for IDE devices.

Does anyone know what the problem I'm having is? And if so, how do I fix it?

Here is are my full specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86GHz Processor
BIOSTAR 945P-A7A ATX Intel Motherboard
XFX GeForce 7900GS 256MB Video Card
Western Digital 160GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive
2 x Kingston 1GB DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory
SFC 550W Power Supply
DIAMOND XtremeSound 7.1 Channels Sound Card
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 Mid Tower Computer Case

The only thing not listed is my CD DVD Burner that I used from my other computer. I have tested the DVD Burner many times, and it works fine.

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

[BustedSony]

Ok, I just finished putting together my brand new computer, but it is showing this error everytime I boot up. The new hard drive is completely bare and has never had any OS's installed on it.

"DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER"

Well of course you have "Boot Failure" because the hard drive doesn't HAVE any OS from which to boot!! You need to boot from the OS install CD or DVD. Go into Bios, set the DVD drive as first boot device, put the XP/Vista disc in that DVD drive, then turn on. The system will boot from the XP/Vista disc and start installing the OS.

 

[Dante_Jose_Cuervo]

Hmmm.... gonna have to agree with you here... kinda funny eh?

 

[Cowboys11]

I have 3 versions of XP (Home, Pro, and Media Center) and all three came up with the same error. I tried to boot with just the HDD, just the CDROM, the HDD then CDROM, CDROM then HDD and any other possible configurations. The computer won't allow me to even get into the installation area to install an OS.

 

[lesterf1020]

You might want to consider rephrasing your post. One could easily come to the conclusion that you expect a bare blank new hard drive to have a fully functional OS. This error simply means that the computer cannot find an operating system, which is hardly surprising if the drive is as blank as you say. You should let us know what operating system you are trying to put on it and what the media is (CD, DVD etc.) and what happens when you try to install it. That would help a lot.

 

[BustedSony]

I have 3 versions of XP (Home, Pro, and Media Center) and all three came up with the same error. I tried to boot with just the HDD, just the CDROM, the HDD then CDROM, CDROM then HDD and any other possible configurations. The computer won't allow me to even get into the installation area to install an OS.

You don't "Get into" an "Installation area." There's no such thing. (maybe on preconfigured Dells or Compaqs...)

The only order that has any point is CDrom then Hard drive, to boot from the CDrom then install onto the hard drive. Make sure the Bios even shows the CDrom, if it does then it's possible the CDrom is non-bootable, most older CDroms are not bootable. Naturally, since it's the most important element in troubleshooting your problem you haven't told us what the CDrom model is... Try another CD/DVD drive.

It all comes down to this, the only way to start installing XP is to have a bootable CDrom or DVDrom drive containing a bootable XP install disc. All legal XP discs are bootable, warez discs are frequently NOT bootable! There is a method using three floppy discs to boot then go to the install CD, but you don't want that hassle.

 

[Cowboys11]

Ok, here is what happened...

1) I put together the entire computer with all the components listed above.
2) I turned on the computer for the first time and it displayed that error.
3) I put in my XP Home CD and the same error occured.
4) I put in my XP Pro CD and the same error occured.
5) I put in my XP Media Center CD and the same error occured.
6) I went into BIOS and changed the boot-up order to all possible combinations.
7) I double checked all my cables and even unconnected them all and then reconnected them.
8) Nothing I tried would resolve the error.

The BIOS is showing that it recognizes both the Optical Drive and the HDD.

Any ideas?

 

[4Ryan6]

Possible;
IDE channels disabled in CMOS setup not seeing Optical drive
Optical drive jumper improperly set
Not pressing the keys at the prompt to boot from CDROM in time
SATA headers disabled
Clear and reset CMOS
Connector not fully seated
CDROM read failure
Boot order not properly set

 

[BustedSony]

Possible;
IDE channels disabled in CMOS setup not seeing Optical drive
Optical drive jumper improperly set
Not pressing the keys at the prompt to boot from CDROM in time
SATA headers disabled
Clear and reset CMOS
Connector not fully seated
CDROM read failure
Boot order not properly set

Yes, pressing any key at the "boot from CD" prompt is an important point. If Cowboys11 fails to do that then the next thing to happen is that this message appears.

Add these two troubleshooting points..
non-bootable CDrom drive
non-bootable XP disc (if warez)
And finally "DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK" is not an error, it is a statement of facts and a suggestion as to what to do about it.

It really does look like, having all this expensive hardware, yet Cowboys11 has never seen an operating system install.

 

[predaking]

Possible;
IDE channels disabled in CMOS setup not seeing Optical drive
Optical drive jumper improperly set
Not pressing the keys at the prompt to boot from CDROM in time
SATA headers disabled
Clear and reset CMOS
Connector not fully seated
CDROM read failure
Boot order not properly set

or he has a floppy disk in the drive

 

[Cowboys11]

I have install many OS's on my other Computers using these CD's so I know that they are bootable copies.

It never displays a message saying to boot from the CD so there is no way for me to press a button when it does!

I have tried all possible boot sequences but none worked. It should be CDROM first and then HDD but that doesn't work.

Both my HDD and Optical are being shown and recognized in my BIOS so that shouldn't be an issue.

I checked all the cables and jumpers but everything is connected properly.

 

[eckre]

Well, since you are SURE that the HDD and DVD reader are good,

AND the Optical drive is set in FIRST in the boot order (when you put in a CD does it spin up?)
AND you've said YES to "Try other (boot) devices",
and your computer doesn't give you the option to "Press space to boot from CD" it's clear that your MB isn't working correctly, you should update or downgrade the bios or get a new MB.

have you tried taking out the HDD and just doing the DVD drive? you should be able to boot at least from the optical, even if you don't have a HDD.

 

[fx77me]

I belive with WD hdds if u don't put the jumper on the master pin they will work like Master without slave present!
So if u use the dvd drive and the hdd on the same ide cable the slave will cut off!

Greats!

 

[Cowboys11]

The Optical Drive is IDE and the HDD is SATA so there not on the same cable.

I have tried to boot without the HDD even plugged in and the same thing happens. The MOBO is brand new and BIOS is working fine so do you really think its the MOBO thats defective?

The CD/DVD RW Drive worked perfectly in the computer I took it from so I'm 99.9% sure that the Optical Drive is working.

 

[randomizer]

Make sure theres no floppy disk in, that causes that error if its not a boot disk.

 

[michiganteddybear]

Make sure theres no floppy disk in, that causes that error if its not a boot disk.

you would be surprised how many times I have serviced a computer at my shop with the exact same error, and a floppy was the problem.


yea, if avail, get a different optical drive. Also, if you have multiple optical drives, sometimes the bios will have an option to boot the optical, as well selecting which optical drive to boot from (instead of going down the list of them looking for a bootable cd).

The key here is, a virgin drive (no partition) will NOT display 'press any key' message, as the boot loader on the windows disk will detect no valid partition to boot, and automatically start the install.

The problem is that the cd's are not being read, either bad cd's (scratched) or bad optical drive, or a combination of both. since you state that multiple different cd's dont work, I am betting the optical drive isn't reading anymore. this is of course assuming all the bios settings are right for booting from cd.

test your optical drive (in the new system) with a different kind of bootable cd.. get a copy of Memtest86, (the ISO version) burn it to a cd, and try that. Never know, it may be a strange incompatibility (I have seen enough of them in my 20+ yrs of servicing pc)

 

[Cowboys11]

I have no floppy drive even connected to my new comp so I know thats not the problem.

I will try to find a different Optical Drive but I don't see why it won't work on this new system if it was compatible with my last one.

 

[michiganteddybear]

like I said, in 20 years of fixin em, I have seen stranger.

 

[Guest]

I have seen some mobo's very picky as to setting the IDE devices with jumpers. Try setting the CD rom to cable select and put it on the Primary connector and then try to boot from it.
You also say your HD is SATA, make sure that if it is SATA2 and if you are using it on a mobo that supports only SATA1 you have to enable a jumper for it to run properly sometimes.

PS: I KNOW you probably looked at some of the cable connections thinking they look fine but remove AND reconnect them again JUST to BE SURE.

Make sure also in your BIOS that you have the option of SATA or ATA100 that ATA100 is the first boot device and NOT SATA. Or else it will skip right to the SATA HD's when trying to install your XP

Don't be lazy, DO IT !!

 

[BustedSony]

I have no floppy drive even connected to my new comp so I know thats not the problem.

I will try to find a different Optical Drive but I don't see why it won't work on this new system if it was compatible with my last one.

I haven't looked up this particular board but many nowadays have two sets of IDE and and Sata ports, one compatible with default XP drivers and all Atapi/ATA devices, and a set that is not. such as Silicon Image. Does the port to which you have the DVD writer actually support Atapi devices, such as a DVDrom? If it does not it will show the device in Bios but not be bootable or often even show up in Windows on an installed system. In other words if there's a choice move the DVDrom to another set of IDE connectors.

 

[mapex]

try pressing F12 during boot, on some computers that will bring up a boot sequence where you can select the optical drive with the install cd on it.

edit: or it may be F8 or F10, not the one that takes you into the BIOS but just a little side menu that will allow you to change the boot sequence just for that one time

 

[GrungeMonkey]

I probably don't need to, but I am going to give my experience as well.

I helped Cowboys11 get this thing up and running.

I don't think it matters, but just so I don't get flamed for being a newbie...
I have installed windows os's 8 times; 3 of those times were from a fresh HDD. I have built 5 computers, but the last one was about 5-6 years ago. By all means, that doesn't mean I am a computer 'whiz'; it just means that this is not my first time and I have done it before.

Ok, now that those formalities are out of the way, let's begin...

>>BustedSony
Of course the HDD doesn't have an OS. That's why I said it is 'completely bare'. I only pointed that out to limit the responses, but apparently I failed at that.

>>lesterf1020
I didn't expect it to have an OS. That was why I pointed out that it was 'completely bare'. And trust me, if I was near the point of installing I wouldn't need help here.

>>BustedSony
The 'installation area' basically meant the setup options after booting from CD.
CD as primary and HDD as secondary was the first thing I did in BIOS. I also turned off some settings that would only be useful if I had a FDD. I will get the info for the DVD Burner when I'm near it again. The optical drive is bootable, at least it has been for other computers.
The 3 Windows Install versions are all legal; as a side note, I have helped others with a cracked xp disc that was their own of course, but this is not the case here. I know you can boot from bootable floppy disks, but I really don't want to yank an FDD out of another computer.

>>4ryan6
Both optical drive and HDD are recognized.
Jumpers set as cable select. Seeing as how its the only IDE device it defaults to master.
We are not getting to the boot from CD prompt.
I will check on the SATA headers later.
Reset twice, no luck.
I was worried about the PATA ribbon because the connector was at a slight angle even after pushing firmly. I thought that might not be the problem if the optical drive was still recognized. I will yank one from another computer later.
I don't think that's the case. It was working fine in the previous computer.
Boot order was the very first thing that was corrected.

>>BustedSony
Yes, it's a good point but unfortunately the boot isn't getting that far.
DVD Burner is bootable, trust me. Windows discs are not cracked, trust me. If this is a statement with a suggestion, then all other 'errors' are just statements w/ or w/o suggestions.
Cowboys11 and myself have both 'seen' an OS install. Don't flatter yourself.

>>predaking
.....seriously, do I even have to comment on that?

I hope this information has given some of you more insight into the situation. I appreciate the help, really; but so far few of these comments have been much help.

I heard from one forum that an HDD driver disk would be needed first. Unfortunately there wasn't any disk supplied with the HDD. Seeing as how I can't get to a CD boot screen anyway, I doubt one would help.

The reason we were fiddling with other boot settings is because of how misleading this 'error' was in every other forum. Some people claimed it was a fried HDD. Some people suggested it was a CD-ROM failure. Not once did anyone clearly explain what the 'error' meant. Does anyone here know? For how much advice you have all given, I would at least expect to see a definition. From what I've heard so far, it sounds something like...
HDD boot failure, please insert system CD and press enter. Am I correct? That's what we thought initially, and that's why we came here after many attempts and failures. Regardless of whether or not the CD is in, after pressing enter we get the same message.

 

[GrungeMonkey]

If there is a seperate boot sequence, no key stroke I tried could access it.
What would be the benefit of a boot sequence outside of BIOS?

 

[Guest]

Am I correct? That's what we thought initially, and that's why we came here after many attempts and failures. Regardless of whether or not the CD is in, after pressing enter we get the same message.

If you keep pressing ENTER after you have went through the boot cycle its just going to try to boot from the HD over and over so you might as well start with a full REBOOT.

SEE my suggestion in the above post.

 

[Guest]

If there is a seperate boot sequence, no key stroke I tried could access it.
What would be the benefit of a boot sequence outside of BIOS?

The benefit would be that you can change your boot order once if you want to boot from a different device (ie: a FLASH drive instead of your normal HD or CD/DVD-Rom) without having to change your bios