Disk boot failure

Zjimbo

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Jan 24, 2012
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18,510
Hello: I am trying to do two things:

1st. I want to do a 'custom' reinstall on my C:\ drive. It's clogged with unused programs and it runs very slow.
I set the BOIS to boot from HD and CD; neither worked.

2nd. I purchased a new HD and may want to install it as my C:\ drive.
I set the BOIS to boot from CD; still I get the dreaded message:

"Disk boot failure insert system disk and and press enter"

I recently installed a new mother board due to the fact it was defective, not as an upgrade.

To make it clear I already had Win7 Ultimate installed. On my first attempt to perform #1 I got to the question of which install did I want; I clicked 'custom'. From then on nothing happened, and now I keep getting "THE DREADED MESSAGE".

I put my win7 disk in another OS\XP computer and it displayed, "This disk is not compatible with this system" so I assumed my disc was not corrupt.

I bought my win7 disk legally on line a couple of years ago, and I have used it once. Will that be the problem? I never got to the "License key" so I don't see how it could be???

I have done several work a rounds, too many to name on this post, all with no success. In light of that please feel free to ask?

Thanks
Jim

 

Your new MOBO has chipset / MOBO drivers all installed ?
HD configured correctly in BIOS ide/sata ?
 

shaunod

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Jan 24, 2012
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It would help if you told us the brand of the laptop,and its model no.
In the bios you should see something like boot order, you have to make sure that the dvd drive or cd drive is set to number one in the list and the Hdd is set to number two.

I don`t know how old the laptop is, but if it is new then there will be an option also of the type of interface to boot from IDE or SATA.
Also be aware that if you only have one Hdd in the laptop that the raid setting is turned off.

 

Zjimbo

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Jan 24, 2012
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Sorry but this is not a laptop. I had the desk top computer custom built 3 years ago or so. Yes I install the MOBO drives and the bios is set 1st CD 2n HD. I have three sata Hdd's.

I had to disconnect the two Hdd's just to get the computer to boot up after the melt down in Custom Install. I also disconnect all my USB ports.

What I have here is not the normal problem. I have done all the standard procedures like bios settings, but I still keep getting the dreaded message.

If you have any more thoughts or ideas please let me know.

Thanks
Jim
 

Not the normal problem, for sure ! Custom built, new mobo, incomplete custom install, and you have tried all the Normal fixes. And who knows what shape the boot loader is in on the drive you did the aborted install. I would look elsewhere. eg
1 - Try booting with 1 stick of RAM. (may have defective stick)
2 - Make sure the CD/DVD is configured properly, and make cable select rather than master/slave. (You are using proper media for the Drive) ?

3 - Hang the drive (incomplete install) in another computer and use BCDedit to repair boot loader.

4 - Linux live rescue CD to attempt repair.