Missing OS and Can't install Windows 7

[red1086]

Hey all. This is my first post, and normally I go to my uncle, but I know he comes here as well. I had a bit of a mishap with my computer and needed to get a new video card. I got that and its in, but now my PC says "Missing OS" and the like. I put in my Windows 7 CD, but it doesn't load after the bios screen flashes and all that. It goes right back to No Operating System Found.

I am not all that tech savvy, I know general stuff once I am in windows, but before that, I am lost. Is there anything I should be doing to get the disc to read? Is there something in the bios or beforehand I should have done? I have the new vid card in cause my old one is no longer working, that wouldn't cause anything, would it?

Thanks for any help received,

Red

 

[Guest]

go into your bios and set it to boot from the CD.

 

[foscooter]

Since you installed the video card, check to make sure that you didn't unplug/loosen any of the SATA drives cables.

Each drive will have 2 cables:1 big thick power cable coming from the Power Supply, and a smaller, thin (possibly flat) SATA cable, into the drive and the motherboard. Check them all.

 

[red1086]

all right, so I seem to have been entering the setup screen, not bios. Now that I found my way there, I started booting up the CD fine.

Any certain precautions I should take, since it is missing os, or will it pretty much guide me?


EDIT/UPDATE: Should I run the repair or just install? I only ask because, well, it used to have the OS on it, now it says missing, not sure which to pick.

 

[clarkjd]

all right, so I seem to have been entering the setup screen, not bios. Now that I found my way there, I started booting up the CD fine.

Any certain precautions I should take, since it is missing os, or will it pretty much guide me?


EDIT/UPDATE: Should I run the repair or just install? I only ask because, well, it used to have the OS on it, now it says missing, not sure which to pick.

As foscooter said, check the cables to your hard drives and make sure that they are correctly attached at both ends. If you had an OS before you installed the graphics card, you should still have it. the only reasons it would become "missing" is the hard drive it is on has become disconnected, or the hard drive itself failed. Either way, the repair won't work(because it can't find the os to repair), and the install won't work because your machine doesn't recognize that the hard drive exists.

You need to resolve why the original OS is missing, before you can fix it.

Good Luck!

 

[red1086]

So, I found this site after digging around a bit.

http://windows7themes.net/missing-operating-system-windows-7.html

And I was doing what it said up to selecting windows 7 for my OS. That option doesnt show up for me, and I really dont want to fudge my OS beyond repair.

Anything I can do?

 

[red1086]

As foscooter said, check the cables to your hard drives and make sure that they are correctly attached at both ends. If you had an OS before you installed the graphics card, you should still have it. the only reasons it would become "missing" is the hard drive it is on has become disconnected, or the hard drive itself failed. Either way, the repair won't work(because it can't find the os to repair), and the install won't work because your machine doesn't recognize that the hard drive exists.

You need to resolve why the original OS is missing, before you can fix it.

Good Luck!

Ah, thank you for clearing that up. I will check the cables again, just incase I missed something. If not that, then I suppose my HDD might be damaged. :/

 

[clarkjd]

Ah, thank you for clearing that up. I will check the cables again, just incase I missed something. If not that, then I suppose my HDD might be damaged. :/

Be sure to check BOTH cables, the data and the power. if either one is disconnected, then the HDD will not work.

 

[JDFan]

Be sure to check BOTH cables, the data and the power. if either one is disconnected, then the HDD will not work.

Also be sure to check both ends of the cables -- as it may have come disconnected from the MOBO instead of the HDD end !!

 

[red1086]

Be sure to check BOTH cables, the data and the power. if either one is disconnected, then the HDD will not work.

Well, seems like I don't have any luck. The data cables are connected on both the motherboard and the HDD. the power cable is also connected. Nothing is loose either.

I spose this means I need new hard drives?

 

[JDFan]

Well, seems like I don't have any luck. The data cables are connected on both the motherboard and the HDD. the power cable is also connected. Nothing is loose either.

I spose this means I need new hard drives?

When in the BIOS does the HDD get detected (should be a page that shows the HDDs installed ) -- If it is not showing then it might be a bad HDD -- if it is listed then running a Repair install might fix things ( could just be that a system file got corrupted)

 

[hang-the-9]

What exactly happened that you needed a new video card? Is it something that would cause the drive to go bad also? Did you dump a pot of chili in the PC or something?

Go into the BIOS, does it see the drive listed there as a device?

If you can see the drive there, start out doing a repair setup, although with this error it may not work. Either the partition is gone for some reason, or the system no longer sees the hard-drive connected.

 

[red1086]

I'm about to sound real stupid, but is the bios the boot menu? when I get to that screen, it shows both my HDD's.

image: http://i.imgur.com/YpquL.jpg

the other thing I can do is press del when its starting to enter the setup menu for my motherboard.

sorry.

 

[red1086]

well, here is the set up as well, and it shows both HDD also.

image: http://i.imgur.com/wfaN7.jpg

 

[hang-the-9]

Move the main drive to the SATA 1 port. Having a drive on a different port than what Windows was installed on can cause this issue. The lowest should be 1, don't think you'd have a SATA 0.

The boot menu, although technically part of the BIOS is not what I meant, but that will do. I've seen the BIOS area called several things by different makers, could be called "configuration screen" or something.

 

[red1086]

What exactly happened that you needed a new video card? Is it something that would cause the drive to go bad also? Did you dump a pot of chili in the PC or something?

Go into the BIOS, does it see the drive listed there as a device?

If you can see the drive there, start out doing a repair setup, although with this error it may not work. Either the partition is gone for some reason, or the system no longer sees the hard-drive connected.

Close guess. I spilled an almost empty bowl of ramen in my PC, some liquids got around. Had my uncle test the pc and he said the graphics card bit the dust, but the rest would be fine, minus the Missing OS.

It was a stupid mistake.

EDIT: also, about to switch the SATAs

 

[SkateZilla]

move the Drive with Windows on it to SATA 0

Ports are usually 0+1, 2+3, 4+5 on a 6 port Mobo.

make sure boot sequence for HDDs is set to check the HDD with Windows on it first.

 

[red1086]

All right, so, this is where I am at. I have the main Drive in SATA 1 and the other in SATA 2. The Windows 7 CD is still not finding Windows on my Drives. I currently have the boot order CD > HDD

 

[red1086]

At this point, I think I am going to wait for my uncle and show him some of your guys opinions on the solution so he knows where I am at. He might have that secret knowhow I don't quite have.

EDIT: Just texted him actually and he said if its not there, to just do a clean install. I spose thats all thats left to do?

 

[hang-the-9]

Close guess. I spilled an almost empty bowl of ramen in my PC, some liquids got around. Had my uncle test the pc and he said the graphics card bit the dust, but the rest would be fine, minus the Missing OS.

It was a stupid mistake.

EDIT: also, about to switch the SATAs

I have a 6th sense about computer issues The Force was telling me something interesting happened.

Try to boot off the drive directly not off the CD. Unless the drive was damaged during the spill.

If you really don't have anything worth saving on the drive, re-install Windows.

 

[red1086]

I have a 6th sense about computer issues The Force was telling me something interesting happened.

Try to boot off the drive directly not off the CD. Unless the drive was damaged during the spill.

If you really don't have anything worth saving on the drive, re-install Windows.

Funny story about trying to reinstall Windows. The CD only located one of my two 500gb HDDs. But my bios found two.

What could that mean?

 

[hang-the-9]

Swap connections, but take note which one was detected. Does the other one get detected now? Or does the same one?

 

[red1086]

Swap connections, but take note which one was detected. Does the other one get detected now? Or does the same one?

I swapped the data connectors the HDDs were in and still only shows up with one HDD. : /

 

[clarkjd]

I swapped the data connectors the HDDs were in and still only shows up with one HDD. : /

But is it the SAME hdd each time?

 

[red1086]

But is it the SAME hdd each time?

uh, not quite sure. It doesn't give a name or anything. :<

EDIT: every time I switch something, it still is refered to as Drive 0