Can't boot Windows 7! Any advice?

[Elena9525]

Just built my first computer. After the "American MegaTrends" logo, and if I don't choose to enter my BIOS, I'm brought to a black screen with the words:

"Reboot and select proper boot device"
or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key"

Using common sense, I'm guessing this means the system is asking me to either slap something into it that already has an operating system, or it's asking for external media (a Windows 7 disc, for instance) so that I can start installing an operating system.

After inserting the Windows 7 DVD into my optical drive, the hard drive whirrs as if it's successfully reading; then, it levels off and eventually stops whirring, then starts whirring again. After that, it stops. Again. If I "press a key" after putting the disc in, there's a two-second delay before the same "Reboot / insert boot media" message displays, followed by more whirring that eventually stops.

So, any advice as to what might be wrong? I'm pretty dang certain everything is plugged in, and I double-checked to ensure it was all seated firmly -- the SATA / data for both the hard drive and optical drive, the front-port USBs, the CPU / system fans, the 4-pin CPU power, all of the front umbilical cords... Everything I can think of that needs to be plugged in. I've unseated and reseated my SATA cables, to no avail. I've set the optical drive to "boot option 1" and the hard drive to "boot option 2" in the BIOS. Not really sure what to do.

Any feedback is much appreciated.

 

[nhasian]

Using common sense, I'm guessing this means the system is asking me to either slap something into it that already has an operating system, or it's asking for external media (a Windows 7 disc, for instance) so that I can start installing an operating system.

Yes that is correct.

After inserting the Windows 7 DVD into my optical drive, the hard drive whirrs as if it's successfully reading; then, it levels off and eventually stops whirring, then starts whirring again. After that, it stops. Again. If I "press a key" after putting the disc in, there's a two-second delay before the same "Reboot / insert boot media" message displays, followed by more whirring that eventually stops.

for some reason your optical drive is having difficulty reading the media. could be defective optical drive or defective media... possibly the cable? you could skip all that and install the OS from a USB thumbdrive instead. Please make sure your target drive is in SATA0

 

[Elena9525]

Thanks. I'd kind of figured my optical drive wasn't reading the media properly, given that it's been sitting outside in my computer case for almost two years, enduring sub-zero temperatures through two winters. It also probably doesn't help that the optical drive itself is over five years old. Could be my Windows 7 disc, though -- a friend gave me blank-looking 4.7GB DVDs that supposedly have Windows 7 on them (isn't that illegal?), and she said she'd tested one of them herself on an old PC to ensure they worked.

 

[dodger46]

Hope you're not trying to read a DVD with a drive that can only read CDs!
And if you're unsure of your Install disk,download an ISO from here
http://forum.notebookreview.com/windows-os-software/604187-legal-download-digitalriver-windows-7-sp1-13-languages.html
Burn it to a disk...

 

[nhasian]

actually you can download the windows 7 image and burn it to disc. that is not illegal. You must have purchased a license to use windows 7 or have it come with your computer. If you acquire a product key elsewhere or circumvent the activation, then that is illegal. If you do not own windows I encourage to try Linux instead.

Ubuntu and Fedora are operating systems based on the Linux kernel. There are many operating systems that use the Linux kernel (sometimes these are called "Linux distros"). I recommend either Fedora 17 or Ubuntu 12.04.

How to install Ubuntu 12.04

How to install Fedora 17

Could be my Windows 7 disc, though -- a friend gave me blank-looking 4.7GB DVDs that supposedly have Windows 7 on them (isn't that illegal?)