Disk boot failure

[jose7185]

ok i have a hp pavilion a206x with windows vista. one day i opened my computer to get my memory card that got inside.when i got it i just started messing around with my computer.then when i tried to turn it on it said "disk boot failure insert system disk and press enter" ok i tried to go to setup but i dont know the password.so i put the windows vista cd and boot it.so i put install but in the section that asks in what drive do i want to install vista in, there are no drives it said that it my hdd might not be responding. so do i need to buy a new hard drive or what??

 

[Route44]

Can you boot into safe mode? If so go to your harddrive manufacturer's website and download their harddrive diagnostic utility. This will be free.

Run both the S.M.A.R.T. and Long test.

Also, found this on the 'net:

'boot disk failure, insert system disk and press enter'

Ever had that?

I've had it twice, once when I was swapping disks into a new barebones machine and then in the same machine when I changed the AGP video card.

Want to know what worked for me?

Get into the BIOS and reset / choose failsafe or optimised settings, bingo it'll work.

Let me know if it does or doesn't.

 

[gbhall]

Maybe you just disturbed a connector, especially the hard drive connector (or power lead).

 

[jose7185]

no i cant boot into the computer at all. and i dont know the password to enter BIOS. i tried to install vista to fix it but my hard drive is not responding.i opened my computer and all the cable were connected

 

[KINGMEET]

this has happened to me also, what I did was to make sure that my cables are secured correctly. If you are using an IDE base HD make sure that the IDE cable is in all the way on and your power cable too. Also make sure you didnt by some chance pull your jumper setting pin out from your HD too.(I have done this a few times). If your HD is good then this should work

KINGMEET

 

[Ultiweap]

Hi,

First of all try to assure you that everything is well connected mainly for the HDD. Check if the jumper is well in its place and if it has move and that you aren't sure on what pin to put it exactly easily just remove it(keep it in a good place in case you need it after) and boot on your PC.

 

[Route44]

If gbhall, KINGMEET, and amagnien's advice doesn't work (good troubleshooting steps by the way) then take out your harddrive and see if it works in another system.

 

[Ultiweap]

Yeah if those advice don't work then try to put it on another computer and test it. If it does not work too then you HDD should be faulty and you will need to change it.