Disk Boot Failure please insert system disk

[gmacalex]

Good Evening All,
I had a really stupid idea today of using the hard drive from my trusty PC to see if it could kick my previously posted server into life, this was unsuccessful, but my day was to get worse, or reattaching my hard drive to my pc I got the above error message, which probably would be fine but I don't have a xp disc.

I have checked the bios and everything seems to be okay, it sees both hard drives one for XP the other for storage, I did not change the master or slave settings, i simply unplugged and then replugged.

I have tried booting with one or other of the hard disks but I get the same message.
The motherboard is an Asus A7-8vx Amd 2200 2x hd 1x80 1x40 running windows xp pro.

Any suggestion would be great

Thanks

 

[Rik]

Did you check the boot order and device priority settings in the bios?

If so, what do both say?

 

[gmacalex]

Hi,
The Award Bios Setup Screen reads

1.Removable device legacy floppy
2 ide hard drive excelstor tech
3 atapi cd rom sony dvd etc
4 other boot device int18 device network.

Don't know if this is what you were looking for.

On boot up primary master is correct
primary slave is correct.

Any further help much appreciated.

Cheers

 

[raybay]

If the hardware has changed (other than the memory), since the Windows XP installation, that change may have been detected by Windows, thus causing the error message. If you moved the WXP installed hard drive to another case, that is likely the cause.

 

[gmacalex]

Hi raybay, does that mean I am up the creek without a paddle?.

 

[Rik]

Does the pc actually have a floppy drive in it?

Are you sure that "ide hard drive excelstor tech" is the master and not the slave hard drive?

 

[gmacalex]

Hi Rik,
No floppy in drive, on the main screen of the bios it states the excel stor as pri master and the pri slave as the samsung hd the secondary master is at auto and secondary salve is sony dvd drive.

Thanks

 

[Rik]

Is windows on the excel stor or the samsung?

 

[gmacalex]

Rik,
Would'nt want to swear in court over it but I am sure it is on the excelstor hd.
Thanks

 

[raybay]

I am supposing a few things here, since I don't know the full extent of the equipment and the Windows installs.

"...does that mean I am up the creek without a paddle?...

No, it just means you may have some work to do, depending on the install(s) you have.
Your problem may only be that you do not have the WXP disc handy... but if you can borrow a full version, it just requires a repair install so you can call Microsoft with the product ID change.
There is plenty of info online about this problem, and at the www.microsoft.com knowledge base. Microsoft is trying to control piracy, not make your life and install more difficult. Microsoft will ask you if the Windows disc (you may need the product ID) is installed on more than one machine, then give you the code. This is so routine that you may not even get a live person.
But, normally, to initiate this change, you need the Windows Disc or a full version of Windows that is not and OEM, Academic, or Upgrade. Those versions will want to do a complete install in order to re-register Windows XP.

 

[gmacalex]

Thanks Raybay,
My system came pre-installed so no disc I will keep trying and if all else fails see if i can borrow a full version from somewhere.
Thanks

 

[gmacalex]

Rik,
Managed to get some more info, during posting, when pressing f8 it says that that the primary master failed, is this any help?

 

[gmacalex]

Scrap previous post i read the screen incorrectly.

 

[Rik]

The thing to do would be to disconnect 1 drive and see if it boots, then do the same with the other one.

Just disconnecting the data cable will do it.

 

[gmacalex]

Hi Rik tried disconnecting but no change, I cannot believe i have caused myself this much hassle.

 

[Rik]

Sounds like your master boot record is screwed, without an xp disk, i really dont think there is anything you can do unless you can make a bootable floppy on another pc.

 

[gmacalex]

Hi Rik,
Yeah it looks like i am stuffed. I don't have anything with a floppy drive anymore.
Thanks for all your help.

Cheers

 

[Rik]

How about something that can burn a bootable cd?

 

[gmacalex]

Rik I can burn on this laptop

 

[Rik]

Google for "boot cd" and see if you can make a cd that will boot to command line, if you can, then type fixmbr. Its worth a try.