boot disk not recognized

  • Thread starter Thread starter Randy Starkey
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R

Randy Starkey

Hi,

We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine is
stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.

What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the most
likely causes?

Thanks!

--Randy Starkey
 
In Randy Starkey <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
Hi,

We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving
an error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also.
Machine is stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4
basic machine.
What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the
most likely causes?

Thanks!

--Randy Starkey
Click to expand...

Harddisk failure? I'd start there. Try a new drive, try the drive in an old
system.

Galen
 
Randy Starkey said:
Hi,

We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine is
stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.

What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the most
likely causes?

Thanks!

--Randy Starkey
Click to expand...

Your first step should be to determine if WinXP is OK or not.
Perhaps you have only a minor problem with your boot environment.

- Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP/2000 PC.
Don't do it on a Win9x PC - it won't work. And don't try
and create some type of boot disk - just format it, nothing else!
- Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
ntldr
ntdetect.com
- Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=3
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
- Boot the machine with this floppy

Post the result here.
 
Hi Modem,

Good point - but I'm better than that - checked that first thing. No floppy
in there.

The BIOS is sporadically not detecting C Drive so I'm pretty sure C is
dying/dead.

--Randy Starkey
 
Thanks for the tips - I'll keep that on hand - it looks like the drive is
dying/dead though - it won't boot in another identical machine, and the BIOS
is sporadically not even recognizing the drive at all. Still think I should
run this?

--Randy

Pegasus (MVP) said:
Randy Starkey said:
Hi,

We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine is
stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.

What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the most
likely causes?

Thanks!

--Randy Starkey
Click to expand...

Your first step should be to determine if WinXP is OK or not.
Perhaps you have only a minor problem with your boot environment.

- Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP/2000 PC.
Don't do it on a Win9x PC - it won't work. And don't try
and create some type of boot disk - just format it, nothing else!
- Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
ntldr
ntdetect.com
- Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=3
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
- Boot the machine with this floppy

Post the result here.
Click to expand...
 
Very well could be. Might also be the cable, the jumper or the BIOS itself.

In general, I always investigate the simple things first, since I'm not
knowledgable enough to cause an advanced problem. Yet ;->

Modem Ani
 
It won't hurt. If the drive is dying then you should
download and run the diagnostic program from your
disk manufacturer's home site.


Randy Starkey said:
Thanks for the tips - I'll keep that on hand - it looks like the drive is
dying/dead though - it won't boot in another identical machine, and the BIOS
is sporadically not even recognizing the drive at all. Still think I should
run this?

--Randy

Pegasus (MVP) said:
Randy Starkey said:
Hi,

We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving an
error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine is
stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic machine.

What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the most
likely causes?

Thanks!

--Randy Starkey
Click to expand...

Your first step should be to determine if WinXP is OK or not.
Perhaps you have only a minor problem with your boot environment.

- Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP/2000 PC.
Don't do it on a Win9x PC - it won't work. And don't try
and create some type of boot disk - just format it, nothing else!
- Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
ntldr
ntdetect.com
- Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=3
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
- Boot the machine with this floppy

Post the result here.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
It's a WD so will do that and see what it says. The freezer trick didn't
work <g>.


Pegasus (MVP) said:
It won't hurt. If the drive is dying then you should
download and run the diagnostic program from your
disk manufacturer's home site.


Randy Starkey said:
Thanks for the tips - I'll keep that on hand - it looks like the drive is
dying/dead though - it won't boot in another identical machine, and the BIOS
is sporadically not even recognizing the drive at all. Still think I should
run this?

--Randy

Pegasus (MVP) said:
message Hi,

We have a problem with C drive boot disk (WD1200JB - IDE 133) giving
an
error of non-system disk. The disk light stays on solid also. Machine is
stripped to nothing but C drive and video. WinXP Pro. P4 basic
machine.

What would be the best order of steps to trouble shoot this, and the most
likely causes?

Thanks!

--Randy Starkey



Your first step should be to determine if WinXP is OK or not.
Perhaps you have only a minor problem with your boot environment.

- Format a floppy disk on some other WinXP/2000 PC.
Don't do it on a Win9x PC - it won't work. And don't try
and create some type of boot disk - just format it, nothing else!
- Copy these files from the \i386 folder of your WinXP CD to A:\
ntldr
ntdetect.com
- Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=3
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
- Boot the machine with this floppy

Post the result here.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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