Non-System Disk

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ugly Trick
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Ugly Trick

"Non System Disk or Disk error. Remove and strike any key when ready". The
problem is, there is no Disk in the computer. Has anyone seen this problem,
and does anyone have a solution for it? Please help.

Ugly Trick
 
| "Non System Disk or Disk error. Remove and strike any key when ready". The
| problem is, there is no Disk in the computer. Has anyone seen this problem,
| and does anyone have a solution for it? Please help.
|
| Ugly Trick

Unfortunately, your hard drive is no longer a system disk.
Either you have lost critical system files in the boot sector, or your hard drive is dead.
Do you know how to check the BIOS to see if the hard drive is recognized?
 
This error can be caused by one or more of the below possibilities.

1. Floppy or CD that is not bootable is currently in the
computer.
2. BIOS or CMOS setup is not setup properly.
3. Hard disk drive does not have bootable files on it.
4. The hard disk drive is bad or not connected properly.

Solution:
1. Floppy or CD that is not bootable is currently in the computer

Verify that no floppy diskette or CD is currently in the computer.
If a diskette or CD is in the computer that is not bootable your
computer may attempt to boot from that diskette or CD causing this
error message.

2. BIOS is not setup properly

1). Verify that your hard disk drive is setup and detected
properly in BIOS. You're computer should list a hard disk drive
installed either under the main page or the drives page in BIOS. If
BIOS indicates the drive is not installed or not detected skip to Hard
Disk drive is bad or not connected properly.
2). Verify the boot options are properly set in BIOS, almost
all BIOS setups should contain options specifying how your computer
boots. For example, most computers should have their boot options
setup similar to the below example.

- Floppy drive
- CD drive
- Hard drive

3). Rest your BIOS to default values. Many BIOS will enable
users to reset the values to the default settings. If you've tried the
above options without success try resetting the BIOS.

3. Hard disk drive does not have bootable files on it

It is possible that command.com or another bootable file may be
missing from the hard disk drive. Follow the below steps to possible
resolve your issue.

1). Boot from either your ERD, your bootable Windows CD, or
your bootable restore CD.
2). Once boot attempt to repair Windows. If you're able to
repair Windows remove the disks and reboot the computer.

4. The hard disk drive is bad or not connected properly

If you have attempted all above suggestions and you are still
encountering the same issues, verify the connections are properly
connected to the computer if the hard drive was recently installed or
the computer was moved.

Unfortunately, if all connections are setup properly and all the
above recommendations have been attempted, it is likely that the hard
disk drive is bad and it will need to be replaced.


----FREE diagnosis and repair tools, online forum, knowledgebase
articles, and more at www.DigitalSupportTech.com for your healthy and
speedy PC!
 
This is an old Compaq machine. I don't know which keys to push at startup to
enter the BIOS.

Ugly Trick
 
Those are all excellent suggestions. Thanks a lot. The hard drive was
booting fine. I removed it from the machine for awhile, and now I am trying
to put it back.

Ugly Trick
 
Error message when you start your computer with a non-system disk
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812492

If your computer has a diskette drive, see
How to create a bootable floppy disk for an NTFS or FAT partition in Windows
XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305595

Let us know if you have the Windows XP operating system CD (not an OEM
recovery CD though).
If you have the XP CD, it is possible to use the XP Recovery Console to do
some research, and possibly fixes if needed.
Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058/
 
"Non System Disk or Disk error. Remove and strike any key when ready". The
problem is, there is no Disk in the computer.
Click to expand...


I'm not sure what *you* mean by "disk," but there are three kinds of
disks: diskettes (aka floppy disks), CDs or DVDs, and hard drives.
Surely you have at least a hard drive in the computer.

The message is a very old one, dating to the earliest days of DOS, and
has never been changed. So when it says "disk" there, it's referring
to the only kind of "disk" that was available then: a diskette. When
it says remove it, it means take the diskette out of the drive. Do not
remove the hard drive.

Has anyone seen this problem,
and does anyone have a solution for it? Please help.
Click to expand...


The problem is fairly common. Usually it's caused by your hard drive
not being first in the BIOS boot order, and your having left either a
non-bootable diskette or a CD/DVD installed. It's trying to boot from
that accidentally-left-in unbootable disk. If so, simply remove the
diskette or CD/DVD.

If that's not the case, it's trying to boot from the hard drive and
failing to do so. It's possible that the data on your hard drive was
damaged or wiped out, either due to some accidental event or perhaps
by a virus.

Finally, if none of the above is the case, almost certainly you have a
hardware problem: either with the hard drive itself, the disk
controller on the motherboard, or the cable connecting the two.
 
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