Require boot disk?

Well hi guys, Issue: Had power cut again…. and when restarting pc had found that it was asking for Boot Disk…. So how can I get this disk? have Google etc and not really found anything Using kids pc…. Well found to much info but what to do? This the 1st time I have ever had this issue, so a bit lost…. Tried the XP cd but chkdsk /r did not work, as in error message. On start up she goes straight to asking for boot disk now. As always all help most appreciated Cheers

What was the error message with chkdsk?

It said : Unable to repair as there is several bad sectors. I am off out soon and will get a new Hard Drive and do a full install…. See if i can get up n running. Just that I had just loaded a lot of info/piks the same night and didn't backup so will need info on how to retrieve this from HD

That error does not sound right. When you use the /r switch, locating and fixing bad sectors is what chkdsk is supposed to do. Did you boot to the CD? To do that, you must have the CD before the HD in the boot order, as set in the BIOS Setup Menu.

Error after chkdsk /r : The Volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems

And is this after booting to the CD? The drive may be toast. You might go to the drive maker's site and download their diagnostics.

Yep I'm picking the worse…. I have just tried a fresh Hard Drive but she wont let me install XP.??? Still goes to 'Boot Failure' So am I picking that the Mother Board is toast? because even with no Hard Drive connected I get the same error! Also when at Windows Repair, there are no drives listed all are blank…

Are your drives recognized in BIOS/CMOS setup?

Hi Master Doug I know that when in The Repair screen as in Chkdsk /r and going for install the 3 slots show nothing. Cmos: there are no Masters or Slaves listed Bios: boot order: 1st Floppy, 2nd Disabled, 3rd cd/dvd I had a look at the MSI www for updated Mobo drivers/bios but there is a big list…. I dont see this as being a HD issue? as the PC asked the same with the new drive and NO drive in her! As you know nothing is ever easy on my old girl At least I have a new Hard Drive so that's a start.. even tho it was a weekend buy and not really wanted… 260 WD 8mb cache… but will be a good 2nd on New PC. So my old friend… shall I go for a high end Laptop or a killer 12gig I7 Desk? Will also need to know how to retrieve my info off old HD Please quide me

I think I would reset the BIOS and see what happens. See your motherboard manual for recommended reset method. It typically involves moving a jumper for a few seconds, or pulling the battery for 15- 30 seconds. In either case, make sure you power down, UNPLUG from the wall, then touch bare metal of the case BEFORE reaching in. If the battery is more than a couple years old, I would just replace it. They are only a couple dollars so there is little lost if the battery is not bad. Do not touch the replaced or new battery with bare fingers - skin oils promote corrosion and attracts dust. After reset/new battery is installed, boot directly into the BIOS Setup Menu and set date and time, then see if drives are recognized. Change boot order to put CD before HD, then Save and Exit.

Don't forget you will need to format your new drive before Windows can use it.

As far as recovering your data, if your motherboard is toast, you will need to install that drive into an enclosure attached to, or as a secondary (not boot) drive installed in a 2nd PC.

Ok…. Reset Bios as per manual ( change jumper ) , Reset time etc in Bios…. No HardDrive recognized tho…. Still same problem Cheers

Then time to get the butter out - I'd say it's toast.

Just for grins, try this: 1. Power off the computer. 2. Unplug the power cord. 3. Remove the CMOS battery (CR2032 - size of a quarter). 4. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds to drain all the capacitors. 5. Reinstall the CMOS battery. 6. Plug in the power cord and power up. You will get a message about CMOS corrupt, press F1 to enter Setup, F2 to continue, or something like that. Press the key that takes you into Setup. Load defaults, save the changes then exit. Go back into setup and see if the hard drive is shown now. If not, go back into Setup and see if there is a selection for IDE device configuration or something like that. If yes, choose it and let it check for each IDE device. This last part does not apply if you have SATA of course.

Well guys I have tried all that was suggested…. no luck tho. Hard Drive not recognized anywhere I,m afraid. I have a good insurance company, and after explaining the situation the PC will be sent to their Techs dept for appraisal and I will get it either repaired or replaced… So I will keep you posted of the outcome and what the techs think the issue is. Cheers again for your help! and yes I like to try and fix the issue through your guidance, but this time I am on a no winner.. CherCher TOMT