BleepingComputer.com: Non-system disk or disk error replace and strike any key when ready.

Hello,
I have a friends computer that won't boot anymore. I figure it was the motherboard since swapping out power suppy with known good one still resulted in a dead box. No lights, nada. No one home at all. Hard drive seems to be OK. I used driveimage xml to make a backup of the drive before attempting a recovery in another machine that wasn't in use. The recovery repair (2nd option) runs just fine but won't boot upon startup.
I can do an "upgrade" install of another OS (resulting in windows.old file), but drive is too small for such a thing. I can do a full install on that hard drive and it will boot and run just fine. It's the image that I can't get to boot. I currently have it imaged on a healthy 75.4 gb drive which...won't...boot....
It was running windows home. I honestly don't remember if it was premium or basic. All I want is to be able to get it up and running so my friend can get his info/programs/whatever all in order until he can get a new machine.
I formated it properly, but something is wrong with the original image that just won't allow me to boot. My vacation time is fast running out. Every time I need to redo the image I lose 3-4 hrs .
I did attempt to write a new mbr. I either did it wrong or that wasn't my problem.

Thank you for your time and asistance,
-George

This post has been edited by fhen: 17 February 2011 - 08:47 PM

Well...if it IS the motherboard...which aligns with your suspicions...I don't know what to suggest.

<<I used driveimage xml to make a backup of the drive before attempting a recovery in another machine that wasn't in use>>
System manufacturer and model?

<<I figure it was the motherboard since swapping out power suppy with known good one still resulted in a dead box. No lights, nada>>

The PSU sounds like a good suspect when there are no signs of life, IMO.

<<I can do an "upgrade" install of another OS (resulting in windows.old file), but drive is too small for such a thing. I can do a full install on that hard drive and it will boot and run just fine.>>

What drive are you talking about...the original hard drive? If that's true...it would appear that the motherboard is not at fault.

<<It's the image that I can't get to boot. I currently have it imaged on a healthy 75.4 gb drive which...won't...boot....>>

What's the error message when you try to boot the image on different hard drive? Is that when you get the error message you cited?

Non-system disk means that the boot options are wrong, generally speaking. Have you checked the BIOS settings? A bad/failing CMOS battery could also be reasonably expected to possibly produce that error.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812492

Did you check the cloned drive...for the proper boot.ini file?

Louis

Hello,
Thank you for the reply. The original box is dead... The hard drive in question is alive (?) and almost well in another computer entirely. This one boots just fine with anything BUT the imaged drive. I can (and have) put other drives in it and done a recovery just to see if the hard drive itself is the issue. I can screw up the partition, do any install that doesn't save the data (which is what I really need saved) and it boots just fine. Something happens when I apply the image to the drive. I am guessing the old machine had multiple crashes before it's final demise so some of the boot data has gotten nuked. I had assumed the recovery install of windows would "fix" those parts and apply whatever new drivers are needed. So far I haven't had any luck.

The original boot.ini reads as follows.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn


I also see ntdetect.com and ntdlr.

Hello,
Is there a utility I can use to partition this hard drive, format/activate that partition properly and migrate windows back onto it so it will boot without losing all the data? The original hard drive was too small for it. Current size is 31,514mb of 76315mb. Info was from driveimage xml.

-George

I`m really a bit lost in the end point you are trying to archive.

But, IMO. Slave the drive. Pull off the User`s data. Pic`s, music, etc. And do a fresh install. With all the time spent it becomes a case of demolishing returns.

Swapping hard drives with the OS\drivers installed from one machine to another with a totally different hardware configuration is a 50/50 proposition at best.
There is a link with information how to attempt it somewhere. But at best you usually end up with partially functioning PC. They will normally experience hic-ups and problems as time pass`s.

I have done this type of install dozens of times without a hitch hardly. This one is the first that has failed. I guess I really need to know 1) what went wrong 2) can it be fixed 3) if not, why?
I have been scouring this site and others for the last month trying to figure it out. I found this site this week (i'm vacation so actually have time to work on the machine) and am very happy I did. I guess I can't leave a mystery unsolved.
I dont like migrating an old setting into a fresh install, things just don't seem to work right afterward if it was due to issues from crashes.

This post has been edited by fhen: 18 February 2011 - 08:00 PM