Das Boot

[Lemur]

I'm experiencing some weird boot issues. It's a head-scratcher, so I thought I would reach out to you lot and see if you've got some suggestions.

My gaming PC suddenly doesn't like to boot up. It POSTs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-on_self-test) just fine, and then it tells me that it can't go into Windows because there's a fatal error and no bootable volumes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booting). This is all in BIOS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIOS), mind you.

Here's where it gets weird: I stick in my Windows XP Professional disc, and guess what happens? Not only does it boot up, but it loads the Windows from my hard drive, complete with my usual settings and everything. It's as though nothing happened. Take the XP disc out, attempt to boot up again? Fatal error. Stick the XP disc in? It boots to my profile.

I had a look at BOOT.INI, and everything looks good. I checked in the BIOS to make sure that the boot sequence begins with Hard Drive, and it does.

What gives? Suggestions, ideas, mockery, epigrams?

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Why I thought this thread in the Hard-and software forum was about the U-boat Waffe film, I do not know. :wall:

Anyway, sorry I can't help, but good luck.:sweatdrop:

[Xiahou]

Did the boot sector of your HD get screwed up somehow?
You could try booting off the CD and doing a FIXBOOT (http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsf/p/fixboot.htm).

Great if that fixes it, but it'd still leave me wondering how it happened.....

[caravel]

^^What he said, fixing the MBR is probably the best idea for a start.

[Haudegen]

Great if that fixes it, but it'd still leave me wondering how it happened.....

I had pretty much the same problem a few weeks ago.

I was replacing some parts of my system. While I was doing this, I also removed all SATA cables from the mainboard. My boot harddisk was originally connected to the SATA port #1.

When I put things together again, I accidentally connected the harddisk to port # 3 or 4. Then I switched the PC on and faced the symptoms that Lemur described. Fortunately I found a solution for this via google. IIRC it had to do with typing "fixboot" and some other strange commands in the Windows repair console.

After this, I looked into my mainboards´ manual. It says that ports #1 and #2 should be used for boot disks and #3 and #4 for non-boot harddisks or optical drives.

That´s why I strongly believe, that the MBR was damaged because I connected the harddisk to the wrong port, at least in my case.

Maybe Lemur can comment on this.

[Lemur]

I've had a slew of other things going on, so I haven't been able to concentrate on this just yet. Maybe if the little lemurlings give me peace this afternoon. I will say, however, that all my troubles began after mocing my hard drives from an upper to a lower cage (making room for my new baby (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121291)). I have a two HD system, like most gamers I expect, but neither SATA cable was unplugged or re-plugged at the motherboard. Like any lazy slob, I just disconnected the headers at the HD, moved the drives, and re-plugged them in, paying no mind to which had been plugged where originally. They are on the 1 and the 2 SATA channel, respectively.

If I can ever convince this PC to boot from a CD again, I will try to see if a FIXBOOT will do the trick, as per Xiahou's suggestion.

[R'as al Ghul]

Like any lazy slob, I just disconnected the headers at the HD, moved the drives, and re-plugged them in, paying no mind to which had been plugged where originally. They are on the 1 and the 2 SATA channel, respectively.


Just swap the drives. The one with the boot-sector is on the wrong cable.

:bow:

[Xiahou]

Just swap the drives. The one with the boot-sector is on the wrong cable.

:bow:
That sounds reasonable. :yes:

[Lemur]

O pity me, my friends, for I have descended into hardware hell. My boot problems are minor and gone, to be replaced by cascading hardware failures that make me weep and throw ashes upon my head.

I bought a new terabyte drive from NewEgg to give my gaming PC some breathing room. The drive is a bust, but I didn't know that until I had tried every combination of cables, settings and cursing for the better part of a day. Not how I wanted to spend my weekend.

Now my router went blammo, and everything in my house goes through the router. The 'puters, the Tivo, the phones, everything. I upgraded the firmware from 1.8 to 1.9, and now I appear to have an expensive brick. The only reason I can type this to you is that I have a neighbor who doesn't understand how to secure his wireless.

Pardon me while I limp and shudder and drip blood all over your nice carpet. I am in a poorly way. Wish me luck.

-edit-

Fixed the router. That was scary.

[Vladimir]

Now my router went blammo, and everything in my house goes through the router. The 'puters, the Tivo, the phones, everything. I upgraded the firmware from 1.8 to 1.9, and now I appear to have an expensive brick. The only reason I can type this to you is that I have a neighbor who doesn't understand how to secure his wireless.

:laugh4: Usually people don't realize the severity of that until you print something out on their printer.

[ICantSpellDawg]

My laptop has been out for service for almost 4 months, my pc's power supply and video card have been busted for over a month now, my dvd player broke because it is a piece and my tv's sound comes in and out at its leisure.

I have nothing to do atm except bother my girlfriend to go online or visit my parents house to check my e-mail. - on the plus side, I am 2/3rds of the way through becoming a federal officer, so maybe this wasn't the worst timing.

I miss my set-up desperately and will soon replace it with a fixed laptop, mid-range desk-beast, un-in power supply, wireless printer, Headset/throttle/joystick set, and HD monitor with TV tuner card. YESSSSSSSS. Then I will harass all of you again.