PC boot problem.

cavedog

cavedog

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I have

80GB IDE HDD
1TB SATA HDD

I have xp on the 80GB. Now I installed windows vista x64 right. So I wanted to remove the 80GB cause I don't need it anymore. Now my computer doesn't want to boot. Even if I changed the boot priority in the BIOS. It says "DISK BOOT ERROR PLEASE INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER TO CONTINUE"

But when I put the 80GB back. The it boots windows vista fine! No problem. Now how can I fix this? I have a suspision the vista created the boot files for vista on the 80GB that's why its failing.
Thanks.
 
cavedog said:
I have

80GB IDE HDD
1TB SATA HDD

I have xp on the 80GB. Now I installed windows vista x64 right. So I wanted to remove the 80GB cause I don't need it anymore. Now my computer doesn't want to boot. Even if I changed the boot priority in the BIOS. It says "DISK BOOT ERROR PLEASE INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER TO CONTINUE"

But when I put the 80GB back. The it boots windows vista fine! No problem. Now how can I fix this? I have a suspision the vista created the boot files for vista on the 80GB that's why its failing.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Maybe you need to make the Vista partition the primary partition or the 'active' partition. I think you'll need a freeware program like commercial apps, Partition Magic or Acronis Disk Director.
 
Also look at where the MBR is installed, it might still be on the 80GB drive if that was your original boot drive. With XP you could start up with the installation media, select "R" for Repair and say "fixmbr"
 
when you install vista on a pc that already has xp, vista detectsa this and instead of creating its boot loader independently it replaces the xp boot sequence and creates the option to choose which os to load at startup. so yes, your system won't boot without the 80gb disk. to remedy the situation you can remove the 80gb and boot from your vista dvd, run recovery console but then it won't give you the option to select xp on startup.
 
Lord Fubar said:
when you install vista on a pc that already has xp, vista detectsa this and instead of creating its boot loader independently it replaces the xp boot sequence and creates the option to choose which os to load at startup. so yes, your system won't boot without the 80gb disk. to remedy the situation you can remove the 80gb and boot from your vista dvd, run recovery console but then it won't give you the option to select xp on startup.
Click to expand...


no its fine I'm not using that HDD anymore. I want to remove it completely! So I only want vista. how can i fix it. please explain. I'm not good with these commands! :)
 
ok then you have to set the sata drive as your boot device in the bios. what motherboard do you have?

if it doesnt wanna boot from your sata drive its usually something to do with changing the chipset from 'AHCI' (not sure if i got it right) to IDE
 
I had the same problem this week with one of our pc's!
We removed all IDE devices and went in the BIOS and disabled the IDE ports then it booted from the SATA fine, but I think you might need to install Vista all over again because if you had XP on the 80GB and put Vista on your 1TB then some of your boot files may still be on the 80GB...
So best way to do it, is remove your 80GB completely and install Vista all over again on the 1TB
 
I'm not saying my way is the best way, but it is a way that works! So giving my opinion of what I think he must do is nothing wrong with! Yeah a boot fix will be better when you have data on it which he dont want to loose... so he can do a fix boot OR format everything and install vista all over again!
 
okay but it is my OPINION, and my opinions and yours is 2 different things....

so the best way is meaning how I would have done it, notice the I?

and then I'm not saying my way is the best way meaning I know there is better ways but thats how I, notice the I would have done it!

That is MY opinion! so those 2 "best ways" got nothing to do with each other!
 
If you do a boot fix from the DVD it will reinstall the boot files to the 1TB.

What has actually happened is that the 80GB HDD was the primary hard drive and when you installed Vista, the boot files were installed on the 80GB. I have had a bit of experience with this type of thing starting way back when I had my AMD Duron.
 
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