Operating System Not Found *NEED A LOT OF HELP*

Hello! I have a really huge problem. Whenever I open my computer, there is always a black screen and the message : Operating System Not Found. Also, whenever I'm tapping F8 to view the other options besides opening windows same screen appears. What should I do? Please help me! :cry

 

Anyone?

 

Firstly you need to check in your bios that the hard drive is still recognised.

If this is the case then you could start with an emergency boot floppy.

What operating system do (did) you have?
What resources do you have, recovery disks, Windows disks, friend's computers.
Do you have a floppy drive?

Hope the Tsunami misses you.

 

Install an Operating System would be good

I'll assume you did have one installed originally, so check the basics first

Stage 1 (mild curiosity)

No CD/DVD/floppy left in the drive(s) ?
No USB devices that might be bootable inserted?
Open up the case, check all cables are still connected
Check in the BIOS that a HD is actually 'seen' by the PC

Stage 2 (panic rising)

Reset CMOS, or use 'detect all HD's in BIOS'
Boot from a Linux 'live' CD/DVD if available - do files actually exist on the HD?
Remove HD and try it in another PC (set to slave if not a SATA HD)
Or try it in an external HD enclosure

Stage 3 (headless chicken mode)

Use your best swear words, and give the PC your sternest look - seldom works
Remove all cables and dangle PC from upper storey window, and threaten to drop it - never works, but worth it for the stress relief
Fall to your knees and pray to your favourite deity - sometimes works, but only in Hollywood movies

 

How would I know? I only see the following (I don't know what it means please explain it:

IDE DEVICES

Primary Master [CD-ROM]
Primary Slave [NONE]
Secondary Master [CD-ROM]
Secondary Slave [NONE]


Local Bus IDE Adapter: [BOTH].

I'm using Windows XP SP2.


Right now, I'm trying to open Windows using the Windows XP Professional with SP2 Installer.

I've tried to opened it thru pressing F8. And right now, Windows Setup is starting Windows. I haven't used the Windows Automated System Recovery Disk. Is that alright or the other one (I forgot the exact words but I think it has something to do with third party.)?

Am I doing the right thing? :confused

 

In my previous post, I think I'm reinstalling it already though I'm not sure... It only said:


______________________________________
Windows Setup
===========

Setup is starting Windows.
______________________________________



I have one concern, will it affect the files that I have in my computer? :cry

 

Updates

Currently now I think I'm booting up my computer... Is booting the right term for inserting the Installation disk into the computer? Anyways.. How come the configuring for hardware setting takes so long? Also, the usual blinking at my CPU is not showing. What should I do?

 

Update 2

I have already "booted" my computer. I inserted the 6 diskette on my computer and repair my computer. After that repair, the computer still says "Operating System not found". What should I do now? Will my previous files be saved? Will it also affect the other hard drives that I have in my computer?

 

Hello! I'm very sorry for the continous post. I just want to update what is happening with my computer because I might forgot it. Anways, I have 3 drives in it and 2 CD/DVD drives.

 

Since they are not showing on the IDE list I assume your hard drives are SATA.

Go into setup (the BIOS) and look for drive settings.
Watch the screen for instructions at powerup. You have to keep tapping either the DEL or F2 or some key as you power up.

What drives are listed and is the SATA enabled?
It would also help if you could tell us what motherboard you have.

Is this the same computer we have seen here before?

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=138885

 

Yes. It is the same. Before, I just check on the pluggings if they are still intact or not. I just wiggle the cords in my CPU and before I knew it is fixed.

Can I ask what is SATA and where could I see that? The only thing I could see is the following:

User Preferences
Security
Configuration
In the Configuration, we have:
Integrated I/O Ports
Flexible Disk Drive
Memory Cache
IDE Devices
PCI Slot Devices
Boot Devices Ordering

 

Update 3

I'm still trying the booting process. I am using the 6 diskette for booting my computer. 2nd diskette is looking for a file:

File \ntkrnlmp.exe could not be loaded. The error code is 7.

Before, the 2nd disk is just working fine how come it happens like this?

 

I have attached SATA (pic1) and IDE (pic2) cable pictures for you to look at your drives.

Again what name/model is written on your motherboard?

 

Name/Model of my Motherboard (I think) is....

PhoenixBIOS 4.06.16 PQ or
Intel(R) Pentium(R) III Processor

Sorry, I'm really new with this things!

 

Update 4

Good news! The..

Safe Mode and Last Good Configuration setup is showing again but whenever I choose any of it, it would just restart.



I take it back.. I tried pressing F8 and then its back to ground zero...

 

Um... Hello?

 

The more information you can provide the faster this problem will be resolved.
Please try to answer all the questions.

Neither of the above identifies the motherboard, but perhaps we are beginning to make sense of your system.

Phoenix BIOS is the maker of the system bios, which you get to by tapping some key (watch the screen) when you first poweron.

 

The more information you can provide the faster this problem will be resolved.
Please try to answer all the questions.

Neither of the above identifies the motherboard, but perhaps we are beginning to make sense of your system.

Phoenix BIOS is the maker of the system bios, See post#11


The reference to the pentiumIII refers to the processor not the motherboard. This would make the system too old for SATA.
Please confirm you have no cables like the red one in pic1???

There are no references to any hard drives. You state you have 3. Are you sure that some of these drives are not actually partitions on one or two drives?

Please also confirm that you actually have two cd drives??

Looking at your previous threads your system started with Windows Millenium? and was upgraded to XP.

Taking all the above information I would suspect that the data cables to the hard drives are either damaged or of the older type and unsuitable for a modern drive that you now have.

Disconnect both CD drives.
Connect the master (the one with windows) hard drive to the end of one of the data cables.
Boot to the BIOS as in post #11
Choose IDE HDD detection from the first menu
Then choose standard CMOS setup and reead the information screen
If it shows the hard drive choose save settings and exit
Post what it says here