"No Boot Device Available"

Is this some sort of a dreaded "black screen of death":

"No boot device available
SATA 0: Installed
SATA 1: Installed
SATA 2: None
SATA 3: None"

This is a PC (Vista Home) that has been sitting idle (all power/wires/cables disconnected) for approximately 3 months. I just powered it up yesterday and it was moving VERY slow (with a high-speed cable connection)...was basically "freezing", though I was always able to move the mouse.

The black screen in question appeared late last night upon attempting to download/install a Vista Update (30 or 35 MB) after installing Service Pack 2 earlier in the day (300 or 350 MB).

I have no clue what to do with (for) this PC now to get rid of this screen - or might my hard drive be fried?

Thanks in advance,
g......................

 

This is more than likely a boot sector error, however it could also be a bad cable, open the box and check the ribbon is seated nice and tight.

Would i be right in thinking this has been in a cold(ish) room?

Anyhoo, if the ribbon is ok then you want to get the GAG bootloader. --> http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=2588

Q

Im a bit busy so post if you need any assistance and ill make some time

 

Hi Glen,

Before you get in deeper check all the drives, did you leave a CD/DVD or Floppy in one of the drives?

Do you have anything else connected that it could be trying to boot to, like an external HD or USB Drive?

Remember years ago being stumped by a friend that did this and spent an hour on phone to find out she forgot she had a floppy drive with a disk in it.

Good Luck

 

Thanks - looks like some "brain-drain" may be in store for ol' "grc123" ("simple" glenn) here eh?

The PC has actually been stored in an upstairs - and un-air conditioned - room...ambient/mean temps probably between 70 and 80 degrees (fahrenheit).

Thanks again...

 

Thank you - C_w_9 ... I'll be back to the machine shortly...come to think of it there may well be a CD in the machine. Though it started-up well enough yesterday before this problem occurred, it is seeming to want to boot-up from the CD/DVD (E?) drive now.

I'll be sure to post back and thanks again...

 

Excellent point Cat w 9 lives

Been there, done that more than once

Q

 

Well, I got it going...somehow (?). However, in the process, I have now blocked myself from internet access (typing this from a friends laptop).

There were no disks, etc. in the machine. I went into the BIOS and Boot Menu and reset things there. So....

No clue how I've blocked myself from the net, but I do know these two things (aside from, again, the machine having been idle for three months):

1. I just upgraded the RAM (from 1 GIG to 2 GIG)

2. Things "seem" to have gone astray after MS/Windows Updates (?).

Hmmm? :-ocry