DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

[DGuller]

I've had this error twice in the last few days.  Each time I loaded the PC from Windows 7 repair disk, and let it repair start-up, which did the trick.  I hope this doesn't become a routine.

What can be the culprit?  Could this be caused by a motherboard?  I've had all kinds of issues with DVD drive disappearing for no reason, maybe to some extent the same thing is happening to my hard drive.

[DontSayBanana]

It could be your OS, it could be your hard drive, it could be something damaged in BIOS... not really enough input to tell for sure.  Can you upload or post a copy of SrtTrail.txt?

It sounds like something's corrupting your master boot record, but I could be totally off base there.

[Norgy]

First, press DEL on statup and check if your Win installation indeed is set as the boot device. (Boot device priority)
I think F8 also gives you a disk device manager. Select appropriate disk for boot.

The disappearing DVD drive is more tricky. Check for firmware updates.

What motherboard do you have? Check for BIOS updates and if your battery still works.

If all else fails, get a system image and a repair disk, then a new hard drive. 

[grumbler]

First, press DEL on statup and check if your Win installation indeed is set as the boot device. (Boot device priority)
I think F8 also gives you a disk device manager. Select appropriate disk for boot.

This is the likeliest cause and the easiest to fix.

[Arvoreen]

If it was all working, then just started failing, and you haven't changed anything, it *may* be one of your devices starting to fail (perhaps the DVD) and causing issues on the bus....or your motherboard starting to fail (or maybe just the cables are loose too).  It wouldn't hurt to try disconnecting and then reconnecting all the drives (harddrives & dvd), or even trying to swap ports around (assuming SATA, or primary to secondary if still IDE...)

[MadImmortalMan]

If it was all working, then just started failing, and you haven't changed anything, it *may* be one of your devices starting to fail (perhaps the DVD) and causing issues on the bus....or your motherboard starting to fail (or maybe just the cables are loose too).  It wouldn't hurt to try disconnecting and then reconnecting all the drives (harddrives & dvd), or even trying to swap ports around (assuming SATA, or primary to secondary if still IDE...)

Yes. Could be. Start here though:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

Use the /fixboot and /fixmbr switches.


Plan for hardware failure though just in case.

[DGuller]

I'll wait for my 2 TB external hard drive to arrive, so that I can create an image of my system before doing so much as breathing on my computer.

After I back everything up, I'll dive in and try to figure out WTF is going on with my PC.  My primary suspect is the mobo.  My secondary suspect is the DVD drive.  I guess I also can't rule out hard drive failure, since these things are disposable nowadays, but my gut tells me that it's unlikely.

[DGuller]

Hmm, turns out I don't need to fix the startup to start my computer.  All I have to do is have the repair disk in the drive, and just not press any button to have it start from the hard drive.  It seems like a boot order issue or a fucked up MBR.

[Norgy]

Once again, check your boot devices priority.

[DGuller]

Boot device order it was.  However, something it still fucked with my DVD drive.

[Norgy]

Find maker and model, update firmware. Windows 7 is unkind to DVD drives, but the firmware updates may help.

If all else fails, uninstall your current driver, reboot and let Windows find it again and install drivers.

[DGuller]

Find maker and model, update firmware. Windows 7 is unkind to DVD drives, but the firmware updates may help.

If all else fails, uninstall your current driver, reboot and let Windows find it again and install drivers.

I don't think it's Windows related, the thing is acting up sometimes even at startup.