[rgreen4]

Please go into the BIOS setup and confirm that the HD is listed as the first boot device.

[mphenterprises]

rgreen4 said:

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Please go into the BIOS setup and confirm that the HD is listed as the first boot device.

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Good point.

[thegammingperson1994]

Yes, it is. Atleast, when I'm in it. My BIOS tends to slip the USB drive to the top when I plug it in at that moment, otherwise it won't detect it. And incase something is getting itsself to the top on that list, I belive the BIOS has this fallback feature where it goes the next device, and so on. That's what I think, anyways.

[rgreen4]

Most have three boot devices. Normally I keep the HD first, CD drive (actually DVD) second and don't pay much attention to the third. If I can I set it to none.

Do you have a spare HD?

[thegammingperson1994]

Yes, I do have a spare HD. So here's how my boot list usually looks:



1. First HD (Has Win XP, is my main HD.)

2. Second HD (Is for Backup, shouldn't have any boot info on it.)

3. DVD Drive

4. CD Drive

Then the rest I try to disable, although my BIOS tends to fill the last one in as a NVIDIA Network boot device. If I plug in my USB drive at the right moment, it will go to the top and bump everything down.

[rgreen4]

The reason I asked if you had a spare HD, not a second HD, would be to install it in the computer and re-install Windows on it from scratch. Then on reboot, if you still have the problem, you know its hardware, not a glitch in Windows for some reason.

If all of your data is on the second HD, you might want to try to re-install Windows on the primary HD. Of course this means you will have to re-install all your programs, and re-configure windows to your liking again.

[thegammingperson1994]

You're absolutely sure there isn't a simple fix for this? No fixing of the MBR, or anything like that? Could I be missing a single file from the root of my C: drive that won't trigger everything for start up? What are the usual files needed to start up?

[thegammingperson1994]

Ok guys, I reinstalled windows on my primary hard drive, and it still doesn't work.

Just so I can check, what files does the computer check for before it boots up?

Also, does anyone else have any other suggestions?

[mjd420nova]

I have run across this in so many cases that I think that in your case, the BIOS is what needs to be changed to reflect the first boot device properly. I service a large client that has over 20K units that are all set this way and each individual user has a flash drive that they can insert into any of the corporate machines and it'll then boot to their setup. I think it's a pretty good method of controlling the units they have. Even after changing the BIOS in their units you still can't boot the unit. Security is the number one reason they did it this way. I have my own personal flash drive that allows me to get into any unit for service but not into any of their databases or programs. A very neat idea.

[thegammingperson1994]

Well, I don't have any concern for security. I just want it to work, since you know, flash drives should be used on the go :P



So I know that it is the first boot device, why else would it not work?

[thegammingperson1994]

mjd420nova, could you tell me how you would go about undoing this process?

[mjd420nova]

In your case, you would need to enter the BIOS setup and identify the "C" drive as the first boot device. What you choose as the second device depends on the particular unit and whether it has a floppy drive or CD-ROM drive as the next default boot device. In my clients case, the OS is characterized to not boot unless a flash drive is inserted in the USB port and has the right key info to boot the rest of the OS. Normally I have the "C" drive as the first and the CD-ROM as the second. In the unlikely event of a hard drive failure it will ask for a disk to be inserted into the CD drive. If this is what's happening in your case, you'll need to insert the OS disk in the drive and boot to that and then go about doing a repair of the OS to get the correct programs re-installed onto the hard drive so it will then boot from that drive. If the hard drive is failed, then a repair will be unsuccesful and the drive will need to be replaced and the OS installed as a new install. If the present hard drive is just corrupted, then a repair should return it to operation.

[thegammingperson1994]

I already tried a repair, and I the hard drive is ok for the most part, since I can still use it like normal. There's just something wrong with the way my BIOS is trying to read it. It is the first boot device, but when I leave my flash drive unplugged, it just won't boot. It just hangs at the blinking cursor.



So could you tell me what needs to be on my hard drive for it to boot properly?



Thanks.

[rgreen4]

What is the make and model of the PC, and did you buy it new?

[mjd420nova]

Did you do the repair with the flash drive installed? Try it without the flash inserted and see if it is characterizing the install with the flash drive present and wants to see that before booting properly.

[thegammingperson1994]

rgreen4, the motherboard, if that's what you're referring to, is an MSI P6NGM series motherboard. I made the computer myself.



mjd420nova, would it really consider the flash drive as the only way to boot up if I did a reinstall with it in? How did you make your corporate computers only boot up with a flash drive? I don't want to have to go through the reinstall process again only to find that it doesn't work... I think I'm running out of Licence key activations, anyways.

[rgreen4]

I am not aware of any limitations on the number of times you can reinstall Windows (XP or Vista) on the same machine. The activation sends the machine info to MS and it matches whats already on file, so sends back an OK.

[thegammingperson1994]

Oh, that's better. I thought you could only activate it a certain number of times :P



But I'm still not to keen to go through an entire day of repairing and updating, are you sure that repairing without the usb drive is the answer?

[rgreen4]

After you boot the system with the USB drive in place, what is the reaction when it is removed?

If the system stays up, then yes by all means, do the repair without the USB drive in place.

[thegammingperson1994]

Well, it would just keep loading after it showed the Windows screen with the loading bar under the logo. But I think it's the way it directs my computer directly to the C:Windows drive on my computer. I guess I'll try a repair install.