[AuroraDizon]

A Disk Read Error Occurred. Press CTRL ALT DEL to restartOk so here's the deal. My husbands computer which was working fine suddenly (when the hard drive was taken out) stopped booting up.Always says the disk read error. I've done some research and its not the cables or the harddrive because all the ones I used plus I just got a new one brand new, it works I know it works because I can install windows on it. But thats as far as it will go with the insillation disc you know when it restarts to go to the other set up, it has the error. Whenever it tries to boot the drive.Any ideas?

[techie4fun]

Try repairing your master boot record as you might have a corrupt MBR. It ciould also be an issue with the file system being used in the windows partition. Try formatting the partition as FAT32 and then install windows that way.

[AuroraDizon]

Alright thanks. I'm reformatting to fat 32 now. We'll see how it goes loedit-I did now it says that ntldr is missing press any key to restart. So I guess I should start looking in the bios

[techie4fun]

[quote name='AuroraManson']Alright thanks. I'm reformatting to fat 32 now. We'll see how it goes lo> > > > edit-> > > > I did now it says that ntldr is missing press any key to restart. So I guess I should start looking in the biosYea, now its the BIOS not detecting the partition or hard drive.Play around and see if you can get it to work.

[AuroraDizon]

no luck. Since then I have saved the bios from my computer (they are the same computers) and then loaded it onto his (because I reset the bios a long time ago trying to get it to work before)It still does it. First it just froze after it tried to read the dvd drive, now it is back to the a disk read error occured.I redid the bios, I even checked it against mine and lined up everything the way it is on this computerno luck.Thanks though :)

[techie4fun]

So you've checked the cables, you've checked the bios, you've gotten Windows installed on it before without any problems, and you've repaired the master boot record and still can't get it to work? I would say its a motherboard problem. I would love to take it apart and see if I Coudl fix it for you though :lol:Sorry things aren't working out. :( Maybe someone has the answer that I don't :cry: Let me know if you figure it out.Cheers.

[AuroraDizon]

Thanks for all your adviceIts odd I had windows on it, but then the hard drive was pulled I imagine that I overreacted at first to a boot error and reset the bios because of it. Ive in the past tried several hard drives, some of which I know worked fine. This one I am working with right now is a brand new drive.Anyway! I think I got it to work.. at least its going past the first part of the windows instillation process. Before it would restart (to go to the other screen after it loads a bit) but thats when I hit the error (thus why nothing made sense)There must of been something wrong with the windows xp disc I was using. I for the hell of it, tried to use a windows xp home editon from like 2003 and it seems to be working! (yay)I'll let you know if it is completely successful :DAurora

[techie4fun]

Yes, corrupted Windows discs are general faults for installation errors. We'll, I'm glad you got closer to solving your problem.Let me know the final results 8)

[AuroraDizon]

Will do.Odd thing is I've used that instillation disc several times before. I'll let you know how it goes.

[AuroraDizon]

It works :D I got it up and running :D finally lolIt still has some qurky things sometimes once it went to a blue screen and said hardware failure but then just stated up again without a problem. I don't expect this thing to last too long though lol its a compaq deskpro from 98 lol (upgraded of course)yay :lol:

[spike]

Checkthe battery on the motherboard, if it's more than a couple years old, replace it, costs a couple of dollars.