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34 Replies Last post: Jul 10, 2008 8:22 PM by piyushsingh 1 2 3 Previous Next

Cereal

13 posts since
Jul 9, 2008

Jul 9, 2008 10:31 AM

unable to get windows to work after formating

At the beginning of the year I installed windows vista, and it worked fine for a while. But after about two months I started getting that universally despised blue screen of death. After having tried to repair the installation and reinstalling, I decided to take it in to the shop. It came back in fine working order, but last week it started all over again. So I formated and installed xp, but now I get a message error unable to load operating system. What should I do, please help.

AuroraDizon

3,957 posts since
Jul 30, 2006

1. Jul 9, 2008 1:40 PM

in response to: Cereal

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

How far along the instillation did you manage to get when installing Windows XP? The stop code of the BSOD before you uninstalled Vista may of been easier to diagnose. Also can you give us the exact message of the Operating System Not Found? Is there anything else on the screen?

Read the latest DigiYumi cartoon "RIP Gateway" here

Cereal

13 posts since
Jul 9, 2008

2. Jul 9, 2008 1:59 PM

in response to: AuroraDizon

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

Well, I get to the point where the setup must restart to continue the first time. Then it restarts and asks to boot from disk and then when left just says error - unable to load operating system no error code.

AuroraDizon

3,957 posts since
Jul 30, 2006

3. Jul 9, 2008 2:16 PM

in response to: Cereal

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

I guess I would try booting from disc again and trying to install the OS again

Read the latest DigiYumi cartoon "RIP Gateway" here

Cereal

13 posts since
Jul 9, 2008

4. Jul 9, 2008 4:00 PM

in response to: AuroraDizon

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

I have tried it, and doesn't work. I have managed to install windows completly by pluging in my hard drive into a friends pc so that it shows as a secondary hard drive on his pc and then installing. But as soon as I plug it back into my pc, I once again get the message error loading operating system. So please anyone help I beg of you If you can please help.

mphenterprises

9,032 posts since
Feb 19, 2007

5. Jul 9, 2008 4:05 PM

in response to: Cereal

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

Hi Cereal. Okay, this appears to be an issue with your BIOS. The BIOS is looking for the Operating System installed somewhere on your computer - whether the hard drive, the CD or other location. What you want is to get the hard drive recognized as the primary boot drive. In order to do this, please follow the steps listed within this Document Changing the Boot Sequence of Your Computer.

Make sure that the hard drive is the first or primary boot drive. If you have multiple hard drives, make sure you select the hard drive that has the Operating System installed on it.

This is my personal Dream PC: http://forums.pcworld.com/blogs/mphenterprises/2007/12/21/my-gift-to-myself

Cereal

13 posts since
Jul 9, 2008

6. Jul 9, 2008 8:57 PM

in response to: mphenterprises

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

Thanks for the sugestion, but I am afraid it didn't work. Is there anything else that my be causing this problem?

JimH443

346 posts since
May 6, 2007

7. Jul 9, 2008 9:47 PM

in response to: Cereal

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

Darn, I remember having exactly this problem, but I forget what I did to fix it! If it's any consolation, I DO remember it's head smackingly simple.

rgreen4

3,644 posts since
Oct 22, 2006

8. Jul 9, 2008 10:00 PM

in response to: JimH443

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

Did this machine come originally with XP?

Is this a desktop or laptop?

If this is a manufactured machine, please give us the make and model. Caution - Never ever post the serial number.

Cereal

13 posts since
Jul 9, 2008

9. Jul 9, 2008 10:29 PM

in response to: rgreen4

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

It's originally a mecer desktop pc with a 3.2 ghz pentium 4 processor on a GA-8I1000MX gigabyte motherboard with 512mb (I added another 1.5gb later on) of ram. The pc origanally came with windows xp home. I hope that helps?

rgreen4

3,644 posts since
Oct 22, 2006

10. Jul 9, 2008 10:47 PM

in response to: Cereal

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

IDE or SATA Hard drives?

Cereal

13 posts since
Jul 9, 2008

11. Jul 9, 2008 11:06 PM

in response to: rgreen4

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

IDE Hard drives

rgreen4

3,644 posts since
Oct 22, 2006

12. Jul 9, 2008 11:24 PM

in response to: Cereal

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

Well, that ends that chain of possibility. Some SATA controllers if set wrong can cause this, but you shouldn't have that issue.

I am going to have to think about this for a while. I am in the Eastern time zone and it is very late. Let me sleep on it. I will be back in touch with you tomorrow.

mphenterprises

9,032 posts since
Feb 19, 2007

13. Jul 10, 2008 4:38 AM

in response to: Cereal

Re: unable to get windows to work after formating

Something you posted sticks out to me, "I decided to take it in to the shop. It came back in fine working order, but last week it started all over again." This may be a moot point anyway but how long after you got your laptop back from the shop did it start acting up again? Also, did the shop give you a warranty on the work they did?

The reason why I ask these questions is if the same issue appeared shortly after you got the laptop back, the shop would be reasonable for the repair. For example, I give a 30-day warranty on all work that I do. If there is any issue within the first 30 days, I go back to my client and fix it, no questions asked. Most technicians and businesses have this policy.

The reason I feel it is moot is because you have done some extensive work to the computer that would pretty much negate anything that the shop did when you had Vista.

Okay, going over everything you have done:

You successfully install Windows XP on your IDE hard drive by connecting it to a friend's computer as a slave (secondary) drive.

You have switched the BIOS settings so that the IDE hard drive is the primary boot drive.

Each time you attempt to load Windows XP from this hard drive, you get an error that no Operating System is found.

Is all of that correct? If so, my next question would be is did you install Windows XP from a copied Operating System CD or from a retail (or OEM) version of Windows XP?

This is my personal Dream PC: http://forums.pcworld.com/blogs/mphenterprises/2007/12/21/my-gift-to-myself