Windows 7: Missing Operating System on Boot

When I boot my machine I get the message: "Missing Operating System"
I checked in the BIOS and the Hard Drive is still listed. I also tried using the Windows 7 Install disc to repair the boot sector/record but that too didn't help. It said it was fine, so just in case I used the command “bootrec.exe /fixmbr”.
Can anyone tell me what the problem is?

Are you sure you dont have a usb drive plugged in somewhere that the machine is trying to boot from and failing?

The Windows 7 Install disc does have a repair disc feature. And as I mentioned before I tried using that to repair the boot sector, but unfortunately it was apparently not a boot sector problem. I could be a problem with the hard disc, but it's not a problem with any usb device. The only usb device plugged in is the mouse and keyboard. Assuming for a moment that it's a problem with the hard drive, such as a fragment or bad sector, what would be the next best procedure? By the way I have no backups of my system so if I must re-install the os then I will have to pull the data directly off the drive before re-installing.

I would Check the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
HD Diagnostic



Did you make the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks?

How to use the HP Recovery Partition:
Pressing the f11 key during startup on a computer with an HP factory image will start the system recovery process even if the prompt is not displayed.
Recover Windows 7 Operating System Using HP Recovery - HP Customer Care (United States - English)
Performing an HP System Recovery in Windows 7 - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

How to make HP Recovery DVD disks:
Recover Windows Vista Operating System Using HP Recovery - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

How to make HP Recovery USB disk:
Creating a Recovery Disk on a USB Flash Disk HP Pavilion dv6700z CTO Entertainment Notebook PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

or
You can Order HP Recovery Disks from here:
Compaq Mini CQ10-500 PC series*-* HP Notebook PCs - Order Recovery Discs for Windows 7, Vista, or XP - c00810334 - HP Business Support Center

You are going to want to back up your data first, before running diag tools on the drive. If it is going bad, the drive test will stress it, and could kill it completely. The easiest way to get to the data is to use a Linux LiveCD to boot from and copy your files off to an external drive, or connect the drive to another computer.

I appreciate the idea of checking the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools. I will try that next chance I get. As for this stuff about HP. I don't recall every saying this was an HP which it is not. And as I thought I had already mentioned I don't have any system recovery discs. Therefore if I have to swipe the hard drive clean and start over then I will have to pull whatever files that are important to me off the drive first. I would like to avoid having to wipe the drive clean though.

Thanks a lot for the advice. I will be sure to do that first before running the diagnostics.