A puzzler

[Dwarf]

This evening, as with most evenings, I decided to boot up my computer. This was fine, except for one thing. It wouldn't boot , instead giving me the message about selecting the correct boot device. I checked the settings in the BIOS. All were correct. I tried a few times. Still the same. Then I decided to try the one-time boot menu via the F11 key. Selected my boot device (which, incidentally, is 3rd in the BIOS order which I checked and rechecked above). This time, it booted up! I wonder if it could be the battery, but all the settings in the BIOS were correct.

 

[bmcdevitt]

hopefully your hard drive isnt starting to fail : S, it cant be your battery if the time was correct on startup

 

[whs]

3rd in the BIOS

How come it is 3d? I would understand 2nd if you have the optical reader as #1, but what is the other drive and does it need to be in that order. The BIOS probably got hung up on that one.

Also I would plug the boot disk into port0 on the mobo. Just a good practice.

 

[Dwarf]

My boot order is Floppy, DVD, HDD. Always has been, no change there. HDD array currently in ports #3 and #4, because of access due to my previous graphics card (8800GT) partially blocking the SATA sockets.

 

[Brink]

Hello Dwarf,

You might check to see of a disc is in the Floppy or DVD drive causing it.

You might also run a startup repair on the HDD a few times to see if it that may help if it was corrupted somehow.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Shawn,

No floppy or DVD/CD left in. Still a puzzler as to why this happened, especially as I was able to boot up through the one-time menu with F11. And, before you ask, my printer isn't in the BIOS boot menu (although I can select it via F11, as I can my external drive).

Edit: Just decided to do a reboot, and no problems! Will get a replacement battery tomorrow and try that.

 

[bmcdevitt]

have you recently installed ubuntu or anythign that would mess with mbr? <-- just curious : D

 

[whs]

Hmm, Floppy - LOL. But since you apparently never got out of the BIOS, fixing Win7 will probably not do anything for you. If it was a one time occurence, I would book it as a hickup. If it occurs more often, a BIOS update may help. I do not think the CMOS battery plays a role since the system had full power.

 

[DeaconFrost]

You'll know if it is the watch battery on the mobo if you can reboot a hundred times without issue, but if you power off and then power up...you have the boot issue.

 

[Dwarf]

That's what I'm thinking. I powered off OK last night, but it was this evening that I had problems. Strange why there was no change to my settings in the BIOS, my HDD array was listed as a boot device but wouldn't boot, yet it did when selected via the F11 one-time boot menu. Guess computers just want to keep us on our toes sometimes.

 

[Brink]

If it happens again, you might also try a startup repair to see if it finds and fixes anything though.

 

[Dwarf]

Well, it happened again just as I described above. I have got a new battery, so I'll see if that makes any difference. I don't think startup repair will work because I can boot up normally through the one-time boot menu, and I would imagine that if there were problems necessitating a startup repair that they would manifest themselves there.

As before rebooting yielded no problems, so it would appear that this only occurs when the mains power is switched off as it is overnight. I'm leaning towards the motherboard battery, bearing in mind that I've no idea as to how long it has been installed and that the symptoms of a failing battery can vary.

 

[Oadbylad]

Floppy....id call the museum
I had a similar problem some time ago it turned out to be the mother board (as i brought the PC second hand) no idea how old it was
Its now been recycled.....sandals in Ethiopia i think

 

[DocBrown]

I change the boot order to:

CD/DVD

HD

Floppy (as these are rarely used anymore) or even disable it

 

[Dwarf]

Seems to have settled down (for now). Booted up normally this evening. I haven't changed the battery yet, but the next time I take the cover off my case for whatever reason, I'll do it then.

 

[gregrocker]

You may even need to remove the floppy drive from board as well as BIOS as these can cause such problems.

I'd install and run CrystalDiskInfo to get a health report on your HD. If necessary run the maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan followed by http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html

As stated, running http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html?ltr=S from DVD can also clear up boot problems before they worsen.

 

[nitroman84]

Do you have another HDD hooked up to the system for storage? I have had cases in the past where a drive I thought was totally erased still had some little bit of data on it from another install. Totally prevented boot up no matter what my boot order was.

 

[wysiwyg]

I always use HDD--DVD--Floppy, and the floppy isn't there, only when I plug in the external one.