Operating system not found intermittently

[letsdoamazing]

It seems like every other restart I get that error on boot up. Why is it off and on?

I ran a repair disc (startup repair), I did a memory diagnostic test, and a restore from a month earlier, and still I get this error. Dont have a Win 7 disc, so don't want to do a clean install yet. Any other options?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Here's some interesting info you may find useful and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.



After you have copied out or made back-ups of the data you need to save to external media; if you can find an exact Windows version that the PC shipped with you can do a clean install using the activation key on the COA sticker attached to the PC though it may require a robo-call to MS to sort the OEM batch-key.

How to Activate Windows 7 by Phone


If you can't find an exact same version, you could use the info in this tutorial to create an "all Versions" installer of any version Windows installer, to install using the same method I posted above.

Windows 7 Universal Installation Disc - Create


After you have made backups of everything you care to save, the best method is to do a complete wipe (secure erase) of the entire Hard Disk Drive first, it over-writes everything, all the old Windows code including all the old drivers/programs, giving you the best possible space to install Windows to.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

 

[gregrocker]

Try setting HD as first boot device in BIOS setup.

If floppy drive is present, remove it as a working drive in the BIOS and physically unplug it.

If you need to boot CD/DVD, using the one-time BIOS Boot menu key.

If this doesn't help, boot the Repair CD again and run a few more passes at Startup Repair: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html

 

[garret334]

Hello letsdoamazing,

By chance did do you have a mixed raid/ide disk environment. If you do and your raid set is set to boot,
remove/disconnect the ide drive. Do the windows 7 boot/repair and your problem will be fixed permanently. Then you can just reconnect your ide drive and you are back in business.

Garret334

 

[Ztruker]

Have you checked to make sure the cables are firmly connected to the hard drive and system board?

 

[letsdoamazing]

Hello letsdoamazing,

By chance did do you have a mixed raid/ide disk environment. If you do and your raid set is set to boot,
remove/disconnect the ide drive. Do the windows 7 boot/repair and your problem will be fixed permanently. Then you can just reconnect your ide drive and you are back in business.

Garret334

Help me out here. Other than the HDD what do you want me to do?

 

[letsdoamazing]

Have you checked to make sure the cables are firmly connected to the hard drive and system board?

Yes.

 

[garret334]

RAID / IDE boot problems

Hi letsdoamazing,

I had a similar boot problem with a recent build. The decided to play with the install, the system had 3 drives in it. A pair of 150GB Raptors and a plain WD500GB SATA Drive. I changed the pair of raptor drives to RAID 0 and re-installed the OS. I seemed to get thru the install ok but then for reasons unknown it would not boot. I had all three of the drives on the Motherboard's (ASUS) SATA 1-3. Even though the RAID pair was connected on 1 and 2 it listed the WD500 drive first. I forced the BIOS to the SATA 1-2 raid pair however each time I repaired it. It seemed to work and then it would not reboot on it own. To correct the problem I disconnected the WD500 drive leaving only the RAID 0 pair. I boot using the Windows 7 OS CD and went thru the boot repair process. Rebooted the machine a couple of times to check the repair. Then I reconnected the WD500 drive on SATA 3 and I have not had a problem since.

I hope this helps.
Garret334

 

[Golden]

Hi,

From your system specs, it doesn't appear that you have a RAID setup. How old is your hard disk? Have you had it for quite some time, or is it new?

Regards,
golden

 

[garret334]

Hello Golden,

I have built 3 systems for my own use in the last month, varying from current technology to several/many years old. When I spoke of mixed RAID/IDE I was not speaking of a PATA or ATA technology but a SATA drive defined in the BIOS to use/look like IDE. My new/main system is a Win7-Ult,Core I7-950,12GB-DDR3,now [email protected],Quadro4000. I also built a Win7-Pro,Core 2 Quad-Q9650,8GB-DDR2,[email protected],Geforce8800(will be a Quadro2000 when I can afford another video card) and an WinXp-Pro,Pentium 670,2GB-DDR2,2xSATA@650GB,QuadroFx4000 as loner system. The Win-XP system is truely a spare parts box. Someone recently gave me a decent looking case for free so I thru it together. I did buy the QuadroFX and 1xSATA drive the rest I had in parts already. If you wonder why I buy Quadro cards, I do quite a bit of 2D and 3D cad work, modeling and detailing (Autocad/SolidWorks-structural stuff).

Garret334

 

[speedy1971]

Do you have a USB card reader? Sometimes if you have a USB card reader with a memory card inserted, the BIOS will try to boot it and, on my system anyway, this intermittently would KO the SATA interface and the machine wouldn't boot. If it sounds like it could be that, disable USB device booting in the BIOS.

...or, just don't insert a memory card until after you've booted up.

 

[gregrocker]

I have a bootsected USB flash stick which will do this even if the Win7 or Vista files are put away in their folders. I removed stick from boot priority list in BIOS and only boot it using one-time BIOS Boot menu. But it will still flummox the boot on some machines set to boot stick.

 

[Golden]

Hi,

No worries - I just looked at your system specs and saw the single 500gb card, so wondered what the RAID connection was.

Regards,
Golden

 

[garret334]

Hello letdoamazing,

Yes there are other options for repair, Paragon Partition Manager Pro for one (I use version 10.0), you can use DualBootPro from within Windows, the trial version should work. I see an HP symbol as your ID. If you have an HP system, you can get an official OS cd set from HP for around 10 dollars for your system. I highly recommend this whether you solve this another way or not. As long as you have the model code and serial number to give them. I was an HP authorized reseller and you just order it from the HP parts direct.

Good Luck,
Garret334