Problem with Desktop computer loading up

[Elrond]

My desktop computer has stopped loading - when I switch it on it cant boot windows. I couldn't find the disk for it (Vista 64bit Ultimate) so I but the OS disk for my laptop (32bit Vista Home Premium) in the computer and it boots and works normally. When ever no disk or another disk is in it wont boot.

Obviously its not a long term solution to have the OS disk from another computer in it whenever I want to start it up - Any ideas on how to fix it? The motherboard is an AMD 770. I was going to try to update the BIOS but I cant find somewhere I can download a BIOS update for it.

[Simetrical]

Give more details. How far does it get? What exactly does it do? You see the POST screen, I take it, then what? You get a blank screen with no message? There's an error message? It restarts itself?

Try taking out the disk and plugging it into another computer as a second (non-boot) disk. See if you can see all the files on it. It's possible that your disk has died.

[Elrond]

Give more details. How far does it get? What exactly does it do? You see the POST screen, I take it, then what? You get a blank screen with no message? There's an error message? It restarts itself?

Try taking out the disk and plugging it into another computer as a second (non-boot) disk. See if you can see all the files on it. It's possible that your disk has died.

I see the screen with the AMD logo then the next one. It tries to boot from disk then says it cant. If I put my laptops OS disk in (I cant find the one for the desktop) it loads properly and works as per normal (I am typing this message on it). There just seems to be no way of getting past the second screen without putting a vista disk in.

[Simetrical]

What exactly does it say when it tells you it can't boot from the disk?

[Ishan]

Do u get a Disk failure error something coz i think u might have screwed up ur boot loader for Windows 7.

[Elrond]

This is what comes up:

Verifying DMI Pool Data ….................
Boot from CD:
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

I can only get past it by inserting the Vista Home Premium 32bit Disk for my Laptop. I have to restart the computer with it in and it will then boot and work normally. The computer runs Vista Ultimate 64bit but I have lost the disk for it.

[PoleCat]

This is what comes up:

Verifying DMI Pool Data ….................
Boot from CD:
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

I can only get past it by inserting the Vista Home Premium 32bit Disk for my Laptop. I have to restart the computer with it in and it will then boot and work normally. The computer runs Vista Ultimate 64bit but I have lost the disk for it.

I'm new to this discussion - please bear with me. You say that you can only get the system to boot with a system disc in the drive? Have you looked at the BIOS to make sure that it's first set to boot from HDD?

Put another way - are you sure you didn't accidentally set the system to boot from CD and forget? What happens when you make sure the system is set to boot from HDD and reboot? You get the initial splash screen and what? Good luck!

[Elrond]

Surprisingly there isnt an option to change the boot settings. It has a AMD screen (no writing to say press f12 etc to enter bios or change boot settings) and if i press f12 repeatedly nothing happens.

I think I need to update the bios but I cant find compatible drivers on the AMD website - its a AMD 770 series crossfire motherboard - AMD SB600 South Bridge Chipset.

[Top-Tier-Tech]

Did you ever mess with your BIOS? It should be checking to boot from your HDD first, not a CD/DVD.

[Simetrical]

So you're saying that everything works fine as long as the disk is in? I had that problem once, and was never able to fix it. In theory, what you need to do is repair the MBR and/or boot loader. I have no idea how to do that on Vista, but there should be some option on the install disk.

Is this the computer you installed Ubuntu on, by any chance? I had this happen to a computer after I installed Ubuntu.

[Elrond]

So you're saying that everything works fine as long as the disk is in? I had that problem once, and was never able to fix it. In theory, what you need to do is repair the MBR and/or boot loader. I have no idea how to do that on Vista, but there should be some option on the install disk.

Is this the computer you installed Ubuntu on, by any chance? I had this happen to a computer after I installed Ubuntu.

It doesnt have Ubuntu on it - my laptop has Ubuntu and my desktop has Vista.

It works absoutely fine as long is the disk is in. My main problem is that I have lost the Vista Ultimate disk that I got with the computer - I am using my Laptops disk to get it to boot. I can get the product key for the computer off the computer itself but I would need to acquire a Vista Ultimate (64 bit) disk as my laptop disk is for Vista Home Premium (32bit).

Is there any solution to the problem without using a installation disk? Or should I start asking my friends if they have a Vista Ultimate 64 bit installation disk I can borrow? (I hasten to add that I have the product key and licence for Vista Ultimate just not the disk which I have lost so its not illegal).

[karamazovmm]

You can download one from the net. Since what you acquired is the license itself not the disk. As you are aware most pcs today dont come with the disk for the OS.

MS used a service called digital river, in where you could download the disk. You can ask MS for a disk there will be a charge for it, AFAIK is 10 bucks.

To repair the MBR you can download at MS the necessary compact image, for a repair, I did that for my sister notebook, it will be hard to find.

[Simetrical]

It doesnt have Ubuntu on it - my laptop has Ubuntu and my desktop has Vista.

It works absoutely fine as long is the disk is in. My main problem is that I have lost the Vista Ultimate disk that I got with the computer - I am using my Laptops disk to get it to boot. I can get the product key for the computer off the computer itself but I would need to acquire a Vista Ultimate (64 bit) disk as my laptop disk is for Vista Home Premium (32bit).

Is there any solution to the problem without using a installation disk? Or should I start asking my friends if they have a Vista Ultimate 64 bit installation disk I can borrow? (I hasten to add that I have the product key and licence for Vista Ultimate just not the disk which I have lost so its not illegal).

You shouldn't need to use the exact same disk version to repair it. Any Vista install disk should do. Follow these instructions and try running with /FixMbr and /FixBoot.

[Elrond]

8 Months later and I still haven't resolved the problem! I am at uni 90% of the time so its not annoyed me to much.

I bought windows 7 and installed it fine (I was sick of Vista + I had the computer heavily upgraded 2 years ago so its still better than the average new desktop - so my dad wants to use it for the next 4 or 5 years and Vista stops getting supported in April of next year so it upgrading was inevitable at some point).

I did what Sim suggested in the post above and its still not fixed the problem.

The Bios hasnt been updated in a year or two - how do I get a bios update for an AMD 770 series crossfire motherboard? There doesnt seem to be anything compatible on their website.

[SonOfCrusader76]

You shouldn't need to use the exact same disk version to repair it. Any Vista install disk should do. Follow these instructions and try running with /FixMbr and /FixBoot.

That's good to know - as previously mentioned for some reason, most PCs don't come with the disk. So if anything happens to my nephew's laptop, I can use my own Windows 7 disk to reinstall.

[PoleCat]

Try F11 and/or Delete. See if that gets you into BIOS.

EDIT: F8 may also be an option. To summarize - I think your boot priority is screwed for some reason. Good luck!

[Elrond]

Try F11 and/or Delete. See if that gets you into BIOS.

EDIT: F8 may also be an option. To summarize - I think your boot priority is screwed for some reason. Good luck!

Changing the squence to HardDrive first then CD rom just stopped windows loading all together, so I switched it back to CD Rom then harddrive.

[irishron]

It sound like you need to put the disc in the drive and install it or at least repair.

What does the boot.ini say?

[PoleCat]

Additionally - Computer stops at verifying DMI Pool data. irishron is on the right track.

[Elrond]

It says something like "AMD updated update Dmi". So its probably something to do with that.