Can't Boot: "Unable to Find Operating System"

[p_l]

I've got a nasty problem. When I restart my computer, all I get is a black screen with the message "Unable to Find Operating System."

However, the computer will boot up normally if I insert an XP boot diskette into drive A:

I've even tried restoring my C: drive from a Norton Ghost image. I go through the whole process successfully, but still I just get the black screen with "Unable to Find Operating System" unless I insert my XP boot diskette again, and then it boots normally to the restored image.

But unless I start the computer with my XP boot diskette in drive A:, it won't boot and I that error message again.

Help!

[willstein]

i think it's boot.ini to get started.
ill try to find some more information for you - maybe someone else will beat me to it.

boot.ini is basically the file that windows looks for to find your op system.

if it was corrupted it'll need to be rebuilt using yoru XP cd and going into "repair mode"

let me try to find a guide for you it might help.

PS - what did you do to cause it?

[p_l]

Which command exactly would I use in the repair console on my XP CD?

It happened after I was attempting to make another more recent Norton Ghost backup. That process failed and now I'm in this mess.

The OS and everything is there and boot up just fine if I insert my XP boot diskette in drive A, but if I try to boot without it, I get that error message on a black screen and that's it.

[willstein]

I'm not an expert, but try to see if this page helps you.
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000492.htm

Also see what other people on the board offer for advice.

When I see cannot find OP I immidiaetly think of boot.ini

[redwudz]

Here's a MS source for 'Windows Recovery Console' http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;314058

Wondering, do you have a SATA boot? That's usually where I have that problem.

The recovery console tends to be a little cryptic. You can fix your boot sector and repair the MBR, but not a whole lot more to help with your problem.

To find the Repair console. Boot with the XP disc and choose 'R' when you have that option. You are now in DOS. You can type 'help' to get the commands. If my MS link doesn't help, do a Google search for 'Recovery Console' until you find a tutorial that makes sense.

That sounds right about the 'Boot ini' being corrupted. If the 'recovery console' won't work, you may have to reformat and re-install XP.

But before you do that, wait a while, someone may have a better solution.

[willstein]

try this:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000648.htm

[p_l]

Not a SATA boot...

Thanks, guys, I'll try it. Wish me luck...

[p_l]

try this:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000648.htm

No joy.

It still only boots if my XP boot diskette is in drive A.

[willstein]

and you tried to enter bios and boot from CD before A?

[p_l]

I can boot from the CD, too. I tried the procedure in the XP CD's recovery console described in your link. But after doing that, the problem persists: if I don't use my XP boot diskette in drive A, it won't boot.

Here's something that got me wondering: this happens even now that I've restored my C: drive to a previous Ghost image backup that I know works because I've used it before successfully. So the problem may not be any file in Windows, but something before that?

[willstein]

I'm really no expert, but when it says "no operating system found", it usually entails your system files.

might i suggest a very good tech forum?
http://forums.g4tv.com/categories.cfm?catid=64

they know comps pretty well.

[p_l]

I've also asked for help at http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=1130681250;start=0

[willstein]

any luck?

[sux2bu]

boot from your XP CD, choose recovery console. then when you get the DOS prompt, type chkdsk /p, that may fix it. then try bootcfg /rebuild another command, fixboot, may also work....DON'T EVER USE ANY TYPE OF NORTON TO ACCESS THE BOOT SECTORS OF ANY COMPUTER!!!!!!

[p_l]

So far, no luck. Any ideas?

[Supreme2k]

Can you copy the boot.ini file from your disk to the root of your boot drive?

[non-linear]

I wonder if perhaps the partition that XP resides on is messed up. In order to boot from a hard drive, the partition has to be set as an active partition. A program like PartitionMagic will show whether or not it's active, and will let you set it as such if it's not.

Here's something I came up with through a Google search: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q315261

Maybe this'll help?

[p_l]

Yes, that was it!

I tried everything on this page, and it was the tenth step that did it, just as you suggested, non-linear.

If you can start you machine with an Emergency Start Up Disk go to Control Panel, click on Administrative Tools followed by Computer Management. Finally the click the Disk Management option. Now right click on the drive you want to make Active and select 'Mark partition as active' from the drop down menu. Alternatively, if you have a copy of Partition Magic you can use this to actually reset the correct partition as the Active system drive.

Of course I only found that page now, but it describes exactly what I did, after reading non-linear's suggestion. Man, that was a tough nut to crack. Thanks to everyone who helped.

[willstein]

glad to see you got everything working correctly.

[p_l]

Yeah, I like happy endings, too. Thanks again for your help and encouragement.

[non-linear]

I had that problem happen to me in the past, so that's why I had brought it up. Glad to see you're back up and running normally.

[p_l]

Thanks again!

[p_l]

After getting the same error on several retries with making a Norton Ghost Image (but at least this time I knew how to fix it), I switched to Acronis True Image. Version 9 crashed on me, but version 8 works fine.

[rhegedus]

For future reference, another cause of this error message is the BIOS boot sequence being messed up so as not to include the HD option.

Unless you plan on booting from floppy or CD, leave HD as option 1.