No hard disk drives found at bootup

karen.99 · 10-11-2004, 06:03 AM

Hi

My computer keeps rebooting continually. I get as far as the windows logo, see the BSOD for a split second and then it reboots again.

I changed the boot up order to boot from Cd rom and have been into the XP recovery console. However, the only way I can get it to ecognise my hard drive, is if I hit F6 and specify my hard disk drives. When I choose S for my own drivers it errors on one of the files. If I use windows drivers, none are selected.

The problem is that if i dont specify any, it doesnt find my hard disk drives. Is this normal and how do I fix it?

ksteiger · 10-11-2004, 07:11 AM

Hi, Karen.

You said in your post that you get as far as the Windows logo. If you're seeing that, your computer is definitely seeing your hard drive (using a "normal" IDE drive, you should not have to press F6 to load a driver during the Windows installaion). Your problem lies elsewhere.

Have you tried going into safe mode? Boot your PC, and just before you see the first Windows screen, press the F8 key two or three times. You should get a menu with boot options. Select Safe Mode and see if you can at least get into Windows.

karen.99 · 10-11-2004, 07:34 AM

Hi

Yes it does find my hard drive - it is listed at start up. However if I choose to start windows normally or go into safe mode or safe mode with ms dos it just reboots.

It was crashing at boot up - not even getting as far as the win logo. So I went into the recovery console (having to hit F6) and fixed the MBR. Now it gets as far as the logo and reboots over and over.

I only see the blue screen for a spilt second so I have idea what the error message is. I have run out of ideas...

BTW, if I didnt hit F6 and specify the drivers it wont let me do a repair - it just says " no hard disk drives found".

dai · 10-11-2004, 11:07 AM

on the boot options menu try
last known good configuration

Cade187 · 10-12-2004, 01:38 AM

lol

when you get your list of start up items, does it say at the time of the screen:

"We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent harware or software change might have caused this."

also, you said you have an option for "safe mode with msdos"

is this system running on ntfs or fat32? if ntfs it should not have an option for msdos.

karen.99 · 10-12-2004, 10:45 AM

I have tried last known good configuration and it was crashing on that - therefore I fixed the MBR.

Now not an available option. If I dont hit key to boot from CD rom, the options are:

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with command prompt
Safe Mode with Networking
Start Windows normally

I have tried 1, 3 and 4 and all reboot. My system is NTFS.

Now getting as far as the win logo, then get blue screen but it is so fast I dont have time to see the error message - i have tried but it is too quick.

As for the "sorry for the inconvenience... " error message - no I have not seen that at any time.

I also did a repair install on it - I have read different things about this - does this mean that I will have lost files? If so Im probably better just formatting it right now.

However, this is a last resort.

Please help of you if can.

dai · 10-12-2004, 11:06 AM

try
fixboot

karen.99 · 10-13-2004, 12:21 PM

I have tried fixboot, fixmbr, chkdsk and just about every command out there.

I think that the repair install has buggered it up but as I cant see the blue screen, no way of knowing.

Does anyboy know of a way to access your files to recover them? Once i have got what i want, I'll format it clean.

The recovery console doesnt let you access folers other than C:|windows* and C:\. Is there a program out there that I could use at boot up to retrieve files?

Please help!

dai · 10-13-2004, 12:29 PM

slave the drive to another h/d retrieve your files and then format it

10-11-2004, 06:03 AM	#1 (permalink)
karen.99 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 6 OS: xp	No hard disk drives found at bootup Hi My computer keeps rebooting continually. I get as far as the windows logo, see the BSOD for a split second and then it reboots again. I changed the boot up order to boot from Cd rom and have been into the XP recovery console. However, the only way I can get it to ecognise my hard drive, is if I hit F6 and specify my hard disk drives. When I choose S for my own drivers it errors on one of the files. If I use windows drivers, none are selected. The problem is that if i dont specify any, it doesnt find my hard disk drives. Is this normal and how do I fix it?

10-11-2004, 07:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
karen.99 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 6 OS: xp	Hard disk drive Hi Yes it does find my hard drive - it is listed at start up. However if I choose to start windows normally or go into safe mode or safe mode with ms dos it just reboots. It was crashing at boot up - not even getting as far as the win logo. So I went into the recovery console (having to hit F6) and fixed the MBR. Now it gets as far as the logo and reboots over and over. I only see the blue screen for a spilt second so I have idea what the error message is. I have run out of ideas... BTW, if I didnt hit F6 and specify the drivers it wont let me do a repair - it just says " no hard disk drives found".

10-12-2004, 10:45 AM	#6 (permalink)
karen.99 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 6 OS: xp	error message I have tried last known good configuration and it was crashing on that - therefore I fixed the MBR. Now not an available option. If I dont hit key to boot from CD rom, the options are: Safe Mode Safe Mode with command prompt Safe Mode with Networking Start Windows normally I have tried 1, 3 and 4 and all reboot. My system is NTFS. Now getting as far as the win logo, then get blue screen but it is so fast I dont have time to see the error message - i have tried but it is too quick. As for the "sorry for the inconvenience... " error message - no I have not seen that at any time. I also did a repair install on it - I have read different things about this - does this mean that I will have lost files? If so Im probably better just formatting it right now. However, this is a last resort. Please help of you if can.

10-13-2004, 12:21 PM	#8 (permalink)
karen.99 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 6 OS: xp	repair commands I have tried fixboot, fixmbr, chkdsk and just about every command out there. I think that the repair install has buggered it up but as I cant see the blue screen, no way of knowing. Does anyboy know of a way to access your files to recover them? Once i have got what i want, I'll format it clean. The recovery console doesnt let you access folers other than C:\|windows* and C:\. Is there a program out there that I could use at boot up to retrieve files? Please help!

10-11-2004, 07:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
ksteiger Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 403 OS: XP Pro SP2 My System	Hi, Karen. You said in your post that you get as far as the Windows logo. If you're seeing that, your computer is definitely seeing your hard drive (using a "normal" IDE drive, you should not have to press F6 to load a driver during the Windows installaion). Your problem lies elsewhere. Have you tried going into safe mode? Boot your PC, and just before you see the first Windows screen, press the F8 key two or three times. You should get a menu with boot options. Select Safe Mode and see if you can at least get into Windows.

10-11-2004, 11:07 AM	#4 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 44,112 OS: vista 32x ultimate retail	on the boot options menu try last known good configuration

10-12-2004, 01:38 AM	#5 (permalink)
Cade187 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 14 OS: XP Home	lol when you get your list of start up items, does it say at the time of the screen: "We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent harware or software change might have caused this." also, you said you have an option for "safe mode with msdos" is this system running on ntfs or fat32? if ntfs it should not have an option for msdos.

10-12-2004, 11:06 AM	#7 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 44,112 OS: vista 32x ultimate retail	try fixboot

10-13-2004, 12:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 44,112 OS: vista 32x ultimate retail	slave the drive to another h/d retrieve your files and then format it