Server failed

Essendon

My DC began showing a disk boot failure. I got a brand new HD, but the error still remains. It doesnt even go beyond POST. Same error : Disk Boot Failure. Insert System Disk and Press Enter. Please advise asap gents...

dynamik

Did you add the new disk to an existing raid array?

I don't see how just adding another disk is going to remedy the situation.

That error usually occurs when there is no system to load (i.e. a floppy left in the A: drive, corrupt C:\ drive, etc.)

I don't think you haven't given enough background and current information for us to help you out.

However, if the data on the disk is still in tact, you may be able to fix things with a repair installation.

Essendon

I did not add the disk to a raid array. From my last post on this topic, many people advised that a new HD is the best solution as even if I was able to do a repair installation, the HD wasnt going to last long. Asking a lot of people, most of them said there were bad sectors on the disk.

On the last disk, I did a fixboot and a fixmbr, which gave an error saying "directory not found". chkdisk said "there are more than one irreparable errors on the disk. This prompted people to say that the disk wasnt going to last long even if a repair was successful.

So I got a new HD obviously with no OS. Now the puter detects the new HD, but gives the same error " disk boot failure.... ".

Should I unseat the CMOS and see if it helps? I am really out of ideas.......

P.S. there's nothing in the floppy drive.

Sie

Is it a SCSI or IDE drive?

Is it on its own channel or shared?

Do you have the jumpers set correctly? (ie you havent got two devices set to Master)

Are the BIOS Boot Options setup correctly?

Have you checked the cabling and swap tested cables if possible?

Essendon

Sie wrote:

Is it a SCSI or IDE drive?

Is it on its own channel or shared?

Do you have the jumpers set correctly? (ie you havent got two devices set to Master)

Are the BIOS Boot Options setup correctly?

Have you checked the cabling and swap tested cables if possible?

It is an IDE drive.

I am not sure what you mean by "own channel / shared"

Jumpers are set correctly

I changed the boot options to boot first from the CD to try a repair. If I try to boot from the HD, it just skips that and goes on to boot from the CD (2nd boot option). Just now I turned the puter on, it reported some checksum errors, wonder what that is now

Sie

Check the IDE Ribbon cable, it connects to your motherboard one end and CD/HDD on the other.

Is it just your HDD thats on that cable? If not remove the other device and try again.

If there are more than one device on the Cable you need to ensure both are setup correctly with their jumpers. (IE HDD Master, CD Slave)

As for checksum errors, I would set your boot options to CD (ensure you plug it back in after previous step) boot from the OS CD and run a chkdsk against the new HDD from recovery console (pressuming your using XP)

Essendon

Thats a good idea, Sie. I will give that a shot once I am home from a friend's 25 th!! ( I really mean the next day !!)

dynamik

Is the drive showing up in the POST/BIOS?

Have you installed/restored the OS? This is what's confusing me. If you just added an empty drive, it's always going to give you that error.

Essendon

Dynamik, here's an attempt to end the confusion.

For the moment, please forget the new HD. I have tried a recovery on the old HD, typing in fixboot, fixmbr which just say drive not specified (very weird). chkdisk says there are more than one irrepairable errors on the disk. So I decided to give it a fresh install. When I run setup, it doesnt show my partitions. I have installed windows server on and have several software on C: and E:. I really dont want to install everything else all over again. Correct me if I am wrong, that partitions from an old OS should show up in a fresh install. Because if they dont, vmware, mcafee, and host of other software are up for reinstallation.

Check the IDE Ribbon cable, it connects to your motherboard one end and CD/HDD on the other.

Is it just your HDD thats on that cable? If not remove the other device and try again.

If there are more than one device on the Cable you need to ensure both are setup correctly with their jumpers. (IE HDD Master, CD Slave)

The IDE ribbon cable runs from the mobo at one end to HDD on the other.
It's just the HD on that cable.
Jumpers are setup correctly.

dynamik

It sounds like that drive is toast. There's a chance that something like SpinRite ($90) could resurrect it.

Even if you keep your partitions, you'll still have to reinstall everything after a clean installation. All those programs rely on information in the registry and possibly other system files or modifications. All of that will be lost if you do a clean install. If you can get to the point where you can do a repair installation, that should leave everything intact.

Also, make sure you're using the correct syntax for fixmbr and fixboot: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/314058

Essendon

So, in essence you are recommending that I just install the new HD, install the server from a scratch and build the whole thing again. Looks this is what's going to happen. Thank you all gents for the advice and support. You guys are way better than many of those so-called PC technicians in the neighbourhood.