Hard disk boot problem. MBR.

[Cue]

I have a problem with a hard disk.
200GB WD

As it is, I install windows onto the disk, but the hard disk never boots.
The computer does not find a MBR it seems.
I have tried installing many times with computers and CDs I know that are working.

Anyone know this?

 

[expresstech]

If it's an MBR problem you could try running FIXMBR through the Windows Recovery Console.

 

[Methical]

Are you sure that the partition that you are tryin' to boot off is Active ?

Else try and boot up in the Recovery Console and fix the MBR from there..

How do you know it is the MBR that is the problem ?

 

[ComputerClinic]

Have you checked the jumpers? How about the boot order in the BIOS? Just because Windows can see the HDD doesn't mean its configured as the boot drive.

 

[Cue]

Thank you for your help.

I guess I don't know that the MBR is the problem, except, what else can it be?

I have not tried FIXMBR, thats my next.
But why is this happening?
What can make this happen?

That is the problem, this is a very, very basic thing!
Many computers, and many setups. I'm sure the BIOS is correct and the disk is active.

I forgot to say before, I can boot from the disk by booting up via CD, for example Windows setup CD. If I simply let the time run out so the setup does not start setup.
Then the hard disk boots normally.

 

[Cue]

Throw it in another computer and do a full format, try again then get back with me.

I did that like 10 times.
Its a old hard disk. But SMART and hard disk check say its ok..

 

[Cue]

FIXMBR gives me this error.
"This computer appears to have a non-standard or invalid master boot record"

Then I go ahead with the fix, reboot but the disk still will not boot.
Then I go back into recovery console, and get the same error when I run FIXMBR

 

[NYJimbo]

Format the drive in some other weird file format under another OS (freebsd, linux, etc). Make sure you totally blow away any partitions and no ntfs/fat/fat32 partitions remain. See if you can get that disk to now boot under that O/S. If so then the disk is ok. If not the disk is likely bad.

If you can get it to boot under the new o/s then try to reformat and load windows again. If still no good, then disk has problems and you are not likely to fix it yourself.

ps- next time tell us what version of windows you are working with and what file format. Don't make us go asking you for it, that wastes time.

 

[Kenhelms]

Also Make sure that you are doing a full format at installation, not a quick format.

 

[Cue]

Thank you for you help, I will have to try that.
I was hoping someone already had this problem and would give me the magic fix

I will do that next time, however with a Windows install you can safely assume is NTFS file system and with this error I did not think the version was important.

But when I come to think of it I have never tried to install Windows Vista on this Hard disk.

 

[expresstech]

If you are going to go through the process of formating it again, I would run a debug script on the drive. IF it's an IDE drive that is. I have never tried a debug script on a SATA drive and the poster in the link below warns against the same thing.

http://www.fdisk.com/fdisk/HardDrive.htm

Many years ago I would run debug > fdisk > format > install. I've used the script countless of times though be sure read the script carefully and use at your own risk =)

 

[NYJimbo]

If you are going to go through the process of formating it again, I would run a debug script on the drive. IF it's an IDE drive that is. I have never tried a debug script on a SATA drive and the poster in the link below warns against the same thing.

http://www.fdisk.com/fdisk/HardDrive.htm

Many years ago I would run debug > fdisk > format > install. I've used the script countless of times though be sure read the script carefully and use at your own risk =)

Wow, I haven't run debug on a drive in 15 years or more.

Remember "debug g=c800:5", that is REAL OLD SCHOOL.

 

[expresstech]

Wow, I haven't run debug on a drive in 15 years or more.

Remember "debug g=c800:5", that is REAL OLD SCHOOL.

hehe I suspected the post might trigger some old memories...

I haven't used a debug script in years either since it is becoming a bit obsolete now. I guess the last time I used it was in late 2001 when a tech at a colleges lab couldn't remove Linux partitions on one of the computers there. The script made it a quick fix. Even then, I don't think it was well known considering he had spent hours working on the problem alone =)

 

[Cue]

15 years!
Did you have hard disks then?

I still have not formatted, I would relay very much rather learn to fix this *******.
Formating is like giving up in my book.

I have bean trying various MBR programs.
As yet, no progress

 

[Larry Sabo]

I would connect it as a slave and, using Disk Management, delete the volume, initialize the drive, then reformat and re-install.

 

[Markus]

I have run into this a few times and the “magic fix” is to use a wiping utility to fill the disk with zeros, and then use Windows setup to create the partition and boot record. This has worked every time I have tried it.

 

[Cue]

I have run into this a few times and the “magic fix” is to use a wiping utility to fill the disk with zeros, and then use Windows setup to create the partition and boot record. This has worked every time I have tried it.

Do you know what was wrong with the disk?
Is this a MBR error, or something else?

Is there any place I can post the MBR, so knowledgeable people could tell me if its OK?

 

[Markus]

The issues I had with disks that acted this way I believe was due to corrupt formatting where the MBR sites on the disk. This could have been caused by a boot sector virus. I never found out, nor did I care to spend a large amount of time on to confirm what I already suspected.

When I run into this I usually just xcopy the data to a second hard drive, zero out the primary drive, use Windows Setup to recreate the partition table and mbr, cancel the ininstall, then xcopy the data back. Works every time.

You don't have to let the utility run the hours they usually take to zero the drive. I usually wait 10 minutes then cancel it. By then it has already written zeros to the sections of the disk that need to be wiped.

You could spend hours and hours trying to figure out the exact nature of the problem, but in the end its better for you and the customer to just zero the drive and get on with the repair.

Please post back and let us know if this solves you problem.

 

[Cue]

Resolved!

So, it was the jumper.

I had the drive set as primary w/slave, even though I do not have a slave drive. No boot.
I have tried slave too, same, no boot.

The jumpers seem to be broken, if I set the drive as anything else then master single (jumper-less) it just will not boot.
Not as slave, not as master w/slave drive present or not present.

This is disheartening, how in the world can you find this without just pure luck?