Sometimes users may face the disk boot failure error on starting a computer. Once this error message is flashed on the screen by the BIOS there is no other way out to it, and one has to get the problem fixed before the computer can be used.
In this post I will discuss the steps for fixing this problem in the easiest way.
Step 1: Get your operating system’s bootable disk before starting troubleshooting.
Step 2: Turn off the computer and then restart it. Press the relevant key for entering into the setup (BIOS). The key used for entering the set-up varies for different BIOS and computer models. If you are not sure of the key, just read for the same on the first screen which appears after switching on the computer.
Step 3: After entering into the BIOS, look for the option to change the boot sequence. We need to boot the computer from a disk so as to make the CD/DVD drive as the first boot device.
Step 4: Insert the bootable disk of the operating system that you have in the CD/DVD drive. Save and exit the BIOS and then restart the computer.
Step 5: If everything goes fine, your system will now boot from the bootable disk that you have inserted.
Most people generally repair the entire operating system after booting the computer from the operating system disk. Repairing the operating system fixes the problem, but it takes a lot of time and at times it may risk your hard drives data. This error message is displayed because BIOS when searched for the first sector of the hard drive, doesn’t find it there. The first sector of the hard drive is the place for keeping the MBR (Master Boot Record), which in turn saves the other settings like location of the OS partition, files system information etc. If BIOS id not able to read or find the MBR on any hard drive during the boot process, it simply gives the error stating that the hard drive has failed. When we repair the operating system, all the values of the MBR are re-written and thus the problem gets fixed, but we can do the same by just running a few commands. Let us see how to do the same.
Step 6: While booting from the disk, it will ask you to install or repair the operating system. Select ‘Repair’ so that you get further troubleshooting options.
Step 7: Select ‘Recovery Console’ or Command prompt whichever is available depending upon the Windows version.
Step 8: At the command prompt, type the following command ‘FDISK /MBR’ and then on the next line type ‘SYS C:’ and press ‘Enter’. This action will scan the hard drive for its partition and OS configuration, and will re-write the MBR on the first sector. Once this command finishes, you can exit from the prompt, take the disk out and reboot the computer. If needed you might go into the BIOS again for making the changes to boot sequence.
