"no bootable partition in table" after trying to install Linksys Router

DeniseB · 1st December 2008

I just purchased a Linksys N router. I installed it succesfully and was able to connect wirelessly to it from a laptop, but could not seem to get the printer share to work. I tried installing it again, and everything froze up on me. When I rebooted, I got a black screen with "no bootable partiton in table". I rebooted three times and got the same. The fourth time I hit f2 at the very start up and then escaped out after viewing my system setting without making any changes. It let me in to Windows at that point. (XP)
I don't know what I did.. but I don't think it's good

The interesting thing now is that I can get online with wirelessly with the laptop but can't get online with my desktop which is connected to the internet directly.
(The Lnksys was easy to install but their instructions on how to get another computer connected wirelessly were vague.)

Please
help!

Thanks

**mattman** · 5th December 2008

If you had any experience at working on unbootable systems, you could try booting into the Recovery Console and running FIXMBR ("no bootable partiton in table").

If you wish to try it yourself, try doing websearches on FIXMBR.

You could test the drive using the HDD manufacturer's testing utilities
http://tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

The laptop has probably found an an automatic connection to the internet (a DHCP server).

Matt

DeniseB · 6th December 2008

Matt,
Thank you for your response.
Unfotunately, I do not have this kind of experience. In fact, most of what you wrote looks like greek to me. Is there anyway you can walk me through step by step what I need to do?
Thanks
Denise

**mattman** · 6th December 2008

Hi Denise,

I didn't see Beginner in your experience level, so I wondered if you may be able to decipher that

. I expect you have a good grasp of Windows, but this problem appears to be before Windows loads.

For an error message "no bootable partiton in table", it could (possibly) be a BIG problem, it is saying that there is no way to boot into Windows. The "table" is kept in the MBR. The computer's BIOS reads the information in the MBR (Master Boot Records) to start/boot to the operating system on the HDD. Windows only starts loading when you see a Windows splash-screen (the blue dots running across the bottom of the screen).

This may be still all "greek to" you. The computer's startup is very basic, it has to find everything (all the hardware), then it finds the operating system on the HDD (your system appears to have corrupt information about how to boot into Windows).

Unfortunately...startup is different on different computers.

You will need to read, read, read if you want to carry it out yourself
http://support.microsoft.com/search/...3comm=1&res=20

Matt

**mattman** · 6th December 2008

I am looking for information.

If you have any USB drives attached, disconnect them. Make sure there are no disks in the CD/DVD drive or floppy drive if you have one (is the Linksys installation CD still in the drive?).

Although widely recommended, I read that FIXMBR may not solve the problem.

I can't say what might be wrong with the partition. I would need to see the results of the tests and even then the information can be very technical.

The easiest way of testing the HDD may be to take it out and put it into another computer.

Check for USB drives, CDs or floppies first.

Matt

**wildfire** · 6th December 2008

Matt, perhaps BIOS/ CMOS corruption?
Since DeniseB was able to reboot after entering SETUP

Quote:

The fourth time I hit f2 at the very start up and then escaped out after viewing my system setting without making any changes.

Could point toward that, only trying to assist.

**mattman** · 7th December 2008

mmmm... possibly wildfire. I'd like to hear back from DeniseB about removable drives/disks. It makes me wonder though, about the "Boot Order" in the BIOS. It now has a new router and I might wonder if it is trying to "boot from network". Denise, disconnect the router if it is still connected.

Corrupted? Most BIOSes nowadays use a quick POST system. The information (size, sectors, heads, etc) it is using for the HDD may be wrong. Denise, as I said, "Unfortunately...startup is different on different computers." They have different BIOSes (SETUP as wildfire mentioned). You can read your system manual (the motherboard manual), or look around the BIOS settings, for a setting to go to Defaults. That might reset the BIOS, it won't hurt.

I think I have seen that error message before and from my "dodgy" memory

, it was due to a non-bootable disk being in a drive.

Matt

**Rockster2U** · 7th December 2008

Gentlemen & Denise,

This one is interesting and may require a little between the lines reading which both of you talented individuals have already done. If one breaks Denise's comments down, she says her problem is connecting to the Internet with her desktop but while providing background information about the problem she encountered Booting problems with the laptop. (at least that's how I read it)

Now, she hit F2 (on the laptop?) and we think that threw her into setup (Acer?). Mysteriously, she is able to boot into Windows after exiting with no changes. No mystery - its to be expected. My guess is she had a CD or a floppy in a removable drive which preceeded her HDD in the Boot order. She was probably hitting F2 because it said To Enter Setup and she was trying to setup her printer or her router or her laptop or her desktop. It doesn't matter what she was trying to setup, but she hit F2 to enter setup. I think this part of her problem description is not really a problem, but merely a description from one who is admittedly a beginner. Now I could be 100% wrong and it won't be the first time. Taking Denise through a series of changes in her BIOS would be the wrong approach from my perspective unless she comes back and confirms there are no floppies or cds in any drives and she says she can't boot and is still getting a "no bootable partition in the table" message. You have basically said the same thing Matt and I would expect Wildfire is also in agreement.
Denise - we need your help here. Please confirm or dispute.

What I read (between the lines again) is that Denise ran a Linksys Plug and Play utility on her laptop to set up (successfully) her wireless configuration but now is at a loss on what to do with the desktop which (I assume) is hard wired because of her terminology (is connected directly to the Internet). So again, we need Denise to tell us what "connected directly to the Internet" actually means.

I believe the issue hiding between the lines is going to be her basic network configuration and her router setup. She should now be able to access her Router Menu from her laptop by opening a browser page and typing http://192.168.1.1 in the address bar but depending on what type of broadband she is using and what specific modem she is using, the directions from this point forth will vary. Some ISPs in the states are using modems that also want to control dhcp, some do not. Some modems have built in Routers, some do not. Some require doing a "pass-through" setup and some do not.

Once Denise does come back and answers a few questions, further guidance can be given and this thread should probably wind up over with ReggieB. The reason I popped into the discussion was because I think her laptop booting problems while very real, are very explainable and aren't the issue that requires resolution.

All of this is 100% speculation on my part but I'd hate to see anyone taking Denise into her BIOS to reset anything at this point in time. More information is needed here.