Resolved Error - Reboot & select proper Boot device

PC will not boot up (after I tried to install slave hard drive). All I get is the message "Error - Reboot & select proper Boot device ".

I am not un-used to installing bits of hardware so I did not expect this problem.

As I say I wanted to add a 2nd hard drive, so I went inside and went to plug in a 2nd IDE hdd. BUT then I realised that I had only one IDE channel (the motherboard book says 2), and the DVD shares the same cable as the HDD.

No problem, says me - I don't need the DVD while I clone my 1st hdd onto 2nd, so I unplugged the cable from the DVD & installed it onto my 2nd HDD (this was a bit fiddly as obviously the cables don't stretch & I ended up having to unplug the cable completely).

Now I have tried to run my pc with the 2 hdd's & I only get the above error.

So I tried to put everything back as I had it originally, & I still get the above error.

I have the HDD as the master and the DVD as the slave. The Bios recognises them in the startup screen, but then all I get is this message.

Can anyone help please.

 

Are you back to using the original master or the new drive reset as master?

Since your BIOS recognises the drives you should be able to run the relevant disk diagnostics on it...

Disk Diagnostic Software ....

ExcelStore

Hitachi/IBM

Samsung

Seagate, Maxtor, Quantum

Western Digital

Fujitsu

It would also help if you include your system specifications (eg do you have a floppy drive etc)

If this is your main system it would be helpful if you add your system details to your profile. Please click on the link and follow those instructions it could save some time when resolving this or further issues.

A common error is to forget to show your system details in your profile

If you do add your system specifications be sure to do the above

 

Ok, I am using the original hdd as master (& the DVD is slave).

I don't have a floppy drive. If I download the diagnotic program onto a DVD & load that, will the program work?

Cheers

 

It depends on the HD manufacturer but I believe most (if not all) provide a boot ISO image which you can burn to CD.

Again, system specifications can save some time here

 

Hi Wildfire, I have downloaded the Seagate diagnostics program, made sure that the PC knows to boot from the DVD & tried to boot up.

After a coupla minutes all I get is the same error as above.

 

Try swapping the cable, a long shot as the BIOS sees the drives but you suggested straining it in your first post so worth a try.

Edit: Just looked at your board and there is two IDE connectors there, which are you using (Blue or black)?

 

Already phsically changed the cable for a new one. Also I have unplugged the power to the DVD & put the hdd diagnostic onto a USB flash drive. It appears to be running through its programming at the moment as I can see the 'accessing' light on the end of the flash drive & the cursor on the screen is just flashing at me.

Also, did you notice that I put my system on view? ;-))

 

Yes, that's how I found out you do have two IDE connectors Are you using primary (blue) or secondary (black)?

 

Sorry, my hardware knowledge does not extend to that info. My motherboard actually only has one ide port and that one is blue. (The book says I should have 2 ports, side by side, and that i why I bought a 2nd IDE HDD, only when I opened it up I found I only had the one).

Also, any idea how long this diagnostic should take? Been runnning for well over 10 minutes now.

 

Re: The test could take quite some time, don't worry about it.

This is the board I'm looking at (according to your specs) if yours is not the same we need to figure out why, but...

If it's a similar design your CMOS battery is located quite near the IDE port, any chance you've dislodged it and the BIOS has reset to boot from SATA as default?

 

Well, the link to ASRock's P4i65G is the same pic I have in my book, and guess what, the Bios battery is in a completely different area. I guess it's not a P4i65G, then. Actually, I have an Athlon 64 processor & the P4i65G is for an Intel. I guess the builder gave me the wrong box & manual for my system!!!!! Can't complain as the machine is about 4 years old and had no trouble with it so far.

I have just realised that my flash drive will not work, it needs to be an SD card, so I have put the diagnostic program onto that & rebooted.

The battery is ok.

I would have thought that if the SD card program was running, I would have heard HDD accessing noises? All I can hear is the fan. What do you think?

 

"Can we be sure that you have not burned the .iso file directly to the DVD/CD? "

It was a .exe file I burned. But to be honest with you, I am not sure of anything I do in Windows 7 (this laptop).

I have checked the cd I burned on this laptop & it says the file is the wrong one!!!! (due to my low level panic I guess)

Now downloading the .ISO file & re-trying as above.

 

"The file you downloaded was intended to be run from within Windows "

Yes I realise that now. Just goes to show that my experience is with DOS based pc's. I hope my Open University course will update me a bit more with how windows works......

Anyway, going to try running the .iso cd now.

Watch this space....... ;-)

 

Ok, the disk is working now,
Got the following mesg:

InitDiskError reading partition table drive 00 sector 0

That sounds like a death in the family? Is there are hope?

 

I concur. I am just running diagnostics on the 2nd drive to make sure it is ok, before I install windows. I am gutted about this, I really just wanted to clone the old to the new.

Anyway, a million thanks to yourself and Wildfire. You guys rock!! ;-))))

 

Ok, I have installed windows & it works.

I have connected up the old drive as a slave & I can see all the data on its 2 partitions (in windows).

My question is - whats the best way to get my windows 'installed programs & registry' onto the new drive. Is it possible?

Over to you experts.