Hi everyone I finally decided to built my own cheap PC. after couple of hours of building, mounting, dismounting (i tend to forgot things on the way), I finally reach the moment to push the button on. Victory, the sound of the BIOS launching for the 1st time, the screen start and in no time I am in the bios. I checked the time/date is correct that my HD is here, good! optical drive good! I change the boot sequence for my CD as first save and relaunch the PC. The installation cd of windows 7 in the drive, the computer boot on CD and..... "Error loading operating system".... I check my cable fine, decide to disconnect the HD and lauch again and this time no problem of course without hard drive cannot do much. I went digging for info online and find everything and anything about the error. I decided to flash my bios for update via USB done. But still the same problem. For info, I bought the HD on ebay as used. So should I assume that I have been screwed and the HD would never work. Is it a compatibility problem with my motherboard? Here my specs: Intel Q6600 Gigabyte G41SM2P Crucial 4GB x 2 DDR3-1333. HD Hitachi Pipeline HD.2 120GB Any help welcome
Could you be more specific about that "Error loading operating system" message? When exactly does it occur, does the system boot from the install DVD then fail when trying to install, or fail part way through booting from the DVD, or even not seem to be booting from it at all? Try disabling all other devices in the boot order in the BIOS, leaving only the optical drive.
Hi, The error appear when it tries to boot from the DVD. It ask me to press any key to proceed for installation and the error appear. If I disable the HD and I can press the key and boot from the DVD and make several checks if needed but obviously not install anything as no HD. If I disable the USB and not the HD the problem is the same. It appears only when the HD is conected. I can see my HD recognized in the BIOS and when the computer boot. I am thinking to buy a new HD more precisely a SSD SATA 2 I don't need a lot of space so any recommendation? Thanks for the help
I would doubt it was the hard drive as if it was knackered I would not expect it to show up in the bios. How far did you get before you got the Win7 fail message? Did you get to the bit asking you where to install it to as there should be an "advanced" option.
Looks like a message you'd get if the computer had gone through all the available boot options and couldn't find anything. Might be something wrong with the DVD itself or the DVD drive, if the bios determined for some reason that the media wasn't bootable it would have skipped to the HD, found nothing and given you that message.
Is it an offical Win7 DVD or one you burnt yourself? If its one you burnt yourself did you burn the ISO correctly? Not just placed the ISO on the disk.
Can you provide some more details please? Is your DVD drive connected via SATA or USB? Which SATA port is your drive connected too and what colour is it? Does the Windows 7 installer load and you receive the error message when it tries to acces you hard disk or does it not load at all? I suspect you need a driver for the Windows 7 install to work.
Hi everyone thanks for your help, I'll try to be the clearer possible with few photos I did. For MrDomRocks, I've got windows 7 64bits. I did not know that it would matter. My 1st screen when I switch on computer detail me the following: IDE Channel 0 Master: ST3160316CS SC13 (my HD) IDE Channel 0 Slave: None IDE Channel 1 Master: TSSTcorp CDDVDW SH-222BB... (my DVD drive) IDE Channel 1 Slave: None My Second screen with HD connected: Verfying DMI Pool Data................... Boot from CD/DVD: Press any key to boot from CD or DVD....Error loading operating system. The 4 dots before the error appear one after the other and nothing happen if I press any key. If I boot without the HD connected I arrive on the installation page of Windows 7 where you have to choose your HD. As it is not connected I have no HD appearing on the screen. This is why I think the problem is with the HD and not the DVD drive or the Windows 7 DVD itself. I don't think I should have to amend anything in the bios just to install windows 7. I wonder if thsi error may appear because the seller format his HD before sending it to me. For info: - the Motherboard is new - the CV/DVD drinve is new - the Windows 7 cd is genuine (bought it from Amazon) - the HD is used ( bought it from ebay). - I have 4 SATA2 connections of blue color. - I connect my HD with a blue SATA2 cable and my optical drive with a red one (bought separately as not provided with drive) with black ends. - I connect the HD on the SATA 0 and the DVD drive on SATA 1. Also I wanted to post pictures but I don't know how to do it here. Many thanks for your help.
OK, some decent info there Could you check the boot order in the BIOS. Change it so the only option is to boot from the optical drive. Also, (don't laugh), check the keyboard is working. Can you turn caps lock on and off? It sounds like it is waiting for you to press a key to boot from the optical drive, but then not recognising the key press, and then trying to boot from the hard drive. With only the optical drive connected, it assumes you want to boot off that no matter what.
What is the CPU? And good point above, are you pressing the any key when you get the message "Press any key to boot from CD/DVD"?
I agree with Taniniver, it sounds like it's not detecting your keyboard when it asks you to press a key, although by the sounds of what you've said, your keyboard does work in the bios, in which case, something weird is going on. I think trying a different keyboard (or at least try it in a different port if possible) is your only solution. (the install DVD will always ask you to press a key even if it boots first)
I can never remember and often end up head butting the keyboard in frustration, which usually resolve the issue.
Hi guys, I did select only the DVD drive to boot form (disabled HD and LAN), and the problem remains the same. I have a wireless keybord (Logiteck K300) connected via USB. I changed the USB port but still the same problem. Like you I tought it was weird that my keyboard is not reacting when they ask me to press a key but it is working in the BIOS and more important on the 1st screen when press delete to enter it. When disconnect the HD, I can't press any key too but despise that, the installation CD still run and let me access to the installation page. So I don't think it matters that you press or not as it will bring you to the installation sooner or later. The AppleFreak (with this name you kind of scare me) my processor is a Intel Q6600 (socket 775). Would it be possible that the person who format the disc did not do well and still some files would remain and that's why the computer try to boot automatically from the HD each time this one is connected? Let me know your thought but on this problem I feel kind of hopeless and hope its just a problem with the HD and by replacing it I can solve it. Thanks for your help
Update: I took off the HD from an old laptop. I did not liek it as the laptop was heavily infested of Virus. I cleaned it but since then it was very slow. Anyway I connected it and the PC boot but what is really weird is when I arrive on the black screen to choose which windows mode to launch: Safe mode, Safe mode with networking, Normal, etc... And.... I could not choose..................why? the keyboard was not working.... So it may confirm what mot of you mention..... really weird. Windows launched itself automatically and............the keyboard was working.... WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really don't know what's going on but I am thinking borrowing my keyboard from work and check if I cam manage to make my HD work. If not I guess it means the HD is dead.... Any new idea in this mess welcome!
