Contact Forum Editor

Send an email to our Forum Editor:

PLEASE NOTE: Your name is used only to let the Forum Editor know who sent the message. Both your name and email address will not be used for any other purpose.

Tech Helproom

It's free to register, to post a question or to start / join a discussion

View Forum Rules | Contact Forum Editor

 

PC wont boot after hard drive failed & was replaced

« previous 1 3

Nickelback1
Resolved

Likes # 0

Posted March 22, 2012 at 7:05AM

I have replaced the hard drive on an old computer after it failed with a working hard drive & it is will not boot after the bios & memory check into windows either from the replacement drive or windows vista CD even after changing the boot order to CD first in the bios.

The computer is recognising the new drive in boot up. But it's stuck in a loop that just brings it back to: "Windows cannot start due to a computer hardware configeration problem"

Looks like I need some software to auto clear the disk so I can do a fresh windows install as I have no keyboard access after the bios check completes although I can change the bios with a keyboard ?

Any suggestions as to how to fix ?

Like this post
Nickelback1

Likes # 0

Posted March 23, 2012 at 7:09AM

N47: All correct, makes no difference to the problem.

lotvic: Number light not responsive @ any time after bios boot. Have tapped space bar all the way through & makes no difference. Yes I want to wipe the hard drive but my new PC has sata drives & connections not IDE, so stuck again.

I their any program which will clean the hard drive direct from cd boot without any keyboard strokes as I cannot seem to solve the keyboard not working beyond the bios boot issue. I even have some direct boot software to do this but it has keyboard stokes required !!!! sooooooo frustrating

Like this post
N47.

Likes # 0

Posted March 23, 2012 at 8:33AM

Buy a wired keyboard.

Like this post
Nickelback1

Likes # 0

Posted March 23, 2012 at 9:36AM

Have done, tried it - no difference

Like this post
Nickelback1

Likes # 0

Posted March 23, 2012 at 11:38AM

Just taken the hard drive to a 3rd party & had it wiped & re-formatted.

Guess what, it booted up just fine with no keyboard problems and am now re-installing everything.

Thank you all for your help, much appreciated

Like this post  
johndrew

Likes # 0

Posted March 23, 2012 at 12:08PM

Bit odd even so as you should have been able to boot the XP CD and overwritten the drive on installation of the OS anyway.

Like this post
lotvic

Likes # 0

Posted March 23, 2012 at 12:14PM

That's good news, glad you got it working :)

To green tick thread as 'Resolved' click on a big grey tick to the right of a post and it will turn green, next time you refresh the page it will be marked 'Resolved' You don't need post a message at same time.

Like this post
Nickelback1

Likes # 0

Posted March 23, 2012 at 1:32PM

Yes, I still can't figure out why Win XP CD would not boot install on to the hard drive, the only thing I can think of, was that the Master Boot File (MBR) was corrupted ?

Like this post
lotvic

Likes # 0

Posted March 23, 2012 at 8:43PM

No don't think that can be the reason because setup doesn't use the harddrive to begin with and to fix a corrupt MBR you have to boot from the CD ReadHere

Like this post

« previous 1 3

Reply to this topic

This thread has been locked.



Check out PC Advisor's other tech forums

Send to a friend

Email this article to a friend or colleague:

PLEASE NOTE: Your name is used only to let the recipient know who sent the story. Both your name and the recipient's name and address will not be used for any other purpose.