Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 30866 2003-03-05 08:37:00 Help Please, Problem With Starting Up Pauline (641) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
125719 2003-03-05 08:37:00 Today I have developed a problem & don't know how to fix it.
I have Win ME. When I start the computer it shows up all the installed bits & pieces & then at the bottom I get
"non system disk or disk error. Replace & strike any key when ready" I do that & get that same message coming up. The only way I can get it going is to Ctrl/Alt/Del, then press esc & a box comes up with "select Boot Device" The one at the top is highlighted "ST 340016A" I just press enter & then I'm in.
What has gone wrong?
I have done a one button checkup in Norton's systemworks & System Restore won't restore.
I need help!
Pauline.
Pauline (641)
125720 2003-03-05 08:46:00 Ummm...take the floppy out of the A: drive would help?
Or take the CD out of the CD reader?

It indicates that something in the boot order (floppy, CD, then HDD) is being recognised but contains no OS. Usually a floppy left in A:
godfather (25)
125721 2003-03-05 09:14:00 FYI

The error message indicates that the startup files cannot be accessed - usually for either of two reasons. You named one, the other is that the startup files are no longer accessable on the bootable partition.
Merlin (503)
125722 2003-03-05 09:31:00 Hi Godfather,
What a wally I was. There was a floppy disk in that I had forgotten about. Here I was thinking I had major problems.
Thanks
Pauline.
Pauline (641)
125723 2003-03-05 09:45:00 You are better off setting it in the bios so that the C drive is the first boot device. mikebartnz (21)
125724 2003-03-05 10:28:00 Hi

""You are better off setting it in the bios so that the C drive is the first boot device.""

Why? Thanks.
Scouse (83)
125725 2003-03-06 01:48:00 Disagree with that. If your pc runs into probs and you need to run with a boot disc, it's not going to look past C Greg S (201)
125726 2003-03-06 01:57:00 Then it can be set back to try booting off the floppy/cdrom first .

Some are even nice enough to add a "Press F? to select boot device . . . " .
bmason (508)
125727 2003-03-06 02:05:00 I'll support that too!

I always set the PC to boot from the C: first. How often do you need to boot from anything else??!!

Makes booting a bit quicker!
CYaBro (73)
125728 2003-03-06 02:10:00 The main reason for doing that is if like me you have an immense number of old floppies, many of which have boot viruses (;-)) and you leave such a nasty floppy in the drive . . . and you reboot and the sytem goes to the floppy, it infects the HD . Bad language ensues .

It's much less of a problem for you modern people .

But it makes your boot a bit quicker . Chnaging it back if needed takes very litttle time .
Graham L (2)
1