Startup fails: "Non-system disk or disk error" - even with good disk

[swee'pea99]

HP laptop produces the above error on startup.

It will run cheerfully from an Ubuntu memory stick. It has even happily installed Ubuntu onto the hard drive, and if the drive is installed in a different (identical) laptop, that laptop boots up into ubuntu no probs. I've tried cleaning the HD contacts, even though I doubted that could be the problem - given the thing's success in loading Ubuntu from the memory stick onto the HD. No difference. I've tried installing a disc loaded with XP from the other laptop, same message.

Is this a motherboard failure, or might it be something I can fix in BIOS or in some other way? Thanks if you can help.

 

[Linford]

If it happens with more than one disk drive which you know to be good, then either I/O controller configuration prob, or I/O hardware failure.

 

[fossyant]

Have you got a memory card or USB stick in somewhere ?

Used to get this on my XP desktop if someone left a usb drive in anywhere (umpteen sockets) - there is a bios option to turn this boot search off.

Just a thought - might remove some head scratching !

 

[MossCommuter]

Have you got a memory card or USB stick in somewhere ?

Used to get this on my XP desktop if someone left a usb drive in anywhere (umpteen sockets) - there is a bios option to turn this boot search off.

Just a thought - might remove some head scratching !

Or a CD in the CD drive?

 

[fossyant]

Or a CD in the CD drive?

Could be !!

Very easy to do especially if you have a built in card reader

 

[rusky]

Does the HDD show in the BIOS & can you try moving it to be the first boot device?

 

[MossCommuter]

Interestingly and for reasons i cannot fathom, i have an ancient netbook that will not boot with a bluetooth dongle plugged in

 

[ohnovino]

Check the "boot order" option in the BIOS to see where it's trying to boot from.

I had a PC in work that was throwing up the same message, and it turned out it was trying to boot from the SD-card reader in an attached printer - I didn't even know they could do that!

 

[swee'pea99]

If it happens with more than one disk drive which you know to be good, then either I/O controller configuration prob, or I/O hardware failure.

Thanks for all replies. I'm pursuing this one, tho', because all the others cover options I've already considered/been there dun that. Eg, if I change the boot order in BIOS to USB stick first, and startup with the ubuntu stick in place, all goes well. But any attempt to booot from the HD produces the failure.

I shall google, but if you have time to tell me a little more of this I/O magic of which you speak, O GeekMaster, I am all ears..

 

[Linford]

Years ago, the I/O (input/Output) from the motherboard along with sound, and video were controlled through external cards which plugged into the motherboard on edge connectors (ISA slots), The I/O controller card was one of them, and that handled the IDE interface fro control of the Hard drive, Optical drive, and floppy drives. It also handled the interface to the motherboard with the Serial bus, and Parallel ports before the advent of the USB.

Some of the logic control for the HDD was done on the HDD's on board chips, some of it was done by the I/O controller card.

Later on, the I/O controller card was integrtated into the motherboard along with the sound and video card..

There should be a master reset jumper on the motherboard to return it all to factory settings if the logic has screwed up, and holding values which stop the board from seeing the HDD. You would need to find it, jumper it across for half a minute (with power off) and that should do the trick (google for the board plan) - unless you can see a discoloured chip on the board which could be the cause of the problem

 

[Stonepark]

I think from what you are describing the Ubuntu boot loader is not properly installed.

Does it put with BIOS set up to boot from HD as primary with usb drive in at same time?

 

[fossyant]

I/O I/O it's off to the tip you go.

 

[swee'pea99]

Years ago, the I/O (input/Output) from the motherboard along with sound, and video were controlled through external cards which plugged into the motherboard on edge connectors (ISA slots), The I/O controller card was one of them, and that handled the IDE interface fro control of the Hard drive, Optical drive, and floppy drives. It also handled the interface to the motherboard with the Serial bus, and Parallel ports before the advent of the USB.

Some of the logic control for the HDD was done on the HDD's on board chips, some of it was done by the I/O controller card.

Later on, the I/O controller card was integrtated into the motherboard along with the sound and video card..

There should be a master reset jumper on the motherboard to return it all to factory settings if the logic has screwed up, and holding values which stop the board from seeing the HDD. You would need to find it, jumper it across for half a minute (with power off) and that should do the trick (google for the board plan) - unless you can see a discoloured chip on the board which could be the cause of the problem

Thanks for that. The odd thing, tho', is that it's not that the motherboard can't see the HD - it can. Hence the ability to have a full working version of Ubuntu loaded onto it, from a USB stick. It's just that it doesn't seem to see it during the startup process.

And thanks Stonepark but "the Ubuntu boot loader is not properly installed" can't be the answer, because if I put the disk into another identical HP laptop, it boots up just fine.

All in all, I suspect fossyant's probably on the money - and amusing with it, which is always a bonus!

 

[Herr-B]

Check the cables!

 

[Linford]

Thanks for that. The odd thing, tho', is that it's not that the motherboard can't see the HD - it can. Hence the ability to have a full working version of Ubuntu loaded onto it, from a USB stick. It's just that it doesn't seem to see it during the startup process.

And thanks Stonepark but "the Ubuntu boot loader is not properly installed" can't be the answer, because if I put the disk into another identical HP laptop, it boots up just fine.

All in all, I suspect fossyant's probably on the money - and amusing with it, which is always a bonus!

The HDD, and USB use different architecture. HDD will either be on SATA or PATA, and memory stick is on USB