Operating System Not Found
Im not sure if this is a XP problem, but XP was the operating system i was using.But one night after restarting my laptop. I had an error message on bootup ending with OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND[img]http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9581/0616001227.jpg[/img]I've tried brand new harddrives that im sure are working. Ive reloaded Windows XP Home Edition several times.Can someone help me troubleshoot this problem?1 person needs an answerI do too
November 4th, 2010 8:21pm

Im not sure if this is a XP problem, but XP was the operating system i was using.But one night after restarting my laptop. I had an error message on bootup ending with OPERATING SYSTEM NOT FOUND[img] http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9581/0616001227.jpg [/img]I've tried brand new harddrives that im sure are working. Ive reloaded Windows XP Home Edition several times.Can someone help me troubleshoot this problem?That kinda means what it says.What do you mean that you've tried new hard drives that you're sure are working and that you've reloaded XP Home several times? Do you mean that you (a) put a new drive into the laptop and (b) did a clean install of XP Home by booting from the CD?If you think that you do have a viable Windows installation on the drive that is in the laptop, it's possible that the drive's Master Boot Record has been damaged (by virus or otherwise). Or your boot sequence is messed up. See this KB article for help: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321626
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November 4th, 2010 8:28pm

when i type fixmbr in the recovery console as intructed, i get no messages.And i have installed a clean install of Windows XP on the new harddrive i have boughthttp://img574.imageshack.us/img574/8628/1105001558.jpg
November 5th, 2010 4:04pm

i have installed a clean install of Windows XP on the new harddrive i have boughtJust so I understand you correctly ...You put a new, blank hard drive in the computer (and removed any other drives?)You booted from a genuine Microsoft Windows XP Home CD You went through each of the install screens shown here: http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic.htm Including this one: http://www.theeldergeek.com/images/XP%20Home%20Setup%20Graphic/NN.gif And all of these: http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic_i.htm And then you re-booted and received the "Operating System Not Found" error.If all of the above, is correct, then either (a) your BIOS is configured to boot first from a floppy drive or a USB device, and at some point near the end of the install process you inserted a floppy disk into the drive or connected a USB device or (b) your hard drive is sitting next to a powerful magnet that has erased it after the successful install.
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November 8th, 2010 5:06pm

Ive seen all those screens exept for this one http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic_i.htmAnd when I try to install again, it detects that there is already a copy of windows installed on this hard drive. And when It reboots after installing, i still get the same error message that Operating system not found. everything in the recovery console works fine except for fixmbr. Ive tried it many times and still no luck. Please help!
November 8th, 2010 7:47pm

Ive seen all those screens exept for this one http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic_i.htmAnd when I try to install again, it detects that there is already a copy of windows installed on this hard drive. And when It reboots after installing, i still get the same error message that Operating system not found. everything in the recovery console works fine except for fixmbr. Ive tried it many times and still no luck. Please help!I don't know what to tell you other than I suspect that we have a major communications failure, which I attribute as much to my own failure to ask you the correct questions as to anything else.It sounds to me as if you may be attempting to install from within Windows rather than booting from the install CD. Or perhaps you are using an recovery CD instead of an install CD.In addition the "one" screen that you say you didn't see is in fact quite a lengthy sequence of screens, including the important screens where you enter your product key. If you never got to a screen where you entered your product key, you never installed Windows.I suggest that you read the directions eitherhere http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic.htmor here http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.htmland follow them meticulously. And don't forget that because you are doing a clean install -- if that really is what you are doing (or want to do) -- you will have to install various hardware drivers. But that problem only arises after you successfully install Windows.With respect to the installer detecting that there is already a copy of Windows, just delete the partition where the existing copy of Windows is located and then create a new partition for the new install from the now-unallocated space. See step 10b at the Michael Stevens Tech site above.
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November 8th, 2010 9:37pm

Yes I am installing a clean install from the Correct Disk used to install, and boot Windows XP.I get to figure 14 shown here http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic.htm And reboot, but them I am prompt again with Operating System Not Found.
November 9th, 2010 3:17pm

... let me ask you this: is your BIOS configured to boot from a USB, and do you have some form of USB device with internal storage (flash drive, mp3 player, etc) connected at the time?If so, try disconnecting it before you turn the system on ... you might just find that your issue vanishes! Or you could go into your BIOS and check the boot order (check you system's documentation online for instructions as to how to do this).Otherwise, besides opening up your computer, disconnecting, and reconnecting your hard drive, I don't know what else you could try.
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November 9th, 2010 11:50pm

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