Fundamentals - Problem: The monitor displays a No Boot Device, Missing Operating System, or similar error message.

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1. This is normal behavior if you have not yet installed an operating system. Error messages like this generally mean that the drive is physically installed and accessible, but the PC cannot boot because it cannot locate the operating system. Install the operating system.
   
   
2. If the drive is inaccessible, verify that all data and power cables are connected properly. If it is a parallel ATA drive, verify that the master/slave jumpers are set correctly and that the drive is connected to the primary interface.

Problem: The system refuses to boot from the optical drive.

1. All modern motherboards and optical drives support the El Torito specification, which allows the system to boot from an optical disc. If your new system refuses to boot from a CD, first verify that the CD is bootable. Most, but not all, operating system distribution CDs are bootable. Some OS CDs are not bootable, but have a utility program to generate boot floppies. Check the documentation to verify that the CD is bootable, or try booting the CD in another system.
   
   
2. Run CMOS Setup and locate the section where you can define boot sequence. The default sequence is often (1) floppy drive, (2) hard drive, and (3) optical drive. Sometimes, by the time the system has decided it can’t boot from the FDD or hard drive, it “gives up” before attempting to boot from the optical drive. Reset the boot sequence to (1) optical drive and (2) hard drive. We generally leave the system with that boot sequence. Most systems configured this way prompt you to “Press any key to boot from CD” or something similar. If you don’t press a key, the system then attempts to boot from the hard drive, so make sure to pay attention during the boot sequence and press a key when prompted.
   
   
3. Some high-speed optical drives take several seconds to load a CD, spin up, and signal the system that they are ready. In the meantime, the BIOS may have given up on the optical drive and gone on to try other boot devices. If you think this has happened, try pressing the reset button to reboot the system while the optical drive is already spinning and up to speed. If you get a persistent prompt to “press any key to boot from CD,” try leaving that prompt up while the optical drive comes up to speed. If that doesn’t work, run CMOS Setup and reconfigure the boot sequence to put the FDD first and the optical drive second. (Make sure there’s no diskette in the FDD.) You can also try putting other boot device options (e.g., a Zip drive, network drive, or boot PROM) ahead of the optical drive in the boot sequence. The goal is to provide sufficient delay for the optical drive to spin up before the motherboard attempts to boot from it.
   
   
4. If none of these steps solves the problem, verify that all data cable and power cable connections are correct, that master/slave jumpers are set correctly, and so on. If the system still fails to boot, replace the optical drive data cable.
   
   
   If the system still fails to boot, disconnect all drives except the primary hard drive and the optical drive. If they are parallel ATA devices, connect the hard drive as the master device on the primary channel and the optical drive as the master device on the secondary channel, and restart the system.
   
   
5. If that fails to solve the problem, connect both the hard drive and the optical drive to the primary ATA interface, with the hard drive as master and the optical drive as slave.
   
   
6. If the system still fails to boot, the optical drive is probably defective. Try using a different drive.

Problem: When you first apply power, you hear a continuous high-pitched screech or warble.

1. The most likely cause is either that one of the system fans has a defective bearing, or that a wire is contacting the spinning fan. Examine all the system fans—CPU fan, power supply fan, and any supplemental fans—to make sure they haven’t been fouled by a wire. Sometimes it’s difficult to determine which fan is making the noise. In that case, use a cardboard tube or rolled-up piece of paper as a stethoscope to localize the noise. If the fan is fouled, clear the problem. If the fan is not fouled but still noisy, replace the fan.
   
   
2. Rarely, a new hard drive may have a manufacturing defect or may have been damaged in shipping. If so, the problem is usually obvious from the amount and location of the noise and possibly because the hard drive is vibrating. If necessary, use your cardboard-tube stethoscope to localize the noise. If the hard drive is the source, the only alternative is to replace it.

This chapter is from Building the Perfect PC by Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson (O'Reilly, 2004, ISBN: 0596006632). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today. Buy this book now.

DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware.

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