Non-System disk or disk error

Solution 1 of 3 - Change Boot Media

If you are booting from either a DVD, CD, diskette or a USB drive, remove the media and boot from the hard disk. The media is either damaged or is not intended to be bootable.

Solution 2 of 3 - Update the BIOS and BIOS Parameters

Check with the PC manufacturer if you're using the latest BIOS or not. If not, update to the current version.

A few of the manufacture's download sites for a motherboard/BIOS update:

If the BIOS is current, it's possible bad BIOS parameters are causing the problem, especially if the memory or CPU settings are overclocked. The BIOS parameters are stored in CMOS memory. The best way to reset the BIOS parameters is to remove the CMOS battery. To do this:

1. Unplug the PC, and open the case.
2. Locate the battery on the motherboard - typically a silver coin cell.
3. Remove the battery and note if the plus side is up or down, so you can reinstall it later the same way.
4. Wait at least 1 minute and reinstall the battery.
5. Attach power and power up. Typically a BIOS warning message will indicate CMOS was corrupted or changed and it may require you to go into the BIOS setup to set the time and date.
6. Proceed to boot Windows and see if this fixes the issue.

Some BIOSes have options to enable/disable caching and/or shadowing. If the options are available, disable caching and shadowing. Most newer (2005+) systems do not have these options. There are many BIOS makers and customized versions of the BIOS, so you may have to enter BIOS setup and look a bit to find these options. Typically you press a key like Esc, Del, F1, or F2 before Windows starts (almost right after you reboot) to enter BIOS setup. Consult your computer manual for details. The setup key can also be found in our BIOS access list.

Solution 3 of 3 - Check Hard Disk and Cables

If you had changed, added or removed hard drives, or changed or removed drive cabling, likely something is wrong. Recheck that the drives are properly installed and the cabling has not changed. Switching cables to different motherboard connectors or changing the master/slave drive jumpers (on old ATA drives) can cause this problem. In some systems, the cables were not plugged into the drive or motherboard securely and may have worked loose. Reseat all drive connectors.

It's also possible a hard drive is failing. Use a system diagnostic to validate the drive or swap to another hard disk.

Several software products that offer disk diagnostics includes Fix-It Utilities Professional and SystemSuite Professional. Other diagnostic products include Eurosoft's PC Check and Iolo's System Mechanic.

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