Disk Read Error!

  I know there are already a few threads about this, but I seriously need help,
as it's way more stuffed up than it started out to be.

OK, so earlier today I got Windows XP Professional x64.
I tried first installing it on my brothers computer (previously had Windows
7 x64 installed). So my brother backed-up all he needed, I restarted the
computer, hit enter on the boot disk option, waited for everything to load,
selected install, deleted his previous partition, and made a clean install on
a new partition. The installation was fine. Once it had finished, the
computer restarted (as normal) then once it got to the boot disk command, it
read "DISK READ ERROR", though I could still boot the disk, making it
possible to re-do everything again (fresh install, and whatever) also to
repair. First off I tried to repair, obviously I had never tried repairing a
computer before, as I had never needed to, so I was left not knowing what the
____ I had to do in the command menu.
So I just restarted the computer, done a fresh install half a several times,
every time the disk boot error appeared. So I came onto my computer (the one
I'm using right now) and searched up this error, and found this site. Though
I was looking through old threads (not realising) and tried out some of the
things other people have suggested.
So what I did then was change the jumpers at the back of the hard drive and
DVD drive, setting my hard drive as master and DVD drive as slave. I then
turned the computer back on, same thing happened. moved them around a little
bit, hoping it will make a difference. Still no change.
I'm not sure what exactly triggered this, but the next time I turned the
computer on, it came up with the same error, but modified, saying "DISK BOOT
FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER". I figured they meant system
disk by the Windows XP disk (Probably not that disk), so I tried that, no
change, I tried another disk, still no change.
I read some other suggestions, someone said it may be the IDE/SATA cable, so
I changed the IDE cable for a new one, still comes up with the same error.

Can someone please help! I hope I didn't make it any worse :(

I forgot to mention that the computer is not reading the DVD drive any
longer. When I got into the BIOS, it shows only the HDD hooked up as master
and nothing else :S

 

Kamrad-

First thing to do is get your CD/DVD working.
Try with one HD and on Optical drive.

I assoume you are working with IDE devices based on your remarks.
If you have two IDE (40pin) connectors, put one device on each connector and
set them to master.  Not all hd jumper settings's are the same!  Check to
make sure you r are setting yours properly.
If you have only one ide connector, set the hd to master and the optical
device to slave.  Some people have issues using the 'Cable Select' option so
use master and slave.

Check the bios to see if the cd/dvd is recognized.
(hit del or F10 at startup, you may need to google your mb for instructions)

Yes ==>  good
                get into the bios
                set your boot device order to floppy, cd, hd
                boot to cd and finish setup

No ==>   bad
                grab the cd drive from your good machine and start over

Regards,
Todd

 

"Todd Heiks" wrote:


Thank you Todd.
I managed to finally get the DVD drive finally working and it reads both HDD
and DVD Drive.
So one problem is solved.

I have only one IDE cable connected up to both.
I'm not exactly sure which part of the cable is master or slave. But the the
section located close to the center is my HDD, and the section at the end it
connected to the DVD Drive.
The HDD jumper is set on "CS" (Not sure what that is) because when I had it
on Master this "DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER" error
appeared, on both my computer and my brother's. And I'm not suer what the DVD
is set as.
So at the moment my HDD is Slave and my DVD Drive is Master.

I still seem to be getting the "disk read error" though.

 


You really should be posting in a different forum, this newsgroup is for
Media Center (XP/Vista/7 versions) issues and problems. You would probably
get more/better help in a general XP or XP64 newsgroup.
--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey"), Florida

 



James- Are you saying that there is someone better then me to help Kamrad?
; )

Kamrad-
CS means 'cable select'
Set it the hd to master.  You may need to google the jumper settings.
Set your optical drive to slave.

Which part of the cable is master?  I don't think it matters much with a 40
pin connector.  I have seen some 80 pin (extra ground for each pin) that are
marked with master on the end and slave in the middle.  I really don't see
why it would matter, the pins are all common.

You will get better performance if you grab another cable and use your other
ide header, if you have one.

You can pull the cd after the first boot to avoid confusion about whats
going on.

It sounds like the master boot record is messed up on the HD.

In 98 you would fdisk and set active partition.  So you can still do this on
an XP partition.  Just use a 98 boot disk.
see KB315261

If you don't want to go to all the trouble then simply start over.  In the
setup, remove the partition and create a new one.

If that doesn't work, get the disk tools from the hdd manufacturer and plug
the drive into a known good machine and run the tools over the hdd to insure
that it is good.

Regards,
Todd