Pc will not boot

GT60

"No boot device found press enter to try again"

That is the message i WAS getting.
I haveturn off the pc and back on 3 times and Now i dont get the message.
The pc gets to the dell logo and half a blue bar then the screen goes black and after a few minutes it repeats itsself with the Logo and half a bar.
The last thing it did was a windows update as it was shutting down.

Help and advice please

Joyful

I have jusy posted a similar problem after a windows update.

fwor

The error message usually means that the BIOS cannot access the hard disk, or can't find key system files on it.

Do you have a Windows installation disk? If so, I'd boot from that and use chkdsk to see what state the hard disk is in. You could then try a "repair install" to see if you can get it running again - this should leave your user data intact, as it does not require a format of the drive.

If not, a good next step would be to download one of the Linux LiveCDs such as this one. If it runs Ok as a LiveCD (don't install it by mistake!) that rules out most hardware faults, and allows you to connect a pendrive or USB HDD so that you can backup your user data before taking more drastic steps.

GT60

How do i get the pc to boot from the disc?
I have dell's back up disc's

fwor

Enter the BIOS setup utility (IIRC you hit the Del key on Dells immediately after power-on & before Windows starts to load) and change the boot order so that it boots from the CD drive before the HDD.

paddyrg

Hmmmm this is unrelated to windows update, except that it sometimes forces a reboot. It can be an indication of hardware failure either now or imminent, so be aware you may be on the verge of replacing a hard drive and back everything up pronto :-)

GT60

I have been meaning to back up for some time but never got round to it.

It has been making a clicking sound sometimes since all this started too.
I have got "Dell data safe local back up" running so IF i get the pc up and running i will do a back up.
fingers crossed...
Thanks every one

Rossy.

If the hard drive is clicking then it's safe to say that the hard drive is fubared

You won't get it to boot if it's failed. You're best off buying a new HDD, re-installing windows and go from there.

There is software available to get the data off the old HDD, but again it depends on just how bad the damage is

RussJK

GT60 wrote: »

I have been meaning to back up for some time but never got round to it.

It has been making a clicking sound sometimes since all this started too.

That's the most significant piece of information you could have given, and you'll know next time to mention that first - basically it's a sign of impending physical failure.

Stop using the hard drive full stop if you want any hope of recovering anything from it, at least yourself with software.

You may be able to get things off it if you're lucky and have the right tools, but plan ahead and decide what things they are before you attempt anything, and have an external drive or large USB disk ready to accept files when you do.

cashmaster

The main problem is that the bios running is unable to find your hard disk. either your hard disk is damaged, or else the connection is faulty.
About the sound, that can be a problem. See that all the screws along the hard disk are all intact. While the hard disk is running at such an rpm, it must never be allowed to move at all.