Disk Boot Failure Error Message

This can be caused by several different things, we often see this with older computers when an external USB drive remains plugged in to the computer when it is rebooted.  Also make sure that you do not have a floppy diskette or CD in the drives.

This could also be caused by a change on the BIOS boot order, your computer may be trying to boot off a data disk.  Go in the BIOS and make sure that the proper hard disk is set to boot.

This could also be caused by bad or loose drive data cable, reseat the cable or replace it.  With older IDE drives, after replacing or moving them about in the computer this can be caused by incorrect Master/Slave jumper settings.

A damaged Master Boot Record (MBR) or physical damage to sector 0 on the hard disk can also cause this error.  A damaged MBR can be repaired at the Recovery Console with the Fixmbr command.  Physical damage to sector 0 is usually irrecoverable, the drive is kaput, you will have to entrust your drive to a data recovery company to see if they can recover your data.

If you want to try to recover the data yourself remove the disk from the computer and mount it in another computer or in a USB enclosure and see if TestDisk can recover the drive.  When trying to recover critical data it is always best recommended practice to clone the failing hard disk to another disk and to work on the clone rather than on the failing disk.

These may be helpful:

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console for advanced users

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000387.htm

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk

John