Windows Vista Boot Failure

[Slottr]

Im repairing a computer for a friend, and hes wanting me to wipe the hard drive and do a fresh install of windows 8.1. Thing is, the current hard drive has something on it that completely screws it. A screen shows up telling me that windows failed to boot and wants me to put the installation disc in. So I do- and when I turn the system back on it goes straight to the hard drive, even when in the BIOS I set the boot sequence to go from the CD-Drive to hard drive. I am stumped.

 

Other hard drives work in the system

The only way I can get it to go into the CD boot is if the hard drive is unplugged.

 

 

 

[Enderman]

have you tried plugging into other sata ports?

 

[Slottr]

Just now, Enderman said:

have you tried plugging into other sata ports?

 

Yes, multiple sata ports.

[Enderman]

1 minute ago, Slottr said:

Yes, multiple sata ports.

what if you remove the HDD from the boot priority list

can you do that?

[Slottr]

Just now, Enderman said:

what if you remove the HDD from the boot priority list

can you do that?

Ive done that as well, even when I have it without it (CD, Disabled, Disabled, Disabled,) the damn thing boots into the hard drive.

[Enderman]

Just now, Slottr said:

Ive done that as well, even when I have it without it (CD, Disabled, Disabled, Disabled,) the damn thing boots into the hard drive.

thats really weird

i remember with old HDDs there used to be jumpers on them that would change master and slave but idk if that has anything to do with this, and i dont think sata hard drives still have that

maybe just use a different HDD?

[Slottr]

1 minute ago, Enderman said:

thats really weird

i remember with old HDDs there used to be jumpers on them that would change master and slave but idk if that has anything to do with this, and i dont think sata hard drives still have that

maybe just use a different HDD?

With a different hard drive it does the same thing. There's something going on in the BIOS and I'm not too sure what it is..

[Enderman]

Just now, Slottr said:

With a different hard drive it does the same thing. There's something going on in the BIOS and I'm not too sure what it is..

oh i see, its a motherboard problem

have you tried using a different DVD drive?

something may be wrong with the dvd or dvd drive

you can put windows on a USB for free and install from that, that might work

[Slottr]

3 minutes ago, Enderman said:

oh i see, its a motherboard problem

have you tried using a different DVD drive?

something may be wrong with the dvd or dvd drive

you can put windows on a USB for free and install from that, that might work

Ill add those to the list of things I'll try in the morning. 

 

1. being that Ill just hook it into an already working system and try to clear it like that

2. Try a Windows Vista ISO Disk

3/4. Your Ideas you just stated.

 

Ill get back to this thread when I try those.

[Slottr]

9 hours ago, Slottr said:

Ill add those to the list of things I'll try in the morning. 

 

1. being that Ill just hook it into an already working system and try to clear it like that

2. Try a Windows Vista ISO Disk

3/4. Your Ideas you just stated.

 

Ill get back to this thread when I try those.

So here's an update:

 

In the bios, the only thing I can do is change the boot priorities from either Hard drive items, cd items, floppy disk items (lol) and network items. 

 

But it no matter what I do, the bios will not follow it. I'm going to take the hard drive and put it into another computer and see if I can do anything that way..

[jswan]

I would check what BIOS version is being used, and update if it's outdated.

[Slottr]

So I'm back after like a week.

 

I "solved" it. What I did was put mess around with BIOS settings and then finally got it to boot from a CD. Then when I got into the windows 8 install, I went into the console and cleared the hard drive from there.

 

Pain in the ass, but so satisfactory.