Comments on: Missing Operating System or Operating System Not Found

By: williamjacobs

williamjacobs — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:34:36 +0000

Unplug any USB external drives including thumb drives and reboot

If no USB drives are attached,
Check if disk shows up in BIOS.

If it doesn’t, replace disk. If the replacement disk is detected, load OS on the new disk.
If the new drive is not detected either, troubleshoot for bad data bus or use alternate databus (IDE if SATA or vice versa) or replace PC.

If disk is detected in BIOS,
Check whether RAID settings in BIOS are expecting additional disks.
Set it to match current configuration.
(Installation of SQL has caused this in two instances)

If the RAID configuration isn’t the issue,
Replace CMOS battery on motherboard.

If CMOS battery replacement doesn’t help (or you don’t have a battery to work with),
The bus or drive controller may not be working properly.

Connect an IDE drive and try to load Windows on THAT.
(If already using IDE drives and a SATA data bus is available, do that instead)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:59:04 +0000

SDned Dec 1, 2010 5:47am GMT
I tried to clone my 200GB to a 1TB using Acronis True Image 2009. I tried this several times w/ three different hard drives,all new.

Each time got “missing operating system ” when I booted up the new drive. All the data ,ie text,songs & photo did transfer but for some reason apparently the MBR or boot sector could not be found.

I tried using Recovery Console to fix mbr & fixboot. Tried reformating the HD. No luck.

Finally found the fix. I had been setting up the TI program to transfer the info from source to target drive “proportionately” each time. When I set the transfer to be done “as is” the cloned drive was bootable. Finally success!

Now the only downside was that only 200 GB was usable on the TB drive. The rest,close to 800 GB was unallocated. But not to worry because the fix was easy.

So I had to resize the partition. Using Easeus from Download .com , I was eassily able to move the partition to the right so the formally unallocated space was added to the newly named C drive volume such that all the drive space was now fully usable.

Maybe this will help somebody so they don’t have to go through what I did.

By: suits

suits — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:12:00 +0000

thanks. this is all i’ve been searching for. i’ve been having problem with my computer lately and i have to use my friends computer just to surf the net.

By: jon

jon — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:21:06 +0000

Hi,
I Have trouble with installing a brand new Laptop. I would like to install the OS but when I finish partitioning my laptop………….an error appeared
MISSING OPERATING SYSTEM…..
All has been detected in the BIOS but why it cannot install..
I try to install the WINDOWS XP OS in my LAptop.
It will setup but It will stop an error has been detected….
The error said I need to see the newly installed HDD or remove it….

Please help me with my problem……..

Thank You!!!
Jon

By: Rosco

Rosco — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:49 +0000

Hi Amit,
On this system you set the boot order by entering the BIOS, going to System Configuration > Boot Order. See manual here: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01662442.pdf

If the harddrive is not detected in the BIOS at all then it’s likely a loose cable or the hard disk could be fried.

Hope this helps.

Rosco

By: Amit

Amit — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:33:58 +0000

Hi ,
Same message as ‘Missing operating system’ is displyed on my friends HP Compaq CQ40 Laptop with XP as OS .
I tried to find Hard drive in BIOS ,bt not success.after presing ESC and then F10 i can get into BIOS. I also checked ‘Hard drive Test’ all are completed and successful.
Can you help me to enable partition ?
Thnx in advanced!!

Amit

By: Joshy

Joshy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:49:13 +0000

In my own case it was the BIOS battery. I changed it and message disapeared.