'Error loading Operating System'

A2Z

A2Z

A2Z

Soldato
Joined
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Ok im tryin to install XP Pro on a brand new 160GB Western Digital SATA, currently windows is on 1 of my storage drives.

When i first plugged it in, windows said it had to change it to a 'dynamic' disk, had never seen that before, but wouldnt let me format it before i did that. Anyway after then, i formatted it in Windows.

Thought i could just reboot with that HD plugged in and install windows on it, but wouldnt let me without formatting, so i did, NTFS (as you do)

ANYWAY

formats fine, copies all the setup files fine, restarts....gets to the 'press any key to boot from cd', i just leave it...and it should load up the HD and carry on with the Windows install...but i just get the error 'Error loading Operating System'

yes i did google it, checked here but that doesnt help, have latest BIOS for my asus a8n-sli, checked here also, says to 'Go to the BIOS settings of your machine and change the translation method used to access the hard drive from the default setting “Auto” to “Large” which i also tried...the error doesnt come up, but it just freezes.

Now is this brand new HD ******, or is it some silly problem i dont know about and can fix?

thanks :)
 
mysticsniper said:
Did you install the Sata drivers just after when you first boot from CD? It asks you to press F3 I think.
Click to expand...
erm nope?

never done this to any of my other 3 hard drives....they all worked fine..... why would i suddenly need to for this drive? :confused:

and how? where are those drivers? i dont have a floppy drive, havnt for 2 years :p
 
The disk comes with your mobo for the sata drivers. But as you don't have a floppy drive, that's a dead end :p ;)

Try a different Sata Port on your mobo :)
 
Last edited:
A2Z said:
Ok im tryin to install XP Pro on a brand new 160GB Western Digital SATA, currently windows is on 1 of my storage drives.

When i first plugged it in, windows said it had to change it to a 'dynamic' disk, had never seen that before, but wouldnt let me format it before i did that. Anyway after then, i formatted it in Windows.

Thought i could just reboot with that HD plugged in and install windows on it, but wouldnt let me without formatting, so i did, NTFS (as you do)

ANYWAY

formats fine, copies all the setup files fine, restarts....gets to the 'press any key to boot from cd', i just leave it...and it should load up the HD and carry on with the Windows install...but i just get the error 'Error loading Operating System'

yes i did google it, checked here but that doesnt help, have latest BIOS for my asus a8n-sli, checked here also, says to 'Go to the BIOS settings of your machine and change the translation method used to access the hard drive from the default setting “Auto” to “Large” which i also tried...the error doesnt come up, but it just freezes.

Now is this brand new HD ******, or is it some silly problem i dont know about and can fix?

thanks :)
Click to expand...

As you are on the asus you should not need to install the sata drivers ( the asus boards use a sort off ide emulation thingy) I think you'll find the problem lies in your the boot list setting of the bios. (If you have an ide drive attached remove its power plug,) then have a good poke about in the bios, you want the settings for "boot" then "hard disk drives" you need to set the sata as 1st master there. then all should be fine. I had the same prob with my a8n-sli.
 
turbotoes said:
As you are on the asus you should not need to install the sata drivers ( the asus boards use a sort off ide emulation thingy) I think you'll find the problem lies in your the boot list setting of the bios. (If you have an ide drive attached remove its power plug,) then have a good poke about in the bios, you want the settings for "boot" then "hard disk drives" you need to set the sata as 1st master there. then all should be fine. I had the same prob with my a8n-sli.
Click to expand...
thanks, forgot to post i actually fixed it last night

downloaded 'Data Lifeguard Tools 11.2' from the Western Digital website, which i used to 'format' the hard drive - not quite sure what type of format it was, took about 10 seconds lol and there was 60mb of 'something' left on it, but it seemed to do the trick, restarted and installed windows no probs and didnt have to reformat before installing
 
instead of starting my own thread thought id post on here!

Got the same problem, tried installing SATA drivers via floppy for the onaboard SATA ports and a PCI SATA card, both come to the same error when windows reboots to start the installation after copying all the files.

Its an 80GB Seagate SATA drive, has been formatted about 10 times now , still the same error!

anyone help ? its an Abit board
 
If you were able to see the drives in Windows Setup..then drivers are fine. Did you make sure the system is set to boot from a sata drive?
 
The drive comes up in BIOS fine, windows can format it and everything, but on the reboot this error happens.

I pick the disk as on the motherboard i can press F11 on bootup and pick the exact disk i want to boot off and it still has the error
 
found the problem!

Had to change something in BIOS from AUTO to LARGE about the hard drive :/
Been trying to do this since 11am yesterday, SO annoying!
 
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