Exclamation Mark Next to Boot From CD Option in My Computer BIOS

I have an HP pavilion. I don’t have the original CD ROM installed. I have a third party CD rom installed. I am trying to format it, but the bios has a Exclamation Marknext to boot from CD option.

This seems to be a pretty common occurrence. Some people see anexclamation mark next to CD-ROM drives like shown in the screenshot below, while other see an exclamation mark next to an actual hard drive. It could be any device.

Some people install operating systems and everything goes well, but cannot boot to the hard drive where the operating system is on. This is because when they go into the BIOS they see the exclamation point next to the hard drive.

Seeing an ! point next to your boot device does not always mean there is a problem so below I have mentioned some easy things to try. The first option below is the number one solution for this problem so I suggest you start there.

How to ged rid of the exclamation mark in boot priority options?

1. The exclamation mark next to a boot device means it’s disabled. Selecting the device in the list and pressing Shift + 1 will re-enable it. In some BIOS , if you use the “help” feature on the screen showing that ” ! ” it will tell you how to get rid of it. The ” ! ” in front of that device means the BIOS will bypass that device ( note- this is NOT applicable to all BIOS )
2. If the first option does not work, you can try unplugging your power cords and pressing the power on button while the power is not plugged in.
3. You can try disabling quick boot mode in your BIOS because this mode makes the BIOS go fast and skip checking all devices.
4. You can remove the CMOS battery from your motherboard, leave it to 15 min, and then replace it. This should reset the BIOS.

What is quick boot?

Quick link is a BIOS feature that allows you to decrease the time it will take your computer to boot up. It skips certain standard booting procedures to make the whole process faster. When enabled, this feature will eliminate logo delays, access your hard disc is faster, read memory size faster. If the quick boot option is enabled the BIOS will run the whole set of bootup tests and do a thorough job.

You will find the option to enable or disable quick boot in your BIOS section.

Hopefully this mini tutorial will help you get rid of the exclamation mark that is showing up in your boot priority options in your BIOS.

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No Hard Disk Error When Installing Windows XP After Vista or Seven

If you are installing Windows XP after your machine has already had Windows Vista or Windows Seven, you will most likely get the “No hard disk error”. Many people still love Windows XP and just cannot get used to the newer operating systems from Microsoft. The “no hard disk drive” error usually occurs when your laptop or desktop computer is too modern for Windows XP. This older operating system does not come equipped with fancy drivers to run newer type hardware as this hardware was probably not even invented at the time of the Windows XP release.

The most common driver that causes this problem and brings up the “no hard disc error” is the lack of drivers for your hard drive. In the old days, all hard drives were connected by an IDE cable, however newer hard disks have SATA connections. See the screenshot below showing the error. Sometimes you might even see the error when you are trying to select your partition that you want to format. Either way you will see no hard drive.

Now presuming you have your hard drive actually installed properly, and you did previously have Windows Vista or Windows 7 on your computer, then the solution is sometimes obvious.

How to fix the No hard disk drive error?

There are many solutions for this problem on the Internet that all seemed very difficult, however I have found the easiest way is to enter into your BIOS and change settings. To do this you might need to press a certain key on your keyboard when starting your computer. This could be F2, F10, DEL, and so on. Go into your bios and change your SATA Device Operation to ATA instead of AHCI. Install the OS then update all your drivers while in Windows XP and change it back when completed. Now what we will be looking for is something to do with your SATA connection and the menu titles are different for all brands of BIOS.

#1. Look for SATA options. Therefore you can look for any of these menus:

• SATA options under Config menu
• legacy drives under the hard drive section
• basically anything to do with SATA options

#2. When you find this menu you then need to change the SATA options to allow IDE emulation. Below are some examples of what you might be looking for:

• Change SATA Native Support from enabled to DISABLED
• AHCI to IDE emulation
• BIOS -> Config -> SATA -> change: AHCI to Compatibility
• Set ACHI mode to IDE mode

I know this might seems confusing but the moral of the story is to disable or change the AHCI setting so that Windows XP can see the SATA hard disk drive.

#3. Save and exit your BIOS.

#4. Reboot your computer and now the Windows XP error “No hard disk ” found should be gone. Once you have done this you can Install the OS then update all your drivers while in Windows XP and change it back when completed.

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How to Repair Corrupt MFT and Recover Your Data

Windows XP uses NTFS file system to store and organize data saved on its multiple logical partitions. Thus, to maintain the records of each and every file or folder saved on the NTFS volume it uses a relational database which is termed as Master File Table (MFT). Therefore, when a new file is added to NTFS file system volume, the entries related to it are added to MFT itself and thus, MFT increases in size. On the contrary when a file is deleted from the NTFS volume then its MFT entry is marked as free or reused. Hence, any corruption to MFT may make your system unbootable and thus create inaccessibility of data. In such situations of valuable data loss, backups work as a boon but in the unavailability of proper backup, third-party Windows data recovery  software can do the needful.

Consider a practical case wherein when you boot your Windows XP based computer, you encountered the below mentioned error message:

“C:$MFT is corrupt and unreadable. Please run the chkdsk utility.”

This error message is an indication of MFT damage or corruption. However, after the occurrence of this error message, the hard drive partition of your computer becomes inaccessible and you get this error message every time when you attempt to boot your computer. To rectify the issue, you must first understand the cause behind it.

Cause:

The root cause of this error message is MFT corruption. The MFT of your NTFS based system becomes corrupt due to reasons like damaged metadata structure, virus infection, file system corruption, etc

Resolution:

You can use software to repair the problem for you. Boot up Any Computer, Fix & Install Windows Easy.

To resolve this issue manually, you can try these steps:

• The NTFS partition always maintains a duplicate copy of MFT on the hard drive thus, use that copy to boot the hard drive partition.
• As suggested in the error itself, use CHKDSK utility to fix the issue. However, sometimes using CHKDSK utility to solve this problem results in the below mentioned error message:

“CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the master file table

(MFT)bitmap. CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the volume bitmap.

Windows found problems with the file system.

Run CHKDSK with the /F (fix) option to correct these.”

However, if both the above recommended resolutions fail to fix the issue then formatting of hard drive remains as only way to solve the problem. Though formatting and re-installation of operating system formally deletes all the data saved on the partition but to recover that data you can use the backup. In the unavailability of secure backup, third-party Windows recovery software work as boon. These recovery applications use high end scanning methods to recover and restore your data completely and orderly.

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Windows Does Not Start at All

I am a big Microsoft Windows fan but when windows does not start at all this can be a nightmare for any computer user, experienced or not. Now days we are all lacking in patience and want things to just work, but unfortunately these problems just happen when you least expect it. Also please note that not all problems are caused by Windows itself as other programs or files on your computer can still cause Windows to not start at all.

When Windows does not start at all for me, the first thing I do is stop and think. I never rush into anything as this may cause more problems. I try to remember what I did last on the computer. Did I install a program or download updates?

Options to try when Windows does not start at all

When people say their computer is not starting, there are so many variables it is simply crazy. You might have a black screen on your computer screen, you might have a black screen with a blinking cursor, your computer might be continually restarting. The list can go on therefore I have some general options to try when Windows does not start at all.

Restart

The first action I take is to always restart my computer to make sure that Windows is really not working because sometimes a new start is all you need to get your computer back up and running.

Restart in Safe Mode

If a simple restart does not work I like to start my computer in safe mode.

To access safe mode:

When starting your computer press the F8 key on the keyboard and in the Advanced boot options menu choose safe mode. Safe mode with networking will allow you to connect to the internet and safemode with a command prompt will allow you to type in dos commands.

In safe made you can:

Use System Restore to restore your system to an earlier point before the error occurred. This is a good option to try when you just installed a software update or done something yourself to cause the problem. Open System Restore by clicking the Start button , clicking on All Programs, choosing Accessories, then System Tools, and then clicking System Restore.‌

Update Drivers by accessing device manager.

1. Simply go to the start menu and choose control panel.
2. Then click on system.
3. In Windows Vista and Seven you will see the screen shown below.
4. Click on the Device manager link in the left column.

When you are in device manger you can click on a particular computer device and update their drivers.

Check Event Viewer in Windows. This will show detailed entries about system and program events on your computer. It can be helpful when trying to figure out what is wrong with your computer.

1. To open the Event Viewer go to the Start menu and choose Control Panel
2. Then click Administrative Tools and then double click Event Viewer.

Startup Repair

This is a Windows recovery tool that will help you fix startup problems. It will repair certain things like damaged system files, which are one of the most common causes of startup errors. This option is available for Windows vista and Windows Seven but you will need your operating disc to access this tool. If your computer has preinstalled recovery options, it might also be stored on your computer’s hard disk.

Disable Automatic Restart on Errors

If your Windows does not start at all and seems to be in a loop of restating you can disable automatic restart on errors by accessing the advanced boot options menu. As shown above you can get to this menu by pressing F8 when starting your computer. Then you will see an option to disable automatic restart on system failure. Another solution for a computer continually restarting is to check your computer memory.

Reinstall Windows

This is your last resort and hopefully you have a recent backup of all your important files to backup. This is because formatting a hard drive will erase all your saved files on your computer.

If not you can try to recover your files from your hard drive first, before formatting your hard drive. I usually put my hard drive into an external hard drive case and recover the files that way.

More info from Microsoft

Windows Does Not Start at All – How To Avoid This Problem

Of course I would say that regular computer maintenance will be your best defense against any problems occurring. This alone will keep your computer running junk free and smoothly.You can get a free scan for your computer to see if you have any junk files that need cleaning.

Another tip is to watch what you download and install on your computer. Ask yourself a simple question, “Do you really need the program you are about to install?” Most of the time software is installed on computers and never used anyway. Let’s face it, the less you have on your computer, the less problems you are likely to have.

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