installing vista on a computer with no OS

Any ideas of what to do if a computer with a newly installed hard drive says
"No boot sector on hard disk" when turned on. I'm trying to install vista and
it won't recognize the disk.

jpotts818;461153 Wrote:
> Any ideas of what to do if a computer with a newly installed hard driv
> say
> "No boot sector on hard disk" when turned on. I'm trying to instal
> vista an
> it won't recognize the disk

Hi Jpotts

Are you booting from the Vista installation DVD? (Need to be
A) Make sure that the BIOS is set to boot from the CD/DVD first

Did you "Create" a partition and "Format" the Hard Drive?
A) You can see step 14 in this tutorial as a guide to help

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/68...an-install.htm

Shaw

--
brin

*There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them.*
OM\"
*Please post feedback to help others.*

I did set to boot from CD/DVD first, but the installation screen never comes
up... rather than saying "press any key to boot from CD" like I think it's
supposed to, it just comes up and says "no boot sector on hard disk"

"brink" wrote:

>
> jpotts818;461153 Wrote:
> > Any ideas of what to do if a computer with a newly installed hard drive
> > says
> > "No boot sector on hard disk" when turned on. I'm trying to install
> > vista and
> > it won't recognize the disk.
>
> Hi Jpotts,
>
> Are you booting from the Vista installation DVD? (Need to be)
> A) Make sure that the BIOS is set to boot from the CD/DVD first.
>
> Did you "Create" a partition and "Format" the Hard Drive?
> A) You can see step 14 in this tutorial as a guide to help.
>
> http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/68...n-install.html
>
> Shawn
>
>
> --
> brink
>
> *There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them.*
> OM\")
> *Please post feedback to help others.*
>

Is it a genuine Vista DVD? If obtained, for example, from a download
source, it may not be bootable. Your option then, might be to install a
copy of XP and boot the DVD from there.


--
uhaligani

The hard drive is most likely corrupted. Go to the hard drive manufacturer
web site and then download hard drive utilities, then create either a
bootable floppy if you have a floppy drive, or a bootable CD. Partition and
format the drive. After having done this, try installing Vista again..


"jpotts818" <> wrote in message
news:6B599F84-3701-4F66-BA58-...
> Any ideas of what to do if a computer with a newly installed hard drive
> says
> "No boot sector on hard disk" when turned on. I'm trying to install vista
> and
> it won't recognize the disk.

--


Mike Hall
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

I don't think that will solve the problem of his DVD not booting??


--
uhaligani

Yes, it is a legal copy.

"uhaligani" wrote:

>
> Is it a genuine Vista DVD? If obtained, for example, from a download
> source, it may not be bootable. Your option then, might be to install a
> copy of XP and boot the DVD from there.
>
>
> --
> uhaligani
>

Is it possible for the hard drive to be corrupted when it is brand new? It
was just installed and installing Vista has been the very first thing we
tried to do with it.

"Mike Hall - MVP" wrote:

> The hard drive is most likely corrupted. Go to the hard drive manufacturer
> web site and then download hard drive utilities, then create either a
> bootable floppy if you have a floppy drive, or a bootable CD. Partition and
> format the drive. After having done this, try installing Vista again..
>
>
> "jpotts818" <> wrote in message
> news:6B599F84-3701-4F66-BA58-...
> > Any ideas of what to do if a computer with a newly installed hard drive
> > says
> > "No boot sector on hard disk" when turned on. I'm trying to install vista
> > and
> > it won't recognize the disk.
>
> --
>
>
> Mike Hall
> MS MVP Windows Shell/User
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/
>
>
>
>

If this is a brand new hard drive installed as the only/first hard drive and
the BIOS is set to boot from it then 'no boot sector' is correct. A drive
from the manufacturer is empty, no boot sector or anything else.

It is necessary to partion and format the hard drive before it can be
'booted'. That would be done during the installation process of your OS.

To install your OS from the DVD you must go into your BIOS and set it to
enable booting from the DVD drive. Exact steps to do this vary from machine
to machine. However during power on there is usually some indication to
press some button on the keyboard to enter some 'setup' program. Within this
setup program should be something about booting or boot order. Within this
there should be an ability to enable the various source devices (i.e. DVD
drive) and to adjust the order in which they are tried. Enable the DVD
drive, leave as second in order to the main hard drive. During boot it will
fail to find a boot sector on the hard drive and then try the DVD, which for
Vista has a boot sector and you should be off and running.

Michael

"jpotts818" <> wrote in message
news:1AF43D51-5015-42B0-AEE3-...
> Is it possible for the hard drive to be corrupted when it is brand new? It
> was just installed and installing Vista has been the very first thing we
> tried to do with it.
>
> "Mike Hall - MVP" wrote:
>
>> The hard drive is most likely corrupted. Go to the hard drive
>> manufacturer
>> web site and then download hard drive utilities, then create either a
>> bootable floppy if you have a floppy drive, or a bootable CD. Partition
>> and
>> format the drive. After having done this, try installing Vista again..
>>
>>
>> "jpotts818" <> wrote in message
>> news:6B599F84-3701-4F66-BA58-...
>> > Any ideas of what to do if a computer with a newly installed hard drive
>> > says
>> > "No boot sector on hard disk" when turned on. I'm trying to install
>> > vista
>> > and
>> > it won't recognize the disk.
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>> Mike Hall
>> MS MVP Windows Shell/User
>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/
>>
>>
>>
>>

Michael;461672 Wrote:
> If this is a brand new hard drive installed as the only/first hard drive
> and
> the BIOS is set to boot from it then 'no boot sector' is correct. A
> drive
> from the manufacturer is empty, no boot sector or anything else.
>
> It is necessary to partion and format the hard drive before it can be
> 'booted'. That would be done during the installation process of your
> OS.
>
> To install your OS from the DVD you must go into your BIOS and set it
> to
> enable booting from the DVD drive. Exact steps to do this vary from
> machine
> to machine. However during power on there is usually some indication to
> press some button on the keyboard to enter some 'setup' program. Within
> this
> setup program should be something about booting or boot order. Within
> this
> there should be an ability to enable the various source devices (i.e.
> DVD
> drive) and to adjust the order in which they are tried. Enable the DVD
> drive, leave as second in order to the main hard drive. During boot it
> will
> fail to find a boot sector on the hard drive and then try the DVD,
> which for
> Vista has a boot sector and you should be off and running.
>
> Michael
>
> "jpotts818" <jpotts818@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:1AF43D51-5015-42B0-AEE3-87D7C4B36B9B@xxxxxx
>

Jpotts,

In addition to what Michael has said, the BIOS may have separate
settings. One to select the CD/DVD to boot fist, and a second to enable
that option.

Shawn


--
brink

*There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them.*
OM\")
*Please post feedback to help others.*