Hard Drive Problem on my Desktop (booting issue)

[BlackEnvyX]

Well, my Desktop computer has been down for a couple weeks now. It'll start up fine, load the motherboard (ASUS Crosshair IV) but it continues to boot from the wrong drive. I went into the BIOS to try and change the drive that it boots from but it still won't boot. It just goes to a black screen saying it's basically booting from the wrong drive. One of my friends suggested my copy of windows has been corrupted but I'm hoping that's not the case because I don't have the money to buy a new copy right now.

Any help?

 

[Dr Super Good]

One of my friends suggested my copy of windows has been corrupted but I'm hoping that's not the case because I don't have the money to buy a new copy right now.

The Windows licence (what you paid for) is incorruptible. It is a physical key that you enter when installing your computer and comes with the Windows installation disks. If your system is OEM then the licence key will be on a sticker on the back of the computer case and is usually accompanied by holograms to prove it is genuine. As long as you have that key you can reinstall it within reason as much as you want.

It sounds like the hard disk could have failed. If it cannot boot from one source it tries each source in series until it eventually comes with a fail to boot error. To check I recommend removing all other sources other than the bootable hard disk from the BIOS boot order list. If it still fails to boot (and likely comes with an error) then your hard disk is dead (or critically corrupted) and you will need a new hard disk. You can make sure that all data truly is unrecoverable by plugging it into another computer and seeing if it mounts as a slave or not.

Hard disks are pretty cheap now and certainly will cost less than the Windows liscence did. You can use your existing Windows liscence key to install Windows onto the new disk. If you no longer have Windows installation media (or your system never came with them, as is the case for modern OEM systems) then you can download and burn (onto DVD) an installation disk image from Microsoft.

 

[Velmarshal]

First.
Post the full specs.

Second.
Check the cables (if the power cable is connected) and try connecting it to another SATA port.

 

[BlackEnvyX]

How would I go about connecting it to another SATA port?

@Super: Thanks, that alleviated my mind a little bit I was pretty worried.

 

[Velmarshal]

http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com...ximus-IV-Gene-Z-and-Crosshair-V-Formula-2.jpg
see those red ports in lower right?

 

[Gilles]

What operating system? Windows 7?
Do you have access to a Windows CD? Preferably the CD to whatever operating system you are using.
How old is the computer or even better, do you know it's specs?

 

[andreasaspenberg]

the connectors have as far as i have seen never failed but, harddrives do very rarely. i suggest sending the harddrive in for repair.