DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK Error Correction and Why It Appears

You decided to work with a computer, turned it on, got comfortable, but instead of a greeting you saw on the screen “DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK”? This message indicates that the PC cannot download data from the system disk. If this error is not related to the hard drive crash, it can be fixed. But sometimes it occurs due to hardware failure. In this case, computer repair is better to entrust professionals.

Causes of

"DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK" translates as "There is no boot disk, insert the system disk." That is, the PC does not recognize the drive on which the OS is located. First you need to understand why this error occurred. And then you have to figure out what to do with it. The problem may appear if:

  • Broken boot order. The PC is trying to "find" the operating system where it is not.
  • BIOS does not recognize the hard drive.
  • Corrupted OS boot partition.
  • The hard disk is not properly connected.
  • The hard drive is defective.
  • Faulty power supply.
  • Faulty motherboard.

After seeing this error when booting the PC, perform the following steps

How to fix?

Before you do something, pull out all the disks, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, flash drives and external HDDs. Leave only the drive on which the OS is installed. And try to restart the computer. If that doesn't work, unplug the CD drives and drives. To do this, carefully disconnect their cables from the motherboard. And try again to start the PC. If the “DISK BOOT FAILURE” error disappears after this, it means that the BIOS has incorrect parameters. The computer "searches" the OS files in the wrong place.

BIOS setup

BIOS or Basic Input / Output System is activated when the PC is turned on. It controls the boot process. It indicates from which media the OS will be launched. And if a drive with no system files is selected, an error will appear. Here is what you need to do to configure the BIOS:

  1. Immediately after turning on the computer, press Delete, F1, F2, F11 or Esc. The key depends on the model of the motherboard. When you start the PC, a message appears on the bottom of the display indicating which button is needed. The message will look something like this: “Press [key] to enter setup”.
  2. The BIOS menu appears. You can “navigate” through it using the arrows on the keyboard, open sections with the Enter button, return to the previous menu with the Esc button. At the bottom of the monitor should be indicated the keys necessary to interact with the graphical interface in the menu.
  3. Click the “Boot” tab and enter the “Boot Device Priority”. This is “boot priority”.
  4. In the first place should be the hard drive. Usually it is designated as HDD, SDD or Hard Drive. If the operating system is on a different medium, do it first.
  5. Return to the main menu, go to “Exit” and select “Exit Saving Changes”. Or press F10.
  6. Try restarting your computer.

Your hard drive should be first in line.

If you made any changes to the system or “overclocked” the PC, this could affect the BIOS. To restore the default settings, in the "Exit" section, select "Load Setup Defaults". Parameters will be reset.

Hardware setting

If the BIOS does not detect the hard drive and even after setting it gives the error "DISK BOOT FAILURE", what should be done in this case? Most likely, the problem is with the hard drive itself or with its connection. Or the motherboard is out of order. The power supply may also be faulty.

In such a situation, you will have to remove the cover from the system unit and self-repair the problem. If you do not understand the internal device of the computer and do not know where to connect this or that device, it is better to contact the service center. Although the motherboard all slots of different sizes. It is impossible to attach the wrong part to them.

Before you do something, turn off the PC. Do not just complete the work, but remove the plug from the outlet.

It makes sense to find out the state of the hard drive. Connect it to another computer (if possible), check whether the BIOS “sees” it, whether the OS boots from it. If it works, then the drive is working. Save your personal data just in case.

To resolve the "DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK" error, try the following:

  • Disconnect the hard drive cable from the motherboard and plug it in again.
  • Connect it to another SATA connector.
  • Pull out the CMOS memory power supply (looks like a tablet battery), wait 30 minutes and put it in place.
  • Move the Clear_CMOS jumper (located on the motherboard, it may have another name - CLRTC, Clear_RTC, CCMOS) from pins 1–2 to pins 2–3. Wait 20 seconds and return everything as it was.

Follow the steps above to check for errors at each stage.

After each step, check whether the hard drive is displayed in the BIOS. To do this, the computer must be turned on. But for any manipulations inside the system unit, the PC must be de-energized.

If the fault is due to the power supply, it must be changed. When it is discharged, it adversely affects the operation of the computer - there may be other errors.

System Restore

Another cause of the problem is damage to the boot sector of the hard disk. This means that the part of the hard drive that is important for the OS information is not available. In this case, you need to restore the system data. They will be recorded on good sectors.

You need an installation CD or other drive with OS (the example with Windows will be considered). If you do not have it, reinstall the files will not work. Since they will be nowhere to take.

  1. In BIOS, set the priority so that the system starts from the boot disk.
  2. Insert the drive with the OS into the desired drive.
  3. After switching on, you will be able to select the System Restore option.
  4. Click “Startup Repair” and confirm the action. The OS itself will find problems and automatically solve them.
  5. If it does not help, run the boot disk again. Only now select the item "Command Line".
  6. A window opens with a black background and white text. Type in “Bootrec.exe / FixMbr” without quotes and press Enter. Adjuster reanimates master boot records.
  7. You can also enter the "Bootrec.exe / RebuildBcd" command. All hard drives will be scanned for the presence of the OS.

Enter the command to restore the boot entries.

If none of these methods helped, then the hard drive is broken, the motherboard or power supply unit has become unusable. Also, the problem may be in poor quality cable or slot for connection. To fix them on your own is quite difficult. This requires professional knowledge and skills. It is better to entrust repairs to specialists. Or buy new parts.

This fault often occurs if the boot order is changed or the BIOS is configured incorrectly. In this case, you can fix the failure yourself. If the problem occurs due to a hardware problem, it will not be so easy to solve it.

Tell us if you have encountered this error and if one of the following methods has helped you.