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non-system disk or dis error msg on KNOWN good drives?

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I got an HP D530 Small Form Factor (SFF) off eBay – (no memory or HDD but with CD-Rom & floppy) so it’s suspect but I thought I’d put this question out before I $$$ on a new mother board.
I’ve swapped in known good Memory, CD & DVD drives & cables, trying to boot a known good boot disk. Swapped cables, set the jumpers to Cable Select, Master, slave and removed it all-together. Tried booting off a good HD (but from another model) tried booting from Floppy Drive with known bootable disks?
I constantly get “Non-system disk or disk error” I’m suspecting the disk controller chips got fried? So I have to replace the complete MotherBoard? – Anybody have any further suggestions before I have to shell out additional cash?
– thanks to you all!

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Clarifications

In reply to non-system disk or dis error msg on KNOWN good drives?

Clarifications

It is trying to tell you

In reply to non-system disk or dis error msg on KNOWN good drives?

that it is not Bootable. You may not have any Boot Files installed.

Error message when you start your computer with a non-system disk.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812492

How’s about installing something first ?

In reply to non-system disk or dis error msg on KNOWN good drives?

Have you tried to [u]install[/u] anything.

It doesn’t necessarily follow that an ‘installed’ hard drive when married to a FOREIGN motherboard will actually boot.

That’s not the way it works.

Try installing something to the hard drive/motherboard combination.

It’s gotta boot first

In reply to How’s about installing something first ?

As I mentioned in my original post – I’m trying to boot off of known-good boot CD’s and floppies – the intent was to wipe out the HD and install a fresh Operating System but it has to boot off of something first. That’s why I’m thinking the controller chip on the MB pooped out.

Check BIOS

In reply to It’s gotta boot first

Is the drive discovered in the BIOS?
If so then there is no problem with the controllers/drive.

Lots of assumptions

In reply to non-system disk or dis error msg on KNOWN good drives?

I’m assuming that you set the BIOS to boot from the CD and that the BIOS recognizes the CD, May want to reset the BIOS completely anyway. When you try to boot from a CD does the drive at least power up and try to read?

Got it working!

In reply to Lots of assumptions

Well I did break down and bought another Motherboard off eBay (it hasn’t arrived yet) BUT over the weekend the Neighborhood had a power outage. After the power cam back on the HP was on and had booted! The only thing I can attribute it to is that we’ve had problems with HP’s not turning all the way off – you have to pull the power cord and wait a minute or so and then plug them back in and THEN they’ll respond!
Thanks for all your help!
Now I guess I’ll have a spare Motherboard!

That’s a 1st for me if it’s a solution.

In reply to Got it working!

NT

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