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Original post : Disk boot failure: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10.
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Get the fix for the error <strong>Disk Boot Failure</strong> on <strong>Windows XP,</strong> <strong>Windows Vista,</strong><strong> Windows 7, Windows 8 </strong>and<strong> Windows 10.</strong> <h2>About "<strong>Disk Boot Failure</strong>"</h2> [kbintro] <h3><span id="Description_and_Symptoms">Description and Symptoms</span></h3> The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error. <h3>Symptom 1: "<strong>Disk Boot Failure</strong>" error screen on startup</h3> Every time a computer is turned on, <a href="http://neosmart.net/wiki/mbr-boot-process/">as part of the boot process</a> the BIOS tries to find a bootable drive to continue the loading process by starting its first sector. However, if BIOS is unable to find a drive to boot from, then a "Disk Boot Failure" error screen is displayed and the boot process is halted. Here is an example of "Disk Boot Failure" error screen for all versions of Windows: <a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/03/disk-boot-failure-screenshot.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-3192 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/03/disk-boot-failure-screenshot.jpg" alt="Disk boot failure error screen" width="980" height="250" /></a> <pre>DISK BOOT FAILURE - INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER</pre> <h2>Causes of this Error</h2> This error has been known to occur as a result of one of the following causes: <h3>Cause 1: Incorrect BIOS boot order</h3> The most common cause of this error is an incorrect order of boot devices in BIOS. Usually BIOS tries to find a bootable drive according to its boot device order, so if a PC has a floppy drive set to a higher priority than a hard drive, and there is a floppy disk inserted - then the PC tries to boot from a floppy disk, and a error message is displayed. <h3>Cause 2: Faulty data cables</h3> Like all components of our PC’s, hard drive data cables tend to deteriorate as the time passes. If the same data cable was used for several years(or even the same one across several computers), then it might me the cause of periodic read/write errors that can affect the loading process. <h3>Cause 3: HDD is damaged</h3> A hard drive can become damaged or inaccessible due to read/write errors, power outages, or virus attacks. If that's the case, then the drive should be checked for errors and scanned for viruses to make sure that it works correctly. <h2><span id="Fixing_8220Fatal_INT18_Boot_failure8221_on_Windows">Fixing “Disk boot failure” on Windows</span></h2> <h3>Fix 1: Change BIOS boot order</h3> To check a computer's boot order, follow these instructions: <ol> <li>Restart the computer</li> <li>Open the BIOS. If you're not sure which key is used to open BIOS, it's either any of the following or it's listed on the first screen that appears on the monitor, before the Windows logo appears.Possible keys: <kbd>Esc</kbd>, <kbd>Del</kbd>, <kbd>F2</kbd>, <kbd>F8</kbd>, <kbd>F10</kbd> or <kbd>F12</kbd> [caption id="attachment_1419" align="alignnone" width="450"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1419" src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/09/Dell-POST.jpg" alt="Dell BIOS screen showing special key options" width="450" height="337" /> Notice the key guide in the top-right corner.[/caption]</li> <li>Go to the <strong>Boot</strong> tab</li> <li>Change the order to position the hard disk as the 1st option [caption id="attachment_560" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-full wp-image-560" src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/08/bootmenu.png" alt="Boot Selection Menu" width="300" height="275" /> Boot Selection Menu[/caption]</li> <li>Save these settings</li> <li>Restart the computer</li> </ol> <h3>Fix #2: Remove newly installed hardware, check data cables and jumpers</h3> If a new hardware was recently added , follow these tips: <ul> <li>Remove the newly added hardware and restart the computer to check if the error still appears</li> <li>Check the cables of the hard disk where Windows is installed</li> <li>Check the jumpers of the hard disk</li> </ul> <h3>Fix #3: Check HDD for failures</h3> To test if the hard disk has failed, use Easy Recovery Essentials' Automated Repair. The Automated Repair process will report any issues found with the hard disk or RAM memory with one single click: [partial name="partial_easyre_hardware_testing"] <h3>Fix #4: Run chkdsk</h3> The chkdsk utility can detect if the computer's hard disk has certain issues. If a PC has Windows XP installed, follow these steps to start chkdsk: <ol> <li>Insert a Windows XP CD into the computer.</li> <li>Restart the computer.</li> <li>Press any key to boot into the CD when you see the “Press any key to boot from CD” message.</li> <li>Press <kbd>R</kbd> to start <strong>Recovery Console</strong> when the Options screen appears.</li> <li>Choose the Windows installation to be repaired, and type in the Administrator password followed by the <kbd>Enter</kbd> key to submit it.</li> <li>Type the following command, and press <kbd>Enter</kbd> : to submit it: <pre>chkdsk C: /R</pre> Where C: is the Windows installation drive</li> <li>Wait for the scanning process to end, and restart the computer.</li> </ol> Here is an example screenshot of what the PC’s console output should look like once the chkdsk is complete: [caption id="attachment_4395" align="alignnone" width="720"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/03/Windows-XP-scandisk.png"><img class="wp-image-4395 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/03/Windows-XP-scandisk.png" alt="Windows XP Chkdsk utility results screen" width="720" height="396" /></a> Windows XP Chkdsk utility results screen[/caption] If a PC has Windows Vista, 7, 8 or 10 installed, follow these steps instead: <ol> <li>Boot from a Windows install disc</li> <li>Click on <strong>Repair your co</strong><strong>mputer</strong> after selecting proper language, time and keyboard input.</li> <li>Select the Windows installation drive, which is usually <code>C:\</code>, and click <strong>Next</strong></li> <li>Choose Command Prompt when the System Recovery Options box appears</li> <li>Write the following command and press <kbd>Enter</kbd> afterwards: <pre>chkdsk C: /f</pre> Replace C: with the letter of the driver where Windows is installed.</li> </ol> Here is an example of what the PC's console output should look like once the chkdsk.exe is complete: [caption id="attachment_3697" align="alignnone" width="800"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/04/VirtualBox_Win7_clean_21_04_2016_03_58_48.png"><img class="wp-image-3697 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/04/VirtualBox_Win7_clean_21_04_2016_03_58_48.png" alt="Windows 7 Chkdsk utility results screen" width="800" height="600" /></a> Windows 7 Chkdsk utility results screen[/caption] <h2>More Information</h2> <h3>Linked Entries</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/chkdsk/">chkdsk</a></li> </ul> [partial name="partial_moreinfo" versions="xp,vista,7,8,10"]