Operating system not found

syn3rgyz

Gawd
Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Messages
763
My dad's 3 year old dell has the operating system not found error, and everytime he reformats and reinstall windows it will work fine until he restarts his computer then the same error pops up again. I thought it was harddrive issue so I ordered a new harddrive for him and he replaced it and installed windows on the new harddrive but after restarting the same error pops up again.

I live on the east coast and he lives on the westcoast so its kind of hard to take a look at the thing myself. Could it be some component in the motherboard thats causing the problem?? Could it be the RAM ??? Is it fixable or should I start looking up parts to build a new computer for him?
 
It could be a storage controller issue.
It could be a simple cable issue.
It could be a power plug issue
It could be a power supply issue.
It could be a motherboard issue.
 
Try going into the bios and checking the boot order. Dells usually get to the bios by tapping the F2 key on start up.

I usually have it set to check the cd/dvd drive first then the hard drive 2nd. But for trouble shooting, set the hard drive as the first in the boot order.

The only other thing I can think to check are the ide/sata cable going from the mother board to the hard drive. The cable could be lose or faulty, try another cable.

One other thing to try is, set the bios settings to "default" just in case a bios setting got screwed up somehow.
 
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tried another cable, tried changing boot order to 1st same thing happened. I guess i'll have to build a new computer. since replacing the mobo on a dell doesn't seem plausible
 
tried another cable, tried changing boot order to 1st same thing happened. I guess i'll have to build a new computer. since replacing the mobo on a dell doesn't seem plausible

As Danny Bui posted, it could be a PSU issue. Has your Dad added components to the system? Is it the original Dell P.S.U.? Maybe try swapping out the P.S.U. If all else fails then it could be a mobo problem.

You may be able to find one cheap on ebay for like $30 or $40. If not, then it may be time for a complete P.C. upgrade.

One other thing to try is, set the bios settings to "default" just in case a bios setting got screwed up somehow.
 
yes its original dell psu, only thing he added is probably a wireless card.

Just curious how would the PSU cause that error?
 
If the psu is on its way out, it cannot properly power up the hard drive. A bad power supply can cause all kinds of problems. The dell psu may be fine, no way to tell unless you swap it out for a known good one and see if the symptoms persist.
 
Yea my dads 65, I doubt hes able to find a power supply to swap it out to try with.

Anyone got any recommendations for a cheap computer build? just need recommendation for a PSU and mobo+cpu combo. Will be used for just simple tasks like checking email, watching movies word processing etc.
 
Yea my dads 65, I doubt hes able to find a power supply to swap it out to try with.

Anyone got any recommendations for a cheap computer build? just need recommendation for a PSU and mobo+cpu combo. Will be used for just simple tasks like checking email, watching movies word processing etc.

You should post the specs of your Dads dell, CPU, Ram ddr?, number of hard drives.

If you do not get a dell replacement mother board then you will probably need another case as well.

I am not going to give suggestions as I am still on a 4 year old system myself and have not kept up on pc parts in quite a while. But some of the other regulars here should be able to help you out with what to get.
 
why not a cheap 15" $300 laptop, you see them all the time in the newspaper ads, Frys, Bestbuy, etc.
resolution should be 1366x768, plenty for wizened eyes
 
He likes a desktop better cause he thinks its more "powerful" and its better for watching his movies on.

*edit i never knew they sell dell replacement motherboards i'll look into it
 
Is there only one hard drive ?

why not a cheap 15" $300 laptop, you see them all the time in the newspaper ads, Frys, Bestbuy, etc.
resolution should be 1366x768, plenty for wizened eyes

Yeah, and at least you're 100% sure you can't repair it when it breaks !
 
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