[nate o]

've been getting this error every time I try to use my other PC. It doesn't even get to the loading screen for XP. I've been having some problems ever since I tried to connect a different CD drive to my flat flex cable. I've reverted back to normal. I've changed out the flat flex cables. I completely un-hooked every wire and reconnected. I've been changing my Bios startup. And nothing yet.

I've also read that it could be caused by a bad HDD. I doubt it went bad. And don't have any spare HDD to test.
One more thing I'd like to mention is that it isn't detecting anything through the flat flex cables. Not my HDD, DVDD, etc. This could be an error in my Bios I'm thinking.

It is a AMD Athelon PC / Dual Core.
I'm stumped. It's been like this for over a month, and it's my fastest PC.
Anyone have any ideas I should try?

Also, this is a common error on Laptops. And many people resolved it by thumping it on the bottom with a hard object. But this is a PC, and I don't think that idea would work very well.

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The message occurs because the system can't boot off what it's expecting to.
Attempts to boot off a network occur typically because either the hard drive isn't bootable any longer (for many reasons, most common one is that it's dead) or is not present. It is no more common on laptops than it is on any other system.

With the system on, carefully put a hand on the hard drive. Feel it vibrating?
Is this a Winfast/Foxconn board by any chance? Foxconn boards seem to develop some strange issue where they'll just suddenly decide one day they've had enough, and while the drives are connected to the board SATA or PATA, they won't spin up so they won't be found. Disconnect from the board, the drives work.

[Neil Jones]

The message occurs because the system can't boot off what it's expecting to.
Attempts to boot off a network occur typically because either the hard drive isn't bootable any longer (for many reasons, most common one is that it's dead) or is not present. It is no more common on laptops than it is on any other system.

With the system on, carefully put a hand on the hard drive. Feel it vibrating?
Is this a Winfast/Foxconn board by any chance? Foxconn boards seem to develop some strange issue where they'll just suddenly decide one day they've had enough, and while the drives are connected to the board SATA or PATA, they won't spin up so they won't be found. Disconnect from the board, the drives work.

[nate o]

I feel the vibration when I hold my HDD. It picks up my DVD drive, but not my HDD. I doubt the HDD is dead. Any other thoughts? I find it odd that the HDD makes the spinning/viberating sound yet, my motherboard does not detect it.

Here is a picture of my motherboard (stock)
http://64-bit-comput...rce6100SM-M.jpg

"ECS Elitegroup released mini ATX ECS Geforce6100SM-M V1.0 motherboard, which features the NVIDIA Geforce6100/nForce405 integrated chipset and supports the 64-bit AMD socket AM2 processors, as same as dual-channel DDR2 memory up to DDR2 800."

[Neil Jones]

Realistically you need another hard drive for diagnostic purposes. Borrow one from a friend.
If your machine finds the other drive but doesn't find yours, try your drive on another machine. If two machines can't find it's most likely a problem with the drive. Just because it spins doesn't mean it's working properly.
Also for completeness, go into the BIOS and find the "Load System Defaults" entry, select and save before you do anything else.