Cannot boot unless XP disk is in the CD drive

[mmstir]

Hi

Had 2 days of hell. Here is the quick run-down.
System hung during normal use and then rebooted. Couldn't boot (Non-System disk error). Put in the XP CD and tried the recovery console (Fix Master Boot, etc). No joy. Went to the next step and did a Windows Repair using the install disk. This goit the system up and running so I could retrieve all my data but it was still a bit flakey (none of the MS apps worked). Tried a new hard drive and fresh install of XP. All worked OK until I did a Windows Update and installed a wireless keyboard. On reboot I got the same error (Non-system disk etc).

If I put in the XP CD (but don't boot from the CD) it boots OK. Am I going mad? I uninstalled the wireless keyboard but still getting the same issue.

I figure it is either a dodgy piece of hardware inside the PC (cable?) or something with the Windows Update software.

nb. The first time I had the issue I tried in another PC and it wouldn't even pick it up as a slave...

Am I going mad? Any ideas would be welcome....Mark

 

[ski]

Disconnect all other drives except the boot hard drive.
If that fixes things, then reconnect the other drives one at a time until the problem resurfaces. The last drive reconnected is the cause.

If disconnecting the other drives does not help, then connect a different power lead to the HD.

If no luck, then install a different known working IDE cable.

If still no luck, then do another fresh XP install, update your antivirus program with the latest files, and do a virus search.

If no viruses are found, then run the system for a few days before reinstalling the Windows update and the wireless KB.
If things work ok, then reinstall the Windows update. If the problem resurfaces, then the update is the cause.
BTW, is the update SP-2?