Hi, I have a serious problem. i just installed windows a few days ago. yesterday i popperd my windows cd out of my cd-rom drive. and windows could not be started. i got this message. "Insert system disk and press any key" first i tryed to repair my windows. but it wouldt help. than i noticed my hdd isnt empty. but i only can start windows with my cd in it. first i get "press any key to to boot from cd" than i wait 5 sec and windows is loading. This is a kind of anoying. can someone help to start without cd. many thanks

Don't > press any key to boot from cd, wait & see what happens. If all goe's well, probably best if you now do a repair, make sure you do the 2nd repair option. Windows updates are lost. Boot off of a clean windows XP cd, choose Install ( Not > To Repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R ) at the first prompt. It will then search for a previous copy of windows. When it finds your copy, it will stop at the next prompt and ask if you want to do a repair. Hit R at this screen. If it does'nt mention a repair > DO NOT continue. It will then copy a lot of files and appear to be doing a reinstall ( But its not. All your programs and data are safe, all you will lose, are your windows updates ) This will allow you to add accounts to the system that will be administrator accounts, it will also fix most problems in XP. You will have to reactivate after the repair, but dont worry it will reactivate cleanly. This should fix your problems. Repairing XP http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_install.htm http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm http://support.gateway.com/support/product/Software/WinXP/Installs/750959411.shtml http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=315341 http://www.wown.info/j_helmig/wxprcons.htm http://www.wown.info/j_helmig/wxppasr.htm http://www.theeldergeek.com/repairing_windows_xp.htm

"System disk missing" implies the pc can't find your hard disk .... If you are using the CD to boot into windows (and windows is working fine) Then this sounds like more like a bios issue ..... press Delete to get into BIOS just as the computer is started I think advanced options has a setting for boot device ... make sure one of these boot devices are for the hard disk 1st boot device is probably set as CD (did anyone change the boot device to enable windows to be installled??)

i dont press boot from cd-rom. but if my cd-rom isnt the cdrom drive i cant run windows. I wait 5 sec when i get that boot from cd and than my windows is loading prefect. btw id didnt changed my bios settings. the last time was a 2 months ago. here are my computer specs. mainbord. Asus A7V8X-X cpu . Amd Athlon XP 2200+ @ 2.06 Ghz ram . DDR400 pc3200 1024 MB HDD . Maxtor diamond PLus 10 200 GB graphics. Ati Radion 9250 256 MB DDR @ 500Mhz dvd-rm. Nec silver. case . Antec I know quiet a bit about computer but its really anoying that i cant boot windows wihtout my cd-rom in it. my brother had last the same and i just reinstalled his computer. but my computer is just a couple of days ago reinstalled.

@cha. "System disk missing" implies the pc can't find your hard disk .... when i turn my windows cd in it it shows that my disk is there. and sure. my disk is auto assigned. and btw thats not the problem :(

See if any of these help. Fixing Windows 2000/XP BOOT.INI Files http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/editbini.htm HOW TO: Edit the Boot.ini File in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/Q289/0/22.asp&NoWebContent=1 The information in this article applies to: * Microsoft Windows XP Professional * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Repairing Corrupted or Missing Boot.ini Files http://sft-cyber.com/Bootini.htm http://www.onecomputerguy.com/windowsxp_tips.htm http://sft-cyber.com/Re%20Boot.htm If WinXP will not start, it may be due to a damaged boot sector or a missing or corrupt ntldr or ntdetect.com files. To replace, access the recovery console and enter: 1. Copy X:\i386\NTLDR C: (X is your CD ROM drive letter) 2. Copy X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C: Try using the FIXBOOT command from the Windows XP Recovery Console to write a new boot sector on the system partition, and then use the FIXMBR command to repair the master boot record. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/default.asp?url=/WINDOWSXP/home/using/productdoc/en/bootcons_fixboot.asp http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/default.asp?url=/WINDOWSXP/home/using/productdoc/en/bootcons_fixmbr.asp