In this article, we are going to discuss errors that pop up when your computer has trouble booting and loading the OS. Error messages like ‘Non-system disk’ or ‘disk error’ are the most common in such cases. However, in other cases, you may also find variations of this error message like ‘Boot device not found’ or ‘Missing operating system’.
Now let us understand the main reasons for this error and how to resolve it. The main reasons for this error are a faulty SATA/IDE cable or corruption in the hard drive area containing the OS. It could also be due to incorrectly partitioning the drive or other similar reasons. In order to resolve this problem, some of the solutions described below can be extremely useful.
How to troubleshoot ‘non system disk’ error or ‘disk error’
Solution 1: Unplug all external devices
As a first step in troubleshooting the ‘Non system disk’ error or ‘disk error’, remove all external devices like USB, external hard drives, CD/DVD from your computer. Then restart your system and check to see if the error is resolved. However, if the error still persists, try the next solution.
Solution 2: Check the SATA/HDD cable
A loose connection with the SATA/IDE cable is also another reason for ‘Non system disk error’ or ‘disk error’. In order to fix this problem, open your computer and make sure that the cable is properly connected. This will help detect the hard drive and hence resolve the error ‘Non system disk error’. You can also replace the cable if necessary. Now check if the error is resolved. If not, proceed to the next step.
Solution 3: Check if the boot sequence is alright
To check if the boot sequence is alright, you will need to enter BIOS. To enter BIOS, restart your computer and as soon as the Windows logo appears, click the ‘F2’ or ‘Del’ key to enter BIOS. (The key to entering BIOS may be different on different PC manufacturers, so you may want to look that up).
Once you enter BIOS, click on the Boot tab to look at the boot order. Make sure that the hard disk drive is at the top of the list. If it’s not, change the boot order and click ‘Save and Exit’ to save the changes and exit BIOS. Then restart your computer and check if the error is resolved. If not, proceed to the next step.
Solution 4: Repair boot sector, MBR and BCD
You may be receiving the ‘Non system disk’ error or ‘disk error’ if the boot sector or MBR is corrupted or damaged. In that case, the issue can be resolved by repairing the MBR and boot sector. To do so, insert a Windows installation disc into your computer and boot from it. Once you boot from the installation media, you will be taken to the home screen with ‘Install Now’ button.
- Then click Repair your Computer at the bottom left corner
- When the System Recovery Options window opens, click on Command Prompt
- In the Command Prompt, type the following commands and click Enter after each of them.
‘bootrec /fixboot’
‘bootrec /fixmbr’
‘bootrec /rebuildbcd’
Once you have performed these steps, the boot sector and MBR will be repaired. Now restart your computer and check to see if the error is resolved. If it isn’t, then you can recover data from the hard drive and reinstall OS to resolve the error.
To recover data from a drive that is showing ‘Non system disk error’ or ‘Disk error’, Remo Recover is a perfect choice. It can recover all data (with original structure and hierarchy) from the drive in a matter of minutes. Not only can the tool access data from inaccessible drives, but also from formatted drives and when the USB shows drive insert disk error. This software is available for a free download, so you can recover data for free! Once you have recovered data from the drive, go ahead and reinstall the OS to resolve the ‘Non system disk’ error.
