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Insert system disk and press enter. Fixing the DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK error and why it appears

The error Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press Enter can appear for every PC user and indicate that the hard drive is damaged and needs to be replaced.

However this message does not mean that the hard drive is completely unusable. You can try to correct any mistake. How to do this in in this case?

Causes of the error and methods for solving it

The first reason why this problem may occur is a problem with the drive and the presence of a floppy disk. Despite the fact that many people no longer use these drives, failure of the devices can affect the system. Therefore, it is worth opening the lid system unit and disconnect all the drive cables from the motherboard.

Then we boot up to check. If this method does not work, move on to the second.

The second reason is USB settings. Sometimes the BIOS does not see the boot entries on the flash drive and may throw an error. If you made changes to the BIOS, it's worth putting everything back.

The fourth reason is boot priority in the BIOS. In order for the hard drive to be displayed and the system to boot, the hard drive must be a priority. To do this, you need to turn off the PC with the power button and turn it back on by pressing F2 and Del. Select from the list Advanced BIOS Features.

Next, swap the boot devices. We set the hard drive or Hard Disc first, CD/DVD second. The last option is used only when reinstalling Windows or when restoring the system. Only in these cases is it given priority. After selecting, press Enter.

Returns to main page. Press F10. A new window will appear asking you to save your changes. Use the arrows to select Y.

The PC will reboot and login will begin.

Hello! A few days ago they brought me a system unit. They said it won't start. I thought I would just transfer Windows there, but that was not the case, it turned out to be much more serious, but it’s too early to talk about that :). Today I want to tell you about the error DISC BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER, which can appear at any time and it is not clear why. This is exactly the error I encountered on that computer. I even took a photo of her, she looks like this:

I'll tell you in order. So I connected this system unit, launched it and am waiting for a miracle :) well, when some error pops up, because something is bound to happen anyway.

A message appeared stating that loading is not possible because there is no Floppy drive, etc. The battery that stores the CMOS memory and boot order simply ran out before complete happiness. Floppy was enabled in the BIOS, but physically disabled. But it is not important. I pressed F1, it seemed like a check and then the error DISC BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER.

Yeah, I've never encountered such an error before. But in principle, it is already clear that it says that there is no boot disk.

I rebooted the computer, disconnected that drive (Drive a), set the boot order with HDD in first place and tried to turn on the computer again. But I got this error again.

And then, after about the tenth reboot, one thing caught my eye: when the computer is being tested (POST), the hard drive is not visible in the test results. Like this? And like this:

You see, only one CD/DVD drive is detected, which is connected via IDE, and HDD which was connected via SATA was not detected by the computer. This means the cause of the error (in my case) has been determined; it is a problem with the hard drive.

I went into the BIOS and it wasn't there either.

Everything is clear, you need to check the hard one. Well, for starters, I just unplugged it and plugged it into another SATA connector. But the hard one was not detected by the computer, and I again saw the error. Then I decided not to play around and checked it on another computer. I connected it on another computer, via a different SATA cable, but the hard drive was not detected there either. That's it.

It means it’s just not working, I don’t know what happened to it, but it clearly needs to be replaced. That's what I told the owner of this computer.

This was the reason for this error in my case. But this does not mean that you also have serious problems with the HDD.

Other causes of the “DISC BOOT FAILURE, INSERT...” error

Let's look at a few more popular reasons why this error may appear, and of course, ways to get rid of it.

1. Check to see if there are any flash drives connected to the computer and if there is a disc in the CD/DVD drive. By the way, I had an interesting case a long time ago. They brought the computer, too, and it won’t start. I started watching it, some error appears (I don’t remember exactly which one). I look, and there’s some kind of disk in the drive. I pulled it out and the computer started up normally. That's how we repair it :).

2. If the battery that stores the CMOS memory runs out, this means that after turning off the computer from the outlet, the BIOS settings will be reset. And of course the computer boot order will be reset. Be sure to replace the battery. Read more in the article.

3. Disconnect the floppy drive. This can be done in the BIOS (read about how to enter BIOS ) .

4. Go into the BIOS and check the system boot order. Install the hard drive in first place. I wrote more about this in the article. Also check if your hard drive is recognized by the computer (I had this problem, if you missed it, read the article first).

5. Check all cables connecting the hard drive and CD/DVD drive. Perhaps something just moved away.

7. If your HDD and drive are connected via IDE, then look at the information on the MASTER and SLAVE jumpers - there may be a problem with them.

That's all, if you have other ways to solve this error, then you can share them in the comments - I will be grateful! Best wishes!

Also on the site:

DISC BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER error [reasons and solution] updated: August 21, 2013 by: admin

Have you decided to work with your computer, turned it on, made yourself comfortable, but instead of a greeting you saw “DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK” on the screen? This message means that the PC cannot load data from the system disk. If this error is not related to a broken hard drive, it can be fixed. But sometimes it occurs due to a hardware fault. In this case, it is better to entrust computer repair to professionals.

“DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK” translates as “The boot disk is missing, insert system disk" That is, the PC does not recognize the drive on which the OS is located. First you need to understand why this error occurred. And then figure out what to do with it. The problem may appear if:

  • The loading order is broken. The PC is trying to “find” the operating system where it is not there.
  • BIOS does not recognize the hard drive.
  • The OS boot partition is damaged.
  • The hard drive is not connected correctly.
  • The hard drive is faulty.
  • The motherboard is faulty.

How to fix?

Before you do anything, remove all disks, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, flash drives and external HDDs. Leave only the drive on which the OS is installed. And try restarting your computer. If that doesn't work, unplug your CD and floppy drives. To do this, carefully disconnect their cables from the motherboard. And try starting your PC again. If after this the “DISK BOOT FAILURE” error disappears, it means that the BIOS settings are incorrect. The computer “looks” for OS files in the wrong places.

BIOS setup

BIOS or " Basic system I/O" is activated when the PC is turned on. It controls the loading process. It indicates from which media the OS will be launched. And if you select a drive that does not have system files, an error will appear. Here's what you need to do to configure the BIOS:

  1. Immediately after turning on the computer, press Delete, F1, F2, F11 or Esc. The key depends on the motherboard model. When you start the PC, a message will appear at the bottom of the display indicating which button is needed. The message will look something like “Press [key] to enter setup.”
  2. Displayed BIOS menu. You can “navigate” through it using the arrows on the keyboard, open sections with the Enter button, and return to the previous menu with the Esc button. The bottom of the monitor should indicate the keys needed to interact with the GUI in the menu.
  3. Go to the "Boot" tab and enter " Boot Device Priority". This is "boot priority".
  4. The hard drive should come first. It is usually designated as HDD, SDD or Hard Drive. If operating system is on another medium, make it first.
  5. Return to the main menu, go to "Exit" and select "Exit Saving Changes". Or press F10.
  6. Try restarting your computer.

If you made any changes to the system or overclocked your PC, this could affect the BIOS. To return the settings to their defaults, in the Exit section, select Load Setup Defaults. The settings will be reset.

Hardware setup

If the BIOS does not detect the hard drive and even after setting it gives the “DISK BOOT FAILURE” error, what should you do in this case? Most likely, the problem is with the hard drive itself or with its connection. Or the motherboard has failed. The power supply may also be faulty.

In this situation, you will have to remove the cover from the system unit and fix the problem yourself. If you do not understand the internal structure of a computer and do not know where to connect this or that device, it is better to contact service center. Although on motherboard All slots are different sizes. It is impossible to attach an unsuitable part to them.

Before you do anything, turn off your PC. Don't just finish the job, but remove the plug from the socket.

It makes sense to find out what condition the hard drive is in. Connect it to another computer (if possible), check whether the BIOS “sees” it and whether the OS boots from it. If it works, then the drive is working. Save your personal information just in case.

To resolve the "DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK" error, try the following:

  • Disconnect the hard drive cable from the motherboard and connect it again.
  • Connect it to another SATA connector.
  • Pull out the CMOS memory power supply (looks like a coin cell battery), wait about 30 minutes and put it back in place.
  • Move the Clear_CMOS jumper (located on the motherboard, may have another name - CLRTC, Clear_RTC, CCMOS) from pins 1–2 to pins 2–3. Wait 20 seconds and return everything as it was.

After each step, check whether the hard drive is visible in the BIOS. To do this, the computer must be turned on. But for any manipulations inside the system unit, the PC must be de-energized.

If the malfunction occurs due to the power supply, it must be replaced. When it runs out of charge, it negatively affects the operation of the computer - other errors may occur.

System Restore

Another cause of the problem is damage to the boot sector of the hard drive. This means that the part of the hard drive on which information important for the OS is located is inaccessible. In such a case, you need to restore system data. They will be written to good sectors.

You need installation CD or another drive with an OS (an example with Windows will be considered). If you don't have it, you won't be able to reinstall the files. Since there will be nowhere to take them from.

  1. In the BIOS, set the priority so that the system starts from the boot disk.
  2. Insert the OS drive into the desired drive.
  3. Once enabled, you can select the “System Restore” option.
  4. Click "Startup Repair" and confirm the action. The OS itself will find problems and automatically solve them.
  5. If it doesn't help, run it again boot disk. Just now select “Command Prompt”.
  6. A window will open with a black background and white text. Type “Bootrec.exe /FixMbr” without quotes and press Enter. The customizer will reanimate the main boot records.
  7. You can also enter the command “Bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd”. All hard drives will be scanned for the presence of the OS.

If none of the above methods helped, it means that the hard drive is broken, or the motherboard or power supply has become unusable. The problem may also be a poor-quality cable or connection slot. It is quite difficult to repair them on your own. This requires professional knowledge and skills. It is better to entrust the repair to specialists. Or buy new parts.

This problem often appears if the boot order is changed or the BIOS is not configured correctly. In this case, you can fix the problem yourself. If the problem arose due to a hardware problem, it will not be so easy to solve.

Quite often, we get questions about an error called “Disk Boot Failure” from our users. In addition, many users have detected a loss of files in their computers. In this article, we will look at the main causes of the error “Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press Enter”, and the solutions.

When you turn on your computer, the BIOS runs first, and then the operating system starts booting. If the BIOS cannot find the disk to boot from, you will certainly see the error message “Disk Boot Failure” in the screen. In addition, the boot process will be canceled and, as a result, you will not be able to access your data. If you want to fix this problem, you need to find out why it happens. Let’s look at a few basic reasons and, accordingly, the methods to eliminate them.

If the hard disk or partition is damaged, you will see a “Disk Boot Failure” error, because the operating system will not be able to boot.

The solution: in this case, you’d better replace the drive and reinstall the Windows operating system immediately.


Perhaps you have just installed a new hard disk into your computer. But when you try to start Windows, you still see the “Disk Boot Failure” message. In this case, the new hard disk is likely to be configured incorrectly.

The solution: after installing a new HDD, you need to insert the installation disc and restart the computer.


3. The hard disk is not connected correctly

In addition to incorrect configuration, your hard drive will not be able to communicate properly with your computer if it is not connected properly, and it will also lead to the “Disk Boot Failure” error.

The solution: in this case, you can turn off the computer, and then check the connection between the hard drive and the motherboard. After making sure that everything is correct, you can try starting Windows again.

4. Software settings conflicts

In addition, sometimes after installing any third-party software and restarting the computer you can also get this error. In this case, there is a great chance that the software conflicts with your operating system.

The solution: in such situations, the only way is to use a system recovery disc or simply reinstall your operating system. However, you may experience data loss in the process.


5. Boot Sector Viruses

Usually most viruses can only damage files on the hard drive, but there are some viruses that can damage the boot sector of the drive. If the boot sector is infected, the hard disk will certainly not be able to boot.

The solution: this situation is rather complicated. Removing viruses from the hard drive will cause a lot of problems in the BIOS settings andWindows system. It is quite difficult. Therefore, you must take daily precautions. For example, it’s easy to install a reliable anti-virus program and update it regularly.

6. Incorrect BIOS boot sequence

The BIOS is a program that works to find a bootable hard disk based on its boot order of devices when the computer starts. Therefore, if the BIOS boot sequence is incorrect, it cannot find a boot disk.

The solution: in this case, you can change the boot order in the BIOS. When you restart your PC, open the BIOS and go to the “Boot” tab. Then change the boot sequence so that the internal hard drive is the first boot option. Save the settings and restart your computer.


7. A Windows Failure

In addition, the failure to boot disk can also be caused by Windows system failures, such as damage to system files.

The solution: as in the above case, you must reinstall the Windows operating system.


We listed the main causes of the error “Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press Enter”. As we wrote earlier, this error is very often accompanied by loss of files. In case of a similar situation, we recommend using the data recovery software. For example, Magic Partition Recovery. This utility for file recovery includes various advanced algorithms that allow the program to return deleted files and folders that other recovery products do not even recognize.

In this article we will look at the main reasons for the error. "Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press Enter" when you turn on the computer, as well as the main methods for solving this problem.

First, let's remember how the computer boots. When you turn on your computer, the BIOS (or UEFI) starts first, and only then the operating system starts loading. If the BIOS cannot find a boot disk with a boot record, you will definitely see a “Disk Boot Failure” error message on the screen. This interrupts the download process.

Thus, this inscription means that the BIOS cannot start the boot procedure from devices accessible to it (HDD / SSD, CD / DVD or USB disk ov). This error does not always mean that your hard drive is faulty. Before taking your computer and drive in for repair, try diagnosing and fixing the problem yourself. Fortunately, it is not difficult and does not require engineering training.

Let's look at several main reasons why the computer may not see the boot disk.

First of all, try to remember if you installed new devices in your computer and if you changed the BIOS settings before this error appeared. If you made changes to the system configuration, try to return the computer to its original state.

Forgotten USB drive or CD/DVD drive

If your computer is quite old and equipped floppy drive, check whether a floppy disk is inserted into it. The same applies to CD/DVD discs and external USB disks or flash drives. If there are no boot entries on them and you select USB as the first boot device in the BIOS / UEFI, then when you turn on the computer you will receive a Disk Boot Failure error.

Try physically disconnecting all external storage devices from your computer or laptop and rebooting the computer.

Device boot order in BIOS

If the CMOS battery on your computer runs out, then after turning off the computer, the BIOS settings are not saved and are reset to default values. Open BIOS settings and check the selection order boot devices at start. Make sure your hard drive is selected as the first boot device. If the boot order is incorrect BIOS devices cannot transfer control to the bootloader to begin loading the operating system.

In the screenshot below you can see that Removable Devices is used as the first boot device. USB flash drives, disks, SD cards), if they are missing, boot from the hard drive. Try moving Hard Drive higher in the list. As a rule, the names of the keys for changing the boot order are present on the BIOS panels. In PhoenixBIOS these are the “+” and “-” keys.

If you have recently connected new disk, make sure that the old disk (on which the operating system is installed) is higher in the list of boot devices (you can temporarily disconnect the new disk and check if the computer boots without it).

Check if the hard drive is detected in the BIOS

Check if your hard drive is recognized in the BIOS/UEFI (when booting your computer, click Del button, F1, F2 or another button that goes to the BIOS settings). If you don't see your hard drive in the hardware list, try resetting the BIOS settings to default (Reset to Default Settings) and see if the hard drive is detected after a reboot.

In some computers whose chipset controller supports IDE/SATA devices in BIOS settings you can set the operating mode hard drives. If you select the wrong disk operating mode, the BIOS will not see it.

IN BIOS Award the option that determines the disk operating mode is called On-Chip Serial ATA . Switch it to mode Enhanced Mode, Combined Mode or Auto.

If these steps do not fix the problem, turn off the computer's power and open the cover of your system unit. It is advisable to check the reliability of the connection, as well as the absence of damage to the cable that connects your hard drive to the motherboard, as well as the power cable (for IDE drives). Try connecting the drive through a different cable. On old IDEs drives, it makes sense to check the status of the Master and Slave jumpers.

Turn on your computer. If the disk is not detected even after this, it is most likely faulty. Test it on another computer; if it doesn’t work there either, take it to a service center. It will be difficult to fix the disk problem yourself.