operating system not found.

[Pex]

i get this message when i try to boot up a dell laptop. am i going to have to format?

 

[redbeard1]

What OS? It sounds like the hard drive may have a problem.

 

[Pex]

i think it was xp but he didnt really know. its one of my computer illiteratefriends from college.

 

[alzan]

If you can get into the BIOS, make sure the hard drive is being detected. Also, does your friend have the Dell Recovery CD's?

alzan

 

[LittleAl]

Sounds like a non-system disk may have been left in the floppy drive.

 

[Pex]

na he checked the floppy drive...it was empty.
id have to ask him about the recovery disks...i dont think he even has an xp disk or i would have walked him through a format.

 

[Bassyhead]

could maybe something happened to the MBR? Try using the recovery console to fixmbr.