Hello, I made a mess from the boot and I clearly need some help. I installed server 2008 over a previous vista installation. When I got to <where to install> part I formatted c: to get rid of vista and installed over. I forgot that vista doesn't go away that easy, so after I finished the installation and restarted the comp I found that I have to choose between "Previous Windows Installation" and Windows Server 2008. After I searched the web to find a way to remove the "Previous Windows Installation" I found a program (can't remember right now the name but if need I can search for it again) that said that can configure the boot menu and stuff like that. Run, find "Previous Windows Installation" delete entry, restart. Disk boot failure.please insert system disk and press enter. My installation was clean, I didn't have anything to recuperate from c: so I thought that what created the problem can solve it. Reinstall WServer2008 and it will fix it. Well, not really. It works but only if I have the installation dvd in the drive. Otherwise I get Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press enter. Please help. Thank you.
Have you tried to delete the partition as opposed to just formatting it? This should then show the partition as unallocated space, install directly to the unallocated space, windows will take care of the formatting.
Yes. Sorry, I forgot to mention it. When I tried to reinstall WServer2008 the second time instead just formatting the partition (the hdd has only one btw) I deleted the old partition and made a new one. I didn't try tho to install it without making a new partition on the unnalocated space and I don't quite want to reinstall it from scratch just to try it that way because right now I have finished installing all the programs that I usually need.
and There is no text in boot.ini because there is no boot.ini. WServer 2008 doesn't use boot.ini anymore.
Oops Guess it helps to read posts after the coffee has its chance to wake up the little gray cells. Monk
@Monk - np.I get that too; that's how i got in this mess in the first place. Actually it's not the first time when something like that happens to me. I've should've known better and uninstall Vista first. @Colinr - I think it's just missing. Thank you for imagex. I came today at work fixated on saving an image before tempering further with the mbr. I'm going to try it as soon as it downloads. @ZaForD - EasyBCD might be the program that I used the first time to modify the mbr. I'll make a image first this time.
Probably too late for a reply now. but have you tried booting with an xp disk and on the command prompt type: fdisk /mbr this usually fixes the master boot record.
turns out that it wasn't the mbr after all ... something messed up the boot sequence settings in the bios or something ... i re-set it too boot from the proper hdd and it was ok ...