Computer won't boot to an operating system

[halfdemon1122]

So I randomly turn my computer on today, and at first the fans were just running at max speed and wouldn't boot or slow down. So then I unplugged one of my 2 harddrives, also the one that has 64bit debian on it. After I did that it started to boot up as it normally would, except it came to a screen that said "GRUB loading... No disk found." with a grub promt after that. I unplugged the drive with debian on it again and tried to boot to my windows boot, and still the same thing to me. So then I put a ubuntu live CD into my computer to see if I could get into the windows hdd at all. When I tried that, I got a mount error. If i tried to install ubuntu onto the debian drive (since debian isn't booting either) it wont boot either

I tried rolling back windows with my windows installation CD, to no result. I really don't want to wipe my drive, and dont even know if itd work. I don't even know where to start.

Also I posted it in this forum because at this point I figure its a hardware problem. Just if i need to replace something I'd like to know which

[dahlarbear]

I tried rolling back windows with my windows installation CD, to no result. I really don't want to wipe my drive, and dont even know if itd work. I don't even know where to start.

1.  Which Windows operating system?

2.  Maybe you could use the Windows installation CD to troubleshoot and/or fix the problem.
     a.  What version and service pack level is the installation CD at?
     b.  What version and service pack level is your system at?
     c.  Is this an OEM, Retail Upgrade, Retail Full CD, or something else?

[halfdemon1122]

1.  Which Windows operating system?

2.  Maybe you could use the Windows installation CD to troubleshoot and/or fix the problem.
     a.  What version and service pack level is the installation CD at?
     b.  What version and service pack level is your system at?
     c.  Is this an OEM, Retail Upgrade, Retail Full CD, or something else?

1. Its windows vista

2. The cd is at service pack 1, the hdd is at service pack 2, and its a retail upgrade

[patio]

You had a dual-boot setup and removed 1 of the drive/partitions...this is why it won't boot.

See Here...

Or Here

A full version Vista DVD would be preferable....if you can borrow 1.
I doubt this works with an upgrade DVD but don't quote me on that as i have never tested it myself...

[halfdemon1122]

This will not work if you have SP1 and SP2 installed unless your Vista installation DVD includes SP2.

EDIT: Also when I tried to install ubuntu and hit install (after choosingthe right options) it just didn't do anything. Nothing at all.

And when I tried to boot to the debian drive alone, I got a disk error

[patio]

More info on exactly how this is setup including a description of the physical drives an partitions and where the OS's are at...

[halfdemon1122]

More info on exactly how this is setup including a description of the physical drives an partitions and where the OS's are at...

Windows vista is on a 320gb SATA drive, and debian is on an 40GB IDE drive. what else do you need? I dont know the motherboard offhand but I can get you the information if you needit

BIOS also sees both of the harddrives

[patio]

Gotcha...
This is fixable depending on what your goals are...
The Vista install can be rescued as is...not so sure about the Debian...
Let us know...

[halfdemon1122]

I dont care one bit about the debian. The problem I seem to be having is that GRUB is loaded onto both harddrives, and when the debian drive is out then windows still tries to boot to GRUB. Removing GRUB from the windows might work, but I have no idea

EDIT: Fixed the problem with this: http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/96509133/m/254009228831

[patio]

GRUB will always load no matter what drive setup you have once it's installed...period.
It's one of it's fatal flaws.