Windows XP "Operating System Not Found"

[Mickey79]

Good Day All,

I have been searching everywhere for possible answers to my problem and have tried several solutions with no luck.  I am trying to upgrade my computer with more storage (2 Western Digital HD’s) and am receiving the following error message: "Operating System Not Found” 

I have tried several different setups but I only got them working together briefly once, and that was during setup and installing software.  I have tried loading Windows XP and all the updates and then installing the second drive, I have partitioned the 160 GB drive into two equal partitions I even tried installing the 160 GB drive as the slave.  I have set the jumpers as Master and Slave as well as allowing the cable to select.

Do I need to upgrade my BIOS or is there a driver I need to install?

Dell Dimensions XPS T450

System:
Microsoft Windows XP
Home Edition
Version 2002
Service Pack 3

Computer:
Intel Pentium III processor
448MHz, 768 MB of RAM

BIOS Version & Date:
4S4EB2X0.10A.0011.P03     (A02)     02-04-99

Master:
Western Digital Caviar SE SE WS1600AAJB 160 GB Internal Hard Drive – Bulk IDE Ultra ATA/100 (ATA-6) – 7200 rpm – 8 MB Buffer – 3.5”

Slave:
Western Digital Caviar SE SE WS800AAJB 800 GB Internal Hard Drive – Bulk IDE Ultra ATA/100 (ATA-6) – 7200 rpm – 8 MB Buffer – 3.5”

CD-ROM’s
Master:
LG GH22LP20 22x DVD±RW Super Multi Drive with LightScribe - (Double-layer) - DVD-RAM/±R/±RW - 22x 8x 16x (DVD) - 48x 32x 48x (CD) - EIDE/ATAPI - Internal - Black – Bulk

Slave:
LG GH22LP20 22x DVD±RW Super Multi Drive with LightScribe - (Double-layer) - DVD-RAM/±R/±RW - 22x 8x 16x (DVD) - 48x 32x 48x (CD) - EIDE/ATAPI - Internal - Black – Bulk

[Spoiler]

What I would suggest is to disconnect everything except one hard drive and one DVD drive. Do the install and then add the second drive one its own cable. Keep the second DVD drive out for now.

[Mickey79]

Thank you for your help.  At first I thought it was going to work, Windows loaded but when I checked "My Computer" I couldn't find the "D" drive.  So I guess I am back to were I started from.  Do you have any other suggestions?

[patio]

Double check the cabling and slot assignments...the HDD's should be on IDEO opticals on IDE1


MBoard==================================Master=============Slave.

Also check that the drive jumpers are set properly.
And provide more info about what is on these drives....IE: is there an OS on the D drive also ? ?

Do not connect the other HDD until the Windows install is completely finished as was suggested...

[Mickey79]

I have doubled checked everything and the slot assignments are correct, I even doubled checked the cables to make sure they were correct, IE HDD's were on the HDD cable and CD-Rom's and the IDEO cable.

1) MB===============Master======Slave; jumpers set to Master and Slave - Nothing - same error message
    Nothing happened when I tried to run Windows Recovery Consol, there was no HDD for me to choice from the computer couldn't find either C or D and went from loading the keyboard to the CD-Rom's.

2) MB===============Master======Slave; jumpers set to Cable Select - Nothing - again the same message
    Nothing happened when I tried to run Windows Recovery Consol, there was no HDD for me to choice from the computer couldn't find either C or D and went from loading the keyboard to the CD-Rom's.

3) MB===============Slave======Master; jumpers set to Master and Slave - Nothing - same error message
    Ran Windows Recovery with the fixmbr - Nothing; fixboot - Windows loaded and ran until a Microsoft update and then the problem reappeared!  I tried to run Windows Recovery again and the computer couldn't find "C" drive and wanted me to select "D" drive as the Windows drive needing help.

4) MB===============Slave======Master; jumpers set to Cable Select - Nothing - again the same message
    Nothing happened when I ran Windows Recovery - The computer couldn't find either C or D and went from loading the keyboard to the CD-Rom's.

I waited until everything was installed before I installed the "D" drive and there was nothing on the "D" drive when I first received the error message "Operating System Not Found".  The only thing I haven't tried is using the 160 GB drive as the Slave, I have always tried using it as the Master drive.

There is no operating system on the D drive, games, Norton Backup, Kodak picture files, sound clips, BMP & JPeg's. no Windows files.

[Salmon Trout]

BIOS date 1999! - 12 year old motherboard - cmos battery or hardware (HDD controller) defunct?
 

[BC_Programmer]

BIOS' from 1999 are generally limited by a 37.2GB barrier. What exactly happens when using drives larger then that depends on the system. my older computer simply freezes during boot when I have a drive larger then that installed.