No Fixed Disk Present

The fixed disk is your computer's hard drive, and this is where the Operating System is stored. If you receive this error, it is because the BIOS could not locate a hard drive that can launch an Operating System. Your PC may report this error for several reasons. These include improper cable or jumper configuration, incorrect CMOS settings or you may be trying to boot to a hard drive that has failed.

For new builds, you'll want to make sure the IDE or SATA cable is connected properly, and if using an IDE drive (flat ribbon cable) you'll want to make sure the jumper on the rear of the drive is configured properly. Generally, a jumper on the primary drive will be set to Master and the ribbon cable will be connected to the IDE 0 port on the motherboard. Most cables will be keyed, but if your's isn't, the red or dashed line on the cable represents pin 1 and is attached closest to the power connection on the hard drive. Pin 1 will be designated in small white type on the motherboard. If you have a CD or DVD drive on the same IDE cable then that drive would have its jumper set to Slave.

New builds will also want to make sure the BIOS is setup properly. Once you get into the BIOS setup, make sure the Primary Master is set to Auto Detect the drive. The hard drive should be reporting under the Primary Master. If not, there is a problem with the connection, the jumper or the drive itself.

If you have been running this system for a while and suddenly boot up to a black screen that says No Fixed Disk Present, you can try going inside the case to make sure the cables are connected. Once cables are connected, unless the PC is moved, the cables usually stay connected forever. If the cables are connected properly, you can try disconnecting the power from the drive and swap it with an spare 4-pin power supply connection. If this still does not fix the problem, it's quite likely the hard drive itself has died.

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