# an operating system wasnt found.



## foxygrandma35 (Apr 8, 2013)

When my usb drives are connected and I reboot I get this message: an operating system wasnt found. Try disconnecting any drives that dont contain an operating system. Press any key to restart. I press enter and it goes to the desktop okay. If I disconnect the usb drives and reboot, it goes right to the desktop. I realize I could unplug the usb drives but would Iike laptop to work right. This started about a month ago when I had left the laptop at a computer repair shop, but they did not know how to fix it and I do not either. would any of yall know? Thank you very much! Anna Ruth


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## dustyjay (Jan 24, 2003)

Make sure your boot order is set to CD and HDD before USB.


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## dustyjay (Jan 24, 2003)

You would set your Boot Order in BIOS settings.


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## foxygrandma35 (Apr 8, 2013)

could not find the thread that appeared in my email. I did see this: You would set your Boot Order in BIOS settings.


So how do I get to Bios settings? Do I push an F key? Had tried F5 and did not understand it and also pushed F10 not understanding it. My 80-year old body finds it difficult to navigate this site.


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

I've merged them together. In the future, just click on quick links at the top, then click on 'subscribed threads'.

thanks, 

v


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## foxygrandma35 (Apr 8, 2013)

Thanks. Will try to remember. Very tired now


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

foxygrandma35 said:


> ......._ When my usb drives are connected and I reboot I get this message: an operating system wasnt found_........ Anna Ruth


Isn't that just a little odd....  ...... most of the computers that I work with have USB drives plugged in on an almost permanent basis and I have never seen this message at the time of a Cold Boot or a Restart.

The only situation that I am aware of that will generate this error message is if the USB drive was configured as an Emergency Boot Disk and the OS on the USB-EBD is corrupt. The expectation will be that the USB-EBD will start the system and when it is incapable of doing that Windows will default to the HDD and generate an error message.

T.


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## foxygrandma35 (Apr 8, 2013)

Tabvla said:


> Isn't that just a little odd....  ...... most of the computers that I work with have USB drives plugged in on an almost permanent basis and I have never seen this message at the time of a Cold Boot or a Restart.
> 
> The only situation that I am aware of that will generate this error message is if the USB drive was configured as an Emergency Boot Disk and the OS on the USB-EBD is corrupt. The expectation will be that the USB-EBD will start the system and when it is incapable of doing that Windows will default to the HDD and generate an error message.
> 
> T.


Thank you. Is there an F key I can press that would say boot from Hard Disk or hard drive? Strange that the computer repair where I took it for another problem and this problem started said they did not know how to fix it.


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## foxygrandma35 (Apr 8, 2013)

valis said:


> I've merged them together. In the future, just click on quick links at the top, then click on 'subscribed threads'.
> 
> thanks,
> 
> v


thanks nuch


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## foxygrandma35 (Apr 8, 2013)

foxygrandma35 said:


> Thank you. Is there an F key I can press that would say boot from Hard Disk or hard drive? Strange that the computer repair where I took it for another problem and this problem started said they did not know how to fix it.


Without my usbs connected, I tapped F12 and got to Boot Menu, Chose HDD/SSD, pressed Enter, restarted and got same message that operating system not found, pressed Enter and got to my desktop. Then I connected the usbs, restarted and tapped F12 and got to Boot Menu, Chose HDD/SSD pressed Enter and still getting operating system not found, pressed Enter and got to my desktop. Not sure what to do now.


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## davehc (Oct 4, 2006)

As I said in the cross thread. You must enter the bios and change the order of first boot option.You are* not *entering the bios, only a temporary start menu, so your first boot option is not being saved.


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

davehc said:


> As I said in the cross thread. You must enter the bios and change the order of first boot option.You are* not *entering the bios, only a temporary start menu, so your first boot option is not being saved.


Dave, in W8.1 is it necessary to change the Boot order in the BIOS (or possibly UEFI)..?

On this test machine I have a bootable USB created with the W8.1 Emergency System Recovery utility. If I shutdown, plug in the USB and start, the system automatically boots from the USB without me having to make any changes to the BIOS/UEFI. If I unplug the USB and start, the system automatically boots from the HDD.

If the computer is an OEM machine (as most are) then it will almost certainly have been delivered with UEFI rather than the old 16-bit restricted BIOS.

T.


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## davehc (Oct 4, 2006)

Not sure on that one, Tabvla. But, of course, if you have the USB as you first boot option, and the hdd second, then what you are experiencing, has always been the case,assuming you have a boot configuration on both devices..

But the OPs problem is a little different from your config.


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

Thanks Dave.... hmmmm .... interesting. I have been under the impression that all the pain of setting boot sequence was a thing of the past and that machines with the UEFI firmware had overcome this annoyance.

If the OP has UEFI rather than BIOS then one of the "features" of UEFI with W8.1 is that you can set the system to Boot into the UEFI from within Windows on the next Restart.

Many well-specified W8.1 computers start very quickly and it is a challenge of the fingers to get to whatever key needs to be pressed to enter the UEFI. If a system is able to Boot and the User is able to login as an Administrator then the easiest way to enter the UEFI is by setting the system to Boot into the UEFI on the next Restart.

T.


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