No bootable device - SATA controller dead?

[mazraen]

A couple nights ago, the computer worked fine, the next morning, it doesn't boot. first it says something about no partition, then next time it boots it goes to no bootable device screen.

I stuck the drive into another computer (not as the boot drive) and then the "no bootable device" mesage popped up on that computer, too. I took the harddrive out, and it was still saying no bootable device, so I set the MB back to defaults. Eventually I got that computer to load up with the harddrive from the other computer inside and repair the partition. but when I put it back in the other computer, the same message kept coming up (even after resetting BIOS to default). I am guessing the SATA controller on the motherboard is toast.

I also tried using different cables.

I need help finding a SATA controller that lets me do the following:

1. Put the card in the computer
2. Connect Harddrive and DVD-R
3. Turn PC on
4. Boots to that harddrive

I do not want it to Delete the harddrive before use or have to install the card in windows first

I have been looking for the past hour trying to find a card that does that. and there are RAID SATA controller cards, but they talk about deleting the harddrive when you set the drive up initially in the BIOS.

oh, and I have PCI and PCI-X slots available.

here are some cards I was looking at:
http://www.vantecusa.com/en/product/view_detail/388
http://www.sybausa.com/productInfo.php?iid=729


The harddrive has windows 7 - 64 bit (NFTS)

motherboard is Asus P5N-D (socket 775/nforce 750i)
harddrive is samsung spinpoint f3 1TB

I'm not trying to install a new harddrive or operating system. I am trying to get the current harddrive that was working in the computer to work again.

hopefully what i'm looking for can be done. Help would be awesome and greatly appreciated.

thank you!

 

[o1die]

If your board came with the achi option for sata, then check the bios and see if that setting has changed. Sometimes the board will default to the stock settings for no apparant reason.

 

[mazraen]

Not that I could see from going through all the options.

Also, I should add that the motherboard sees the harddrive in the BIOS and at boot


checked with an internet search - no achi support


also, DVD-R locks up when it tries to read and the eject button will then not work.

 

[mazraen]

Used these two links: How to use Bootrec and microsoft forum post

and thanks to lots of help from the guys at the Maximum PC forums, the problem has been SOLVED.

I had to use DISKPART in windows RE cmd prompt to make the boot drive active

LIST DISK

SELECT DISK (followed by the number of the disk . most likely 0)

LIST PARTITION

SELECT PARTITION (followed by your partition number. most likely 1)

ACTIVE

EXIT

then, I had to use Bcdboot C:\windows in the RE command prompt to remake the boot folder

then I had to follow:
bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd
bootrec /fixMBR
bootrec /fixBoot

How it this all happened, I have NO idea.