Microsoft KB Archive/319495

= &quot;Missing Operating System&quot; Error Message When You Restart Windows 2000 Server =

Article ID: 319495

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server

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This article was previously published under Q319495



SYMPTOMS
When you try to start your Microsoft Windows 2000 Server-based computer, you receive the following error message:

Missing Operating System

The startup process does not continue.



CAUSE
The incorrect partition is marked active.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, you must change your computer's active partition. Fdisk.exe is a tool with which you can modify the active partition. You can run Fdisk.exe from a bootable 3.5-inch disk that was created in Microsoft Windows 98.

To change the active partition, follow these steps:

Create a Bootable 3.5-Inch Disk That Contains Fdisk.exe
 On a computer running Windows 98, insert a blank 3.5-inch disk into the disk drive. Click Start, and then click Run. In the Run dialog box, type command, and then click OK. At the command prompt, type:

format a: /s

 Press ENTER two times. When you are prompted to type a volume label, press ENTER.</li> When your are prompted to format another, type n, and then press ENTER.</li> Type the following command to copy the Fdisk.exe file to the 3.5-inch disk:

copy c:\windows\command\fdisk.exe a:

</li> Press ENTER.</li> After the copy is completed, close command prompt.</li></ol>

Change the Active Partition
<ol> Insert the 3.5-inch disk that you created into the disk drive of the Windows 2000 Server-based computer.</li> Start the computer.</li> At the A:\> prompt, type:

fdisk.exe

</li> Press ENTER.</li> Press ENTER to enable large hard disk support.NOTE: You may be prompted to enable large hard disk support on NTFS; if so, press ENTER to continue.

</li> In the Enter choice selection, type 2, and then press ENTER.</li> Type the number of the partition to mark as active, and then press ENTER.</li> Press ESC.</li> Remove the 3.5-inch disk, and then restart the computer.</li></ol>

Keywords: kbprb KB319495

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