it is about 5 in 10 times, when I start my pc it does not boot. and shows a message on screen as follows:
Boot Failure
Insert Boot Diskette in A:
Press any key when ready.

what to do?? I have inserted a bootable startup disk even but nothing happened.
i have also even formatted my pc. i have windows xp installed.
Please help me out. Why does it happen?

i'll be very thankful.

maybe ur hard drive is failing?? try puttin in another hdd, install xp on it and see how it goes.

Hi Coollifeinindia

when you say 5 in 10 times, means something else to me. other than your Hard drive.

I would say it's your Power Supply failing, Not your Hard Drive.
Because, if it was your Hard Drive, then it would be all the time, and you would have had to Reload the Windows several times.

I know it can be hard to diagnose this problem, so, I would recommend the following to properly diagnose.

1) Re-Install Windows, BUT this time, Delete all Partitions, and installed into the remaining unpartitioned space available. (IF YOU have a RecoverY CD do not do this)
This will erase the Boot sector and rewrite the MBR fixing any Boot secort errors.

2) Update the Firmware of your Motherboard.
This will ensure power Management to ob-board IDE controlers are managed correctly.
by the way did you install a NEW Hard Drive?

3) Install a NEW Power Supply over 430 watts.

Now tell me what happens.
If you can, please list ALL COMPONENTS in your PC, and how Many Watt Power Supply you have at the moment?

Look forward to your reply.
Take Care
DN

may be changing your 1st boot device to harddisk will do.

I had this problem some time back, but that was due to a virus attack. I just booted my computer from a Win 98 SE boot disk. Copied all contents of the boot disk to C:\Windows and C:\Windows\System folders. The computer started properly. I was lucky I guess.

This might be a problem with wrong Boot records. Fully Format your HD and reinstall windows. After installing Put in the OS CD and go to recovery console. There type the command, fixboot and then fixmbr . Reboot to see if this works.

guys,., it is not even booting from bootable disk...

so either the boot sequence in mother board needs to be changed / fixed... it should be CD/DVD followed by HDD ... if ur hdd is before ur cd then it will always look for MBR (master boot record) in hdd,. and in ur case it is corrupt,.,. so change order,., insert bootable disk.,.,

if that doesnt work.,. check for virus in bios of ur mother board.. or as suggested earlier.,. diagnose for power supply failure...

hope it helps...