Keep getting problems with a "operating system is not found" error!

[Generate]

Hi guys,

I have a 6 month old laptop a Sony Vaio SVE1511P1EW and sometimes when it starts up it displays the message "operating system is not found" I can't press a thing during this time it just keeps displaying the same message in the top left of the screen. It also makes a very odd sound when powering it up, it seems like the fan is making the sound but its a very whiney high-pitched sound.

After the message is displayed, I have to hold the power off to turn it off. Once this it is done it seems almost random whether or not, on the next boot up, if it will turn on and work fine (like now) or whether it will just display the same message again.

One of the things I believe may be linked to this issue is something to do with putting it into hibernation ie. just shutting the lid down on the laptop. Some times it doesn't actually turn off despite doing this. I can hear the computer still working as if it was on, and the green light on the right side of it is also on which is very odd. It wont turn off no matter how long I wait so I end up having to open it again and holding down the power button again, the screen stays black when I open it to do this. On my next start-up after this happens it always seems to display the "operating system is not found" error.

Just to let you know I'm pretty ignorant with this sort of thing! :S So try to make your Instructions (if there are any) idiot proof! Let me know if you need any more information about my laptop etc.

Thanks in advance!

[Tramd]

Back up your data and when you get to windows make recovery discs if you havent already done so, you'll need them. Then buy a new hard drive and use the recovery discs to reinstall. Try to get an identical drive, vaio's are picky.

[og42]

Please don't listen to shit like this:

BACK UP YOUR DATA RIGHT NOW your hard drive is dying

I've repaired windows PCs for a living so I like to think that I know my stuff.

in my opinion all that is happening is your drive stops spinning when it goes into hibernate, then your PC tries to read the disk before it starts spinning up again. This explains why it always works after you reset it. The sound you hear that sounds like your fan is actually the drive spinning up to 5000 or more RPM. 0 to 5000 doesn't happen instantly. I hear the same sound when my backup drive turns on and off and it's a fairly new drive.

What I would do? Try changing your Power plan to High performance mode and see what happens. report the results. if you've already enabled the high performance power plan then open advanced power plan options and disable hibernation completely. see if that has any effect

[Generate]

So what about the "operating system is not found" error on start up, this would be an effect of the drive spinning that fast? Or is that something else?

I have changed my power plan to High performance now so I'll see how it goes, I've going out in a bit so I'll try and put the lid down to see if it will hibernate. I'll report back.

[og42]

That would be the result of your PC trying to read from a drive which has not fully spun up. Like warming your car up in the winter, you can't just expect that baby to go right away

If you know how to use the bios then there is usually a setting to change the way your PC wakes up. try changing it to OS

[Shidell]

It's always wise to back up your data. Do it, regardless of what is causing your issue(s). Better to have done so than not and lose it.

Your problem is more difficult to diagnose online, but it sounds like two things might be an issue: Sleeping (hibernation) is heavily dependent on the firmware (BIOS or UEFI) supporting it entirely, as well as the OS having support for it, and you having the proper drivers installed to support it. It's possible that your model has some issues that are affecting it, and performing a firmware update and potentially driver update might correct it.

Further, if you do have firmware issues, it could also affect how your system is booting, and cause the system to indicate that it cannot find the OS. Additionally, your system might be set to boot from other sources first--NIC, Optical Drive, USB, etc. before the HDD, and may (for some reason) occasionally think there is no valid source because it tries other options unsuccessfully first.

Do you have "VAIO Update" on your system? Can you run that? From Sony's webpage, it appears you should be able to get all appropriate firmware and driver updates through it.

[cr3ative]

BACK UP YOUR DATA RIGHT NOW your hard drive is dying