PC refuses to boot without secondary drive connected

[Thomas5020]

My secondary drive is dying, and I need to take it out. I disconnected it and connected another drive. The PC then refuses to boot, says

>>Checking Media Presense.......

>>Media Present...... 

>>Start PXE over IPv4

Windows 10 is installed on the main drive, an SSD. When I disconnect the secondary drive, it cannot see the hard drive at all in the BIOS and eventually goes on to say it cant detect a boot drive. When I reconnect the secondary drive, the PC boots fine. If I connect a different hard drive, and leave the SSD in it still doesn't boot. Only the original hard drive makes it boot when connected. 

It may be worth noting that the HDD used to be the main drive, but I wiped it and installed Windows 10 on the SSD I bought, so the hard drive is still connected to the same SATA connection on the motherboard. The SSD is also completely healthy, so that's not an issue here. 

Any help would be appreciated 

[CF4 · Accepted solution]

Hi

It needs to be the PRIMARY device. SATA 0

Perhaps use an install DVD/USB

and with the HDD out, but the SSD in Primary Position try something like

From either the C:\ or the X:\ prompt try the following

cd boot
bootrec /FixMBR
bootrec /FixBoot
bootrec /RebuildBCD

[Thomas5020]

Would this require me to physically swap SATA connections on the board? I'd been planning on reinstalling windows soon anyway, so can I just do everything in the installer for that? 

I'll make sure to competely disconnect the secondary HDD when reinstalling 

[CF4]

Hi

On the board or just cross over the cables.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

is what I use.

[Thomas5020]

Alright thanks for the help, I'll download that now, and if everything works then I'll mark that as the solution 🙂

[CF4]

Prego.