Trying to fix MBR Error 1

[geomem]

Hi

I bought DiskPatch to try and fix a continuous MBR Error 1 on my XP Pro SP3 system when re-starting. It would only re-start if the XP PRo (SP2) CD was in the CD drive (it didn't launch Win setup).

I cloned the system and used that to try DiskPatch (used Partition Table Repair and update MBR code). However, any and all attempts to fix/replace the MBR resulted in the same MBR Error 1 (unless I inserted the XP Pro install CD in the drive).

In case anyone is wondering - I have tried using Recovery Console - but although I have a perfectly valid Admin login the Recovery Console does not recognise it and shows the Invalid Password (which it isn't) message.
So DiskPatch was the last hope before re-installing Win XP to try and clean the system of this error..

Can anyone at DIT DataRecovery suggest why DiskPatch cannot kick this error out of the system - is there something other than a corrupted MBR that generates it (e.g. failure in BIOS?)

Any help gratefully received as I am at my wits end trying to solve this....

[geomem]

OOPS !

IGNORE!  It was the BIOS set-up - boot from CD first rather than Hard Drive.

Of course a meaningful message like "MBR Error 1"  is much better than the obscure and frankly confusing message: Computer trying to boot from the CD drive but there is no CD in it.

Ah well, we live and learn