XP-home unable to start 'NTLDR directory is compressed..'!!??

[Guest]

The machine is question is an HP based machine: after some-unknown error previously, and a reboot the machine now hangs with the following
"NTLDR directory is compresse
Press <Ctl-Alt> delete to restart

and thats all folks! any form of restart simply reverts to the same.... the (uughh) HP side of this is that there is no option to boot to NT command, start in safe mode, or even get to sys restore... only to start an HP recovery....
this was attempted (non-destructive), but to no avail.... not my machine, and no, there was no emergency start up disk made.....

Can I start with my pure XP- boot, and get to the NT command or sys.recovery? and if so (on either) what can I do to free up the NTLDR system file

JNB

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

ntldr is compressed
http://www.tek-tips.com/gviewthread.cfm/lev2/67/lev3/70/pid/779/qid/751290

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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"jonbme" (e-mail address removed) wrote in message:

| The machine is question is an HP based machine: after some-unknown error previously, and a reboot the
machine now hangs with the following:
| "NTLDR directory is compressed
| Press <Ctl-Alt> delete to restart"
|
| and thats all folks! any form of restart simply reverts to the same.... the (uughh) HP side of this is that
there is no option to boot to NT command, start in safe mode, or even get to sys restore... only to start an
HP recovery....
| this was attempted (non-destructive), but to no avail.... not my machine, and no, there was no emergency
start up disk made......
|
| Can I start with my pure XP- boot, and get to the NT command or sys.recovery? and if so (on either) what can
I do to free up the NTLDR system file?
|
| JNB

 

[cquirke (MVP Win9x)]

The machine is question is an HP based machine: after some-unknown error previously,
and a reboot the machine now hangs with the following:
"NTLDR directory is compressed

Directory? C:\NTLDR is the code file that is to NT what IO.SYS is to
DOS and Win9x - the very first code file to run on boot.

and thats all folks! any form of restart simply reverts to the same.... the (uughh)
HP side of this is that there is no option to boot to NT command, start in safe
mode, or even get to sys restore...

No, you've got that wrong. Both the F8 boot configuration menu and
the Boot.ini OS selection menu are run by NTLDR, so if NTLDR can't
run, you don't get any of those options. Can't blame HP for that!

Can I start with my pure XP- boot, and get to the NT command or
sys.recovery? and if so (on either) what can I do to free up the NTLDR system file?

On the face of it, it sounds like the Directory attribute may have
been set for the NTLDR file - but that's unlikely to be all that
happened, so my approach would be different.

First, I'd get my data off the system after verifying the system RAM
is OK (www.memtest86.com and www.simmtester.com are your friends).

Then I'd look to replacing the C:\NTLDR file via Recovery Console (CD
boot - if HP gave it to you, that is) etc. RC's /FixBoot may do it.

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