Hi Again Wes,
Looks like a clean install might be the only way to go. Would copying
NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM from the original XP CD maybe help?
If I use the settings transfer wizard will it re-create all my profiles
(Users) on a clean installation? If I use the files transfer part of the
wizard I would be moving from the current 6 partitions
to the new one partition. Where does the wizard put the files since they
cannot go back to original places?
I presume it is easier to transfer settings only and copy files to other
media for transfer back later?
Thanks again
Dave A
:
Situations in Which Windows May Not Start in Safe Mode
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/199175
There are no documents that match your search for "NTLDR is less than
expected"
http://support.microsoft.com/search...mdt=0&comm=1&ast=1&ast=2&ast=3&mode=a&x=0&y=0
Your search - "NTLDR is less than expected" - did not match any
documents.
http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&...as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&as_rights=&safe=images
Searched all groups Results 1 - 1 of 1 for "ntldr is less than
expected
http://groups.google.com/groups?as_...981&as_maxd=8&as_maxm=5&as_maxy=2006&safe=off
As you can see from above, there are not too many folks with an error,
"NTLDR is less than expected". ntldr is missing or damaged are the usual
errors.
I do not know who the "expert" was, but I could guess.
You gained absolutely nothing by reformatting to FAT32. The only
advantage to having FAT32 is if you wanted to dual boot to some obsolete
operating system like Windows 95 OSR2 or Windows 98 or Windows Me.
An upgrade will probably not fix anything where a clean install might.
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In Dave A <
[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
Thanks for the reply. After 1.5 years I have looked at most of the
assistance you have linked in. The main problem is they refer to the
NTLDR missing. Mine is not and the computer behaves perfectly in normal
boot and operation. It is only safe mode that has problems.
When I installed the OS it was to a clean new 60GB HDD formatted NTFS
during install. I used PQ Magic 8 to create 5 other logical drives for
programs, files games etc so the C:\ drive is for Windows "only" and any
progrmas that cannot install anywhere else. The other drives were
created as FAT32 drives so I ended up with windows installed on NTFS and
the rest of the drive being FAT32.
I then followed some "expert" advice that I was gaining nothing by
having the C:\ drive formatted NTFS and used Partion Magic 8 to convert
from NTFS to FAT32. After this there were a few changes to long file
names and it appears that at that point the Win installation "lost
track" of the NTFS installation - but only if trying to boot into
anything after pressing F8 on startup.
The message is that NTLDR is less than expected - not that it is
missing. With SP2 installed the message does not appear at all - the
machine merely reboots from a blue screen when an option is selcted
from Safe Mode boot screen. The message was briefly spotted when
trying safe mode after re-installation of the XP CD which is, by the
way, pre SP1 (i.e. very original). In all normal start-ups and
operation (including things like disc check and PQ Magic that run
before Windows starts when required) there is no problem with the
machine at all.
Re-installation of the same XP Home disc did not correct it since it
seemed to compare something on the CD with the installed files and
merely pointed out things were different. Re-installation went ahead
but did not correct the problem. Some hardware is now "incorrectly"
identified like an on-board AMR which the OS no longer accepts the
motherboard CD drivers for (I got the ones it wanted from the web so no
big deal) and I installed a USB 2.0 PCI card for which the OS will not
accept all the maker's drivers for (had to force it to accept the root
hub drivers for the card to work again no big deal). I think these
minor hassles are merely a result of a re-installation and a cheap USB
card and that the OS is still working fine.
Rather than the hassle of a clean install would an upgrade to XP Pro
help or would it also decide my installation had changed since original
install and either fail or give the same problems?
Would copying anything from the XP disc to my HDD make any difference?
Is the NTLDR file installation specific or would copying it from the XP
CD work? Are there any other CD files (that are not installation
specific
of course) that may be corrupted on the HDD that can be copied? For
copying I have a Win98 boot disk created on an entirely different
machine if required.
By the way I have tried repairing from the XP CD recovery console with
fixboot and fixmbr with no diference. I have always run AVG, Zonealarm,
Spybot S&D and Adaware so the problem seems to remain an XP
"recognition" one.
Any further help much appreciated - safe mode doesn't seem very
important until you realise how many fairly minor problems have to be
fixed in safe mode!
Thanks - Dave A
:
Make sure that there are no disks in any removable drives when you
boot.
NTLDR is missing, why does it happen?
[[This problem may occur if the basic input/output system (BIOS) on
your computer is outdated, or if one or more of the following Windows
boot
files are missing or damaged:
Ntldr
Ntdetect.com
Boot.ini ]]
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid18728
[[Cause:
Computer is booting from a non-bootable source.
Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS.
Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.
Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file.
Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is
using FAT32.
New hard disk drive being added.
Corrupt boot sector / master boot record.
Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable. ]]
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000465.htm
[[For this problem to occur, all the following conditions must be true:
• The system/startup partition is formatted with the FAT32 file
system. • The computer starts by using INT-13 extensions. (This
is a partition larger than 7.8 GB with a System-ID type of 0C in the
partition table). • Because of the cloning procedure, the Heads
(sides) value in the FAT32 BIOS Parameter Block (BPB) does not match
the geometry of the
physical drive. ]]
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314057
Error Message When You Start Your Computer with a Non-System Disk
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;812492
Windows XP Does Not Start on a Computer That Is Configured for Dual
Booting
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315233
You Receive an "NTLDR Is Missing" Error Message When You Start Your
Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320397
HOW TO: Troubleshoot the "NTLDR Is Missing" Error Message in Windows
2000
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;318728
Err Msg: Boot - Can't Find NTLDR, or Windows Could Not Start..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;101862
"NTLDR Is Missing" Error Message When You Upgrade or Install Windows XP
Over Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314057
The Computer Does Not Start After You Change the Active Partition by
Using the Disk Management Tool
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315261
Cannot Start Windows XP After You Install Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;283433
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In Dave A <
[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
About 1.5 years ago I added SP2 to Win XP Home and about the same time
decided to convert my NTFS C:\ drive to FAT 32 using PQ Magic 8 (only
third party will go that way I gather). Since then I cannot boot into
any option from the safe mode options after pressing F8. The screen
goes blue and the machine reboots. I recently did a repair
installation of XP and apart from confusing the OS with some hardware
and having to re-install a couple of programs the safe mode problem
remains.
Before installing SP2 this time I tried to boot into safe mode and the
blue screen had a message that the "NTLDR is less than......". Once
SP2 is added this blue screen message is not shown.
Do I have any options apart from backing up files and settings etc and
doing a clean install? Will upgrading to XP Pro sort this out with
less effort? I do not have XP recovery discs and I presume this
would have been sensible?
