creating a floppy boot disk

[Guest]

I am attempting to load WinXP Pro onto a different HDD.
I have formatted the drive and made sure the MBR was intact.
I have set my BIOS to boot from CD.
However when I attempt to start up the computer it invariably
gives me that infamous "NTLDR is missing" message. Restarting
has no effect. I am assuming that the system cannot read the CD
and therefore has no place to start. I tried to download the floppy disks
as directed at microsoft.com and it started out OK, but failed partway
into the 2nd disk with a "file missing or corrupted" message.
So, I downloaded the Microsoft program over again and recreated
the floppies only to have it crash again at a different place with a
different message.
Can anyone tell me what files are necessary to create my own
bootable floppies? Perhaps this way I can find out in advance if I've
messed anything up in the copy process.

 

[TaurArian [MS-MVP]]

You could have a bad set of floppies, try a different pack.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305595
HOW TO: Create a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q314079
How to Use System Files to Create a Boot Disk to Guard Against Being Unable to Start
Windows XP

--

==================================
TaurArian [MS-MVP] 2005-2007 - Australia
==================================
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
Need more help? http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=ph;en-us;6527
(Links to web pages and MSKB Articles are posted for the purposes of keeping the
information current)


|I am attempting to load WinXP Pro onto a different HDD.
| I have formatted the drive and made sure the MBR was intact.
| I have set my BIOS to boot from CD.
| However when I attempt to start up the computer it invariably
| gives me that infamous "NTLDR is missing" message. Restarting
| has no effect. I am assuming that the system cannot read the CD
| and therefore has no place to start. I tried to download the floppy disks
| as directed at microsoft.com and it started out OK, but failed partway
| into the 2nd disk with a "file missing or corrupted" message.
| So, I downloaded the Microsoft program over again and recreated
| the floppies only to have it crash again at a different place with a
| different message.
| Can anyone tell me what files are necessary to create my own
| bootable floppies? Perhaps this way I can find out in advance if I've
| messed anything up in the copy process.

 

[Pennywise]

I am attempting to load WinXP Pro onto a different HDD.
I have formatted the drive and made sure the MBR was intact.
I have set my BIOS to boot from CD.
However when I attempt to start up the computer it invariably
gives me that infamous "NTLDR is missing" message. Restarting
has no effect. I am assuming that the system cannot read the CD
and therefore has no place to start. I tried to download the floppy disks
as directed at microsoft.com and it started out OK, but failed partway
into the 2nd disk with a "file missing or corrupted" message.
So, I downloaded the Microsoft program over again and recreated
the floppies only to have it crash again at a different place with a
different message.
Can anyone tell me what files are necessary to create my own
bootable floppies? Perhaps this way I can find out in advance if I've
messed anything up in the copy process.

http://bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

You can boot up with a Win98 boot disk, it will load your CD, and
install by running winnt.exe.

But you also need to have smartdrv.sys loaded (google for it)

 

[q_q_anonymous]

I am attempting to load WinXP Pro onto a different HDD.
I have formatted the drive and made sure the MBR was intact.
I have set my BIOS to boot from CD.
However when I attempt to start up the computer it invariably
gives me that infamous "NTLDR is missing" message. Restarting
has no effect. I am assuming that the system cannot read the CD
and therefore has no place to start. I tried to download the floppy disks
as directed at microsoft.com and it started out OK, but failed partway
into the 2nd disk with a "file missing or corrupted" message.
So, I downloaded the Microsoft program over again and recreated
the floppies only to have it crash again at a different place with a
different message.
Can anyone tell me what files are necessary to create my own
bootable floppies? Perhaps this way I can find out in advance if I've
messed anything up in the copy process.

There are different types of win xp boot disks. None of them are
applicable to you.

The Win XP 3 file boot disk. (this is only one floppy)
The set of about 6 disks.
And - not a windows xp boot disk - The win 98 boot disk.

Of those, none are applicable.
The closest is the set of 6, but that won't install win xp though. I
think it just lets you go to the recovery console.

You want to boot from CD. Or copy the CD inslallation to HDD and run it
from there. You could boot from a win 98 disk and run SETUP or whatever
ti's called on the CD. Thus avoiding booting from CD.

But you should try to be able to boot from CD anyway..
Get booting off the CD. Try another bootable CD, see if it works.
Troubleshoot.
CD,CD Drive,IDE Cable,IDE connector.

 

[q_q_anonymous]

http://bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

You can boot up with a Win98 boot disk, it will load your CD, and
install by running winnt.exe.

But you also need to have smartdrv.sys loaded (google for it)

--

hopefully the disk he downloads from bootdisk.com will load it.

OP: look in a:\config.sys for a line that says smartdrv
Make sure it's not a comment! Infact, the line should start with
"Device=" or "DeviceHigh="

 

[Pennywise]

hopefully the disk he downloads from bootdisk.com will load it.

Na, I've been this route Win98 boot disk doesn't come with smartdrv
and needs to be found - but it's a must have if the op uses Win98 to
install XP.

 

[q_q_anonymous]

Na, I've been this route Win98 boot disk doesn't come with smartdrv
and needs to be found - but it's a must have if the op uses Win98 to
install XP.

Here is a site without some of the flaws of bootdisk.com they list the
contents of their boot disks!. Though the site isn't only html.

http://www.allbootdisks.com/Disk_Contents/win98.htm

So, disk called "windows 98 without a ramdrive" , has smartdrv.sys

here is windows 98 without a ramdrive
http://www.allbootdisks.com/index.p...d=42&func=fileinfo&parent=folder&filecatid=36

 

[John]

I am attempting to load WinXP Pro onto a different HDD.
I have formatted the drive and made sure the MBR was intact.
I have set my BIOS to boot from CD.
However when I attempt to start up the computer it invariably
gives me that infamous "NTLDR is missing" message. Restarting
has no effect. I am assuming that the system cannot read the CD
and therefore has no place to start. I tried to download the floppy disks
as directed at microsoft.com and it started out OK, but failed partway
into the 2nd disk with a "file missing or corrupted" message.
So, I downloaded the Microsoft program over again and recreated
the floppies only to have it crash again at a different place with a
different message.
Can anyone tell me what files are necessary to create my own
bootable floppies? Perhaps this way I can find out in advance if I've
messed anything up in the copy process.

'NTLDR is missing' applies to the hard drive not the XP CD or any boot
floppies. It is basically telling you that XP is partially installed on
your hard drive. After all how would the BIOS know anything about an NT
specific file called NTLDR?

Reboot the XP CD, delete the partition, reformat it and try installing
again. Floppies won't help here unless you need to include a driver for
your hard drive controller.

John