First "NTLDR Is Missing" now "Not Enough Virtual Memory"

[Guest]

While starting up my Dimension 8200, it refused to boot and I got the
following error message: "NTLDR is missing". After researching possible
solutions, I attempted to fix the problem from the Windows Repair program;
however it kept asking for the Administrative password and there is none.
From what everything I read, if there is no password and you push enter
without a password, the program should continue but that did not happen; I
kept getting "incorrect password" messages. The next suggestion I tried was
re-installing Windows XP choosing the "repair previous installation option".
Now even if I try to boot in the safe mode or from the Windows CD I'm getting
an error message "Not enough virtual memory" and the system reboots. It
repeats this until I shut off the power.

I was planning on installing a new Maxtor 7200 rpm 120GB HD as the system
has the original 40GB HD. Unfortunately, I hadn't finished backing up all the
files I needed, so it would be nice if I could somehow get the old HD up and
running. As far as the 40GB HD, are there any fixes that will let me repair
what ever the problem is and boot up or am I out of luck? If I am unable to
start up the 40GB HD, then obviously, I'll go ahead remove the old HD and put
in the new one.

As far as installing Windows XP Home Edition on the new HD, I have the
original Dell XP disk and a MS XP SP2 disk. Is there a disk or download out
there that has both or must I intsall each one at a time and then download
and install all the updates?

As for the old HD, my plan is to get a USB IDE adapter and once the new HD
is up and running, access the information on the old one. This way seems less
complicated then trying to slave the old HD to the new one. Plus, once I have
what i need off the old one, I can reformat and use it as a portable HD. From
the input I received on a Dell support forum, the consensus was that this
plan should work.

I would appreciate any assistance in being able to access the old HD, if at
all possible, so that the installation of the new HD doesn't have to be a
rush job.

FYI, my computer skills are modest but I can follow and intuit well laid out
directions.

My system information:

Dell Dimension 8200 (Began life in 3/02)
P-4 1.8Ghz 400Hz FSB; 1 GB RDRAM; Liteon DVD ROM; Dynex 16X DVD-RW ; 40GB
Toshiba HD (the problem drive); evga 256MB GeForce 6200 LE; 3.5 Floppy Drive;
56K Fax Modem; Network Card (added for DSL); SB Live! sound card; 2 port USB
2.0 PCI Card.

I will greatly appreciate any help, solutions, directions that anyone can
provide. Family harmony will be restored when the computer is also restored.

 

[Ronaldo]

Download a zip folder containing the files to make a boot diskette, and
start the computer with the diskette inserted. once you logon, copy the
NTLDR file from the diskette to the C:\drive, go to the file properties and
check read only and hidden file. You should be able o logon normally next
time.

Download the folder from the "xpquick" link in either zip of exe format.
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

---------------------------------------------------

While starting up my Dimension 8200, it refused to boot and I got the
following error message: "NTLDR is missing". After researching possible
solutions, I attempted to fix the problem from the Windows Repair program;
however it kept asking for the Administrative password and there is none.
From what everything I read, if there is no password and you push enter
without a password, the program should continue but that did not happen; I
kept getting "incorrect password" messages. The next suggestion I tried was
re-installing Windows XP choosing the "repair previous installation option".
Now even if I try to boot in the safe mode or from the Windows CD I'm getting
an error message "Not enough virtual memory" and the system reboots. It
repeats this until I shut off the power.

I was planning on installing a new Maxtor 7200 rpm 120GB HD as the system
has the original 40GB HD. Unfortunately, I hadn't finished backing up all the
files I needed, so it would be nice if I could somehow get the old HD up and
running. As far as the 40GB HD, are there any fixes that will let me repair
what ever the problem is and boot up or am I out of luck? If I am unable to
start up the 40GB HD, then obviously, I'll go ahead remove the old HD and put
in the new one.

As far as installing Windows XP Home Edition on the new HD, I have the
original Dell XP disk and a MS XP SP2 disk. Is there a disk or download out
there that has both or must I intsall each one at a time and then download
and install all the updates?

As for the old HD, my plan is to get a USB IDE adapter and once the new HD
is up and running, access the information on the old one. This way seems less
complicated then trying to slave the old HD to the new one. Plus, once I have
what i need off the old one, I can reformat and use it as a portable HD. From
the input I received on a Dell support forum, the consensus was that this
plan should work.

I would appreciate any assistance in being able to access the old HD, if at
all possible, so that the installation of the new HD doesn't have to be a
rush job.

FYI, my computer skills are modest but I can follow and intuit well laid out
directions.

My system information:

Dell Dimension 8200 (Began life in 3/02)
P-4 1.8Ghz 400Hz FSB; 1 GB RDRAM; Liteon DVD ROM; Dynex 16X DVD-RW ; 40GB
Toshiba HD (the problem drive); evga 256MB GeForce 6200 LE; 3.5 Floppy Drive;
56K Fax Modem; Network Card (added for DSL); SB Live! sound card; 2 port USB
2.0 PCI Card.

I will greatly appreciate any help, solutions, directions that anyone can
provide. Family harmony will be restored when the computer is also

restored.

 

[Guest]

I appreciate the fast reply and assistance. I tried starting up my system
using the boot disk (floppy) and received the following message: "Windows
could not start. The following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows
Root>\system 32\hal.dll".

I am at a loss as to how to go about installing the missing file.

Also, correct me if my thinking is wrong, but I suspect my attempt at
reinstalling Windows XP to repair the NTLDR problem most likely filled what
remaining space was left on the hard drive, with either system or temporary
files, and thats why I'm getting the "not enough virtual memory" error. If
this is the case, how do I access the system to delete enough files to open
up space for the virtual memory, if that would fix the problem?

While at BootDisk.com, I saw the program NTFS4DOS. My system is set up for
NTFS but I would have no idea what to do if I were able to access the system
via DOS. Of course, I'm just throwing out an idea, which may be totally off
the mark.

Again, I appreciate everyone's patience and assistance in resolving this
dilemma.

Gerry

 

[Ronaldo]

Check the KB article, your problem with the Hal.dll file may not be the
actual file itself but the Boot.ini file which you downloaded from the
Bootdisk.com website, it may be damaged, or contains incorrect entries for
your installation. The KB289022 article should give you an idea on this
issue. Also check the aricle about how to edit the boot.ini file.. If this
file should not be the case, you may need to force the Hardware Abstraction
Layer during a reinstallation, check the 4th and 5th links on this subject.

"Invalid Boot.ini" or "Windows could not start" error messages when you
start your computer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330184/en

How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022

HAL Hardware Abstraction Layer. A translation protocol in Windows NT for
porting NT to another platform.
http://searchsmb.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid44_gci214424,00.html

How to force a Hardware Abstraction Layer during an upgrade or an
installation of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299340
http://www.theeldergeek.com/shutdown_issues_in_xp.htm

How to Troubleshoot Windows 2000 Hardware Abstraction Layer Issues (may
apply to Windows XP)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/237556


--------------------------------

 

[Guest]

Ronaldo

I appreciate your assistance and patience in trying to help me sort through
this problem. I haven't had a chance to go through all the links you provided
and sort through the information each has.

I managed to get a USB IDE adapter, removed the hard drive from my Dimension
and fortunately found that I am able to access all the data on the hard drive
using my lap top. Is there a program or utility that I can get that can
locate and repair whatever the problem is that is preventing the hard drive
from my Dimension from booting up via my lap top?

 

[Guest]

One thing I for got to mention. I did find a new file named
"ba1cd4ff64d2a1e3c6000021" containing an empty file named "i386". Should I
delete this?

Gerry

 

[Ronaldo]

That "balcd4ff..... " file and "i386" are probably from the failed
installation and are most probably safe to delete.

 

[PT]

Summary of an Email i sent to Dell ayear or so ago



**************************************************



Yesterday, I turned on my computer, and received an error message: "NTLDR
is missing. Press any key to restart". After several attempts at pressing
the "enter" key and getting the same message, rebooting several times and
getting the same message, I called Dell Phone Support.



The technician told me that this was a relatively common problem, and
required reinstalling a file in the I386 folder. He then went through a
long sequence of steps to try to reinstall the file from the Windows XP
reinstallation CD. He kept running into problems, getting the message
"Access denied" when we tried accessing the I386 folder. Eventually, after
about an hour on the phone, he told me that several files had been
corrupted, and the only thing left to do was to re-format the hard drive,
reinstall windows, and try to rebuild the system. I was told that the
process requires about 2 - 3 hours to complete.



He tried to transfer me to a Dell group which apparently handles
re-installs, but I was cut off during the transfer.



I decided instead to call a local computer servicing company which had
previously installed Ghost and made a backup image. I started out by
explaining the NTLDR error message. The following is a nearly verbatim
transcript of our conversation"



Local Tech: "Do you have a floppy in the floppy drive?"



Me: "No --- Wait a minute - yes I do. Should I remove it?"



Local Tech: "Yes, then reboot"



Me: "It's booting correctly - Is that what the problem was?"



Local Tech: "Yes - That's the message you get when you try to boot with an
occupied floppy drive - It's a standard error message. It refers to the
boot file NTLDR (short for Windows NT Loader)



So how to I rate the advice Dell's technician provided?



1.. Not only didn't he know the simple and apparently obvious solution to
an extremely common problem.


2.. Not only did he waste an hour of my time on a fruitless exercise when
a knowledgeable tech could have solved the problem in ten seconds.


3.. But - if I had blindly followed his advice, I would have at best, lost
all the programs, data files and everything else I've added since purchase.


To summarize - this incident has severely shaken my faith in the quality of
your support service, I should mention that when I told the local tech of
the procedure that the Dell support tech had followed, and the
recommendation he gave - the local tech told me "those guys don't know very
much - they just follow scripts, and rush you into replacing equipment and
software."

 

[Ronaldo]

Either the problem on the boot sector or with the Hal.dll file are what
keeps the OS from booting-up. A problem on the boot sector will not let it
boot on any computer and the Hal.dll file will not let it boot on any other
than the computer it was installed on.

You may stand a better chance of booting it on the desktop because the Hal
file "remembers" the harwdware setup and won't allow an OS to boot in the
wrong computer without a reinstall.

A "Boot management" type of software, may help you sort the problem out..
but you would have to try and see cause I haven't had the need for one of
such utilities, so I can only point you in the right direction. One of such
programs may help determine if the problem is actually on the boot sector
and may help organize the boot files to make it boot-up.

Google for a boot manager with key words: "Boot manager", "boot management
software", "multiboot management software" or "boot sector repair software".

Acronis Disk Director Suite and Bootitng, are a few that come to mind but
there are many others out there, I'd advice you to read reviews if any are
available before you decide to install one of such programs, unless you
don't mind installing several before you can find one that fixes or writes a
new boot sector or at least convinces you a boot sector rapir won't do... If
the problem is anywhere else, I don't think there is a program that can
determine the problem without actually being installed on the non-booting
OS.

This site has several programs of the type.
http://www.programurl.com/software/boot-manager.htm

Boot sector repair software.
http://www.sharewareconnection.com/titles/repair-boot-sector.htm

Now that you can access the HD from the laptop, you can remove enough files
to leave some space for a reinstall of the OS, cause that will probably be
your best chance to make it run.

 

[Ronaldo]

Thanks for that PT, but Gerry has already tried a bootdisk which would have
let him know if the floopy drive was occupied.
The regular message you get when you have a diskette in the floppy drive
says: "Non system disk, remove and press any key" but i've done a search for
a diskette in the floopy drive causing the NTLDR is missing, and you're
right it is the commonest cause for the ntldr missing message.. In my own
experience, I've never had that message appear and I've forgotten diskettes
in the drive many times on different computers.. and those times when the
message appeared, the file was actually missing, (I could see it was not
there from a paralel system)... and putting a copy on a diskette along with
the NTDETECT.COM and Boot.ini files to make a bootdisk, helped the system
boot up.

Thank you for the tip.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Guest]

Again, thanks to all for the help. As for there being no space left on the
HD, that is not the problem as there is 12.5GB of free space left. Also, I
triple checked both DVD drives and the floppy drives to make sure all were
clear, so that was not the reason behind the NTLDR error message. As for Dell
support, all I can say is that there was a radical change that took place
when they outsourced their tech and customer support. Unfortunately, this is
not a situation unique to just Dell and I'll leave it at that.

 

[Guest]

I haven't had a chance to run any diagnostic programs yet, but while snooping
around in the Windows System32 file I noticed about 25 numbered tmp.dll
files. Now as I've said my computer knowledge is fairly basic, but it's been
my understanding that tmp files located anywhere other than a temp folder are
not a good thing. They start with _003715_.tmp.dll and run pretty much in
sequence to _003942_.tmp.dll. There are also two Adobe Reader temp files,
neither of which can be opened; one named _r_a_p_ and another ~GLH0004.
Are these files supposed to be there or are they symptomatic of a larger
problem?

Gerry

 

[Ronaldo]

Gerry, sounds like you may have found the problem, .tmp files should not be
in the System32 folder... those temporary files are all related to virus and
spyware. To delete those files run the antivirus and spyware removers. After
you have scanned and removed the files by means of the programs, do a search
with windows search for ".tmp" files and delete all the results.
There's a good chance the system may boot up after you've removed all the
crap.

Check these links, most all the files you mention are related to malware.
http://www.google.com.mx/search?hl=es&q=~GLH0004&btnG=Buscar&meta=

http://www.google.com.mx/search?hl=es&q=_r_a_p_&btnG=Buscar+con+Google&meta=

Download Adaware SE Personal, Spybot Search & Destroy, CWShredder, and The
Cleaner.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads31.html

Download The Cleaner
http://www.moosoft.com

 

[Guest]

The curious and maddening thing is I am fanatical about security. I have
SpySweeper as my primary anti-spyware and use AdAware AE weekly as a backup.
As SpySweeping is expiring, I may be looking at ratings for alternatives. I
also run SpywareBlaster. I use avast! as my AV but may be switching to either
Notorn AV 2007 which has gotten new and improved ratings or Kaspersky 6.0 AV.
Just goes to show how something can still sneak past. Well hopefully, AdAware
and the others can remove these offenders. If not I'll have research the
remaining questionable ones and then find out how to manually remove them.

As the late Roseanne Roseannadana would say; "It's always something!"

Gerry

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I use avast! as my AV but may be switching to either
Notorn AV 2007 which has gotten new and improved ratings

Ugh! You want to go from an excellent anti-virus product to the
absolute worst one available! I strongly recommend against doing that.

or Kaspersky 6.0 AV.

Although I've heard good things about Kaspersky, I have no personal
experience with it, so I'll refrain from commenting on it

Personally, if I were you, I'd stick with Avast!

 

[Ronaldo]

It's always a good idea to keep several of a security program type because
no one program is a 100% secure. A TV spot a few weeks back, said that the
most effective spyware program is only 60+% effective.. and as you well
know, no antivirus is completely up to date because new viruses keep popping
up every day... so in real time, you can't keep a computer anywhere close to
a 100% safe, no matter how hard you try... you mostly have to rely on some
common sense and a lot of good luck when browsing the Internet.

And incidentally, in just a matter of days a whole lot of websites are
sending malware cookies, Spybot keeps intercepting them by the dozen in a
matter of minutes, "Fifth Avenue" and "Double Click" are a couple right off
the top but there are plenty more. This is up from zero just about a week
ago. It looks like someone somewhere suddenly opened the door and the net
got saturated with the "malicious cookie plague"...

 

[Guest]

Well, this just gets curioser and curioser. Hard Drive Mechanic shows that I
now have a 31 MB FAT 16 partition on the hard drive where none existed
before. At this point, I haven't the time to sort through it. As I can access
all that I need from the drive, upon my return, I'll begin the process of
installing Windows XP on the new hard drive.

As foe AV, I've read so many conflicting reports on which has improved or
which has gotten worse that it comes done to personal preference. Obviously,
I have a gap somewhere in my security systems. SpySweeper is supposed the be
one of the standouts but AdAware just about always finds something missed by
that program. But thats why everyone recommends multiple layers.

Well, this should do it for me, unless someone has the key to the whole
situation. I appreciate everyone's input and help.

Gerry