help with 'ntldr is missing'

[jlm]

decided to reformat and reinstall xp on my hd.
it worked fine for a couple of days while i installed other software
today when I went to start the system I got the message 'ntldr is missing' use
ctrl-alt-delete to reboot i did and the same happened..I then put the xp instal
disk in the cd drive and reboot when the message came up 'boot from cd hit enter'
i just let the machine continue in which it booted through the hd..and works fine until
i restart the machine than again I must put the xp cd in the drive and it will work..
i found a website that said to replace the 'ntldr' (copy it from the xp disk and put it in
the c:\ directory I did but it still does not work..it then said check the boot.ini file to see
if it goes to the boot disk?? looking at the boot.ini file it says :
{boot loader]
timout 30
default = multi(0) disk(0)rdisk(0) partition(1) windows
operatin system }
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0) partition(1) windows = 'Microsoft window xp professional"/noexecute=optin/fastdect
is this correct for a normal c drive boot?
any other ideas..there is nothing special I am running just two hds (c+d) and cdr-w and dvd rw
any help would be appreciated

thanks

 

[Guest]

what is on second hard drive?

is windows also on second hard drive?

 

[jlm]

second hard drive has no op system just family jpgs..etc..

what is on second hard drive?

is windows also on second hard drive?

decided to reformat and reinstall xp on my hd.
it worked fine for a couple of days while i installed other software
today when I went to start the system I got the message 'ntldr is missing' use
ctrl-alt-delete to reboot i did and the same happened..I then put the xp instal
disk in the cd drive and reboot when the message came up 'boot from cd hit enter'
i just let the machine continue in which it booted through the hd..and works fine until
i restart the machine than again I must put the xp cd in the drive and it will work..
i found a website that said to replace the 'ntldr' (copy it from the xp disk and put it in
the c:\ directory I did but it still does not work..it then said check the boot.ini file to see
if it goes to the boot disk?? looking at the boot.ini file it says :
{boot loader]
timout 30
default = multi(0) disk(0)rdisk(0) partition(1) windows
operatin system }
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0) partition(1) windows = 'Microsoft window xp professional"/noexecute=optin/fastdect
is this correct for a normal c drive boot?
any other ideas..there is nothing special I am running just two hds (c+d) and cdr-w and dvd rw
any help would be appreciated

thanks

 

[Wesley Vogel]

If you copied and pasted your boot.ini data, you have a problem.
It should look like this...

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /NoExecute=OptIn /fastdetect

If you typed it in your message it is probably OK.

Error message when you start your computer with a non-system disk
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;812492

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
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318728/

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Adding to Wesley:

From a newsgroup post by late Mr.Alex Nichol, Microsoft MVP:

The MBR code hands the boot on to the Active partition; the boot code in
that loads NTLDR. There are two cases:

"NTLDR not found" at all may arise because the incorrect partition has been
set as active. This can happen if you have a dual boot and have messed with
the files in that partition that boot; this is not the XP one, or have
shifted the boot to the XP partition which does not have NTLDR in it.

"NTLDR damaged" means what it says, the file is there but not working.

Either way, if you have a proper retail type XP CD, not some maker's
recovery disk:

Set the BIOS to boot CD before Hard Disk. Boot the XP CD and, instead of
Setup, take the immediate R for Repair. Assume any password requested is
blank, and TAB over. Assuming this sees the CD as D (likely) give:

COPY D:\i386\ntldr C:\
COPY D:\i386\ntdetect C:\
(a file that may also be missing)
then rebuild the boot configuration boot.ini file by
Attrib -H -R -S C:\boot.ini
(if not found skip the next line)
DEL C:\boot.ini
BootCfg /Rebuild

See also:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318728/
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkd_tro_evwd.asp


--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com

If you copied and pasted your boot.ini data, you have a problem.
It should look like this...

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /NoExecute=OptIn /fastdetect

If you typed it in your message it is probably OK.

Error message when you start your computer with a non-system disk
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;812492

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
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318728/

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

decided to reformat and reinstall xp on my hd.
it worked fine for a couple of days while i installed other software
today when I went to start the system I got the message 'ntldr is
missing' use
ctrl-alt-delete to reboot i did and the same happened..I then put the xp
instal
disk in the cd drive and reboot when the message came up 'boot from cd
hit enter'
i just let the machine continue in which it booted through the hd..and
works fine until
i restart the machine than again I must put the xp cd in the drive and it
will work..
i found a website that said to replace the 'ntldr' (copy it from the xp
disk and put it in
the c:\ directory I did but it still does not work..it then said check
the boot.ini file to see
if it goes to the boot disk?? looking at the boot.ini file it says :
{boot loader]
timout 30
default = multi(0) disk(0)rdisk(0) partition(1) windows
operatin system }
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0) partition(1) windows = 'Microsoft window xp
professional"/noexecute=optin/fastdect is this correct for a normal c
drive boot?
any other ideas..there is nothing special I am running just two hds (c+d)
and cdr-w and dvd rw
any help would be appreciated

thanks