Installing XP Pro - Couldn't find NTLDR

[Gordon]

I have an XP Pro CD slipstreamed with SP3.
I have a Toshiba Netbook, currently running Ubuntu 9.04. I want to replace
this with my copy of XP Pro. (I have done this several times before with no
problems)
I put the CD in the external USB CD/DVD drive, choose "boot from CD" in the
boot menu and immediately get the error message "Couldn't find NTLDR. Please
insert another disk".
If I disconnect the CD/DVD drive from the Netbook and connect it to my
Toshiba Satellite running Windows 7RC, it boots normally from the CD and
begins the install so there would appear to be nothing wrong with the CD/DVD
drive or the XP Pro CD.
So can anyone tell me why I am getting this error message on the Netbook?

 

[BillW50]

In Gordon typed on Mon, 7 Sep 2009 16:57:04 +0100:

I have an XP Pro CD slipstreamed with SP3.
I have a Toshiba Netbook, currently running Ubuntu 9.04. I want to
replace this with my copy of XP Pro. (I have done this several times
before with no problems)
I put the CD in the external USB CD/DVD drive, choose "boot from CD"
in the boot menu and immediately get the error message "Couldn't find
NTLDR. Please insert another disk".
If I disconnect the CD/DVD drive from the Netbook and connect it to my
Toshiba Satellite running Windows 7RC, it boots normally from the CD
and begins the install so there would appear to be nothing wrong with
the CD/DVD drive or the XP Pro CD.
So can anyone tell me why I am getting this error message on the
Netbook?

I never had that problem with my Asus netbooks. What kind of netbook and
what kind of external DVD drive is this?

 

[Gordon]

I never had that problem with my Asus netbooks. What kind of netbook and
what kind of external DVD drive is this?

Toshiba NB100, the external CD/DVD drive is a Liteon.
I've done this before on this Netbook with the same XP CD and the same
CD/DVD drive....

 

[BillW50]

In Gordon typed on Mon, 7 Sep 2009 17:11:03 +0100:

Toshiba NB100, the external CD/DVD drive is a Liteon.
I've done this before on this Netbook with the same XP CD and the same
CD/DVD drive....

Well it *must* be Ubuntu then, right? I too have had Ubuntu Live screw
up my Windows XP registry on the drive. It isn't suppose to do this, but
it does. Thus you want to dump Linux anyway right? If so, I would delete
the Linux partitions and redo a Microsoft MBR on the drive and then it
should work.

 

[Mark Adams]

Toshiba NB100, the external CD/DVD drive is a Liteon.
I've done this before on this Netbook with the same XP CD and the same
CD/DVD drive....

Since you are using a USB drive for the install, don't you have to set the
machine to boot from USB?

 

[Gordon]

Since you are using a USB drive for the install, don't you have to set the
machine to boot from USB?

The Boot menu item says "USB CD/DVD".......

 

[Mark Adams]

In Gordon typed on Mon, 7 Sep 2009 17:11:03 +0100:

Well it *must* be Ubuntu then, right? I too have had Ubuntu Live screw
up my Windows XP registry on the drive. It isn't suppose to do this, but
it does. Thus you want to dump Linux anyway right? If so, I would delete
the Linux partitions and redo a Microsoft MBR on the drive and then it
should work.

Interesting, does Linux even use NTLDR? If so, why is the netbook looking at
the hard drive for for NTLDR when it's set to boot from the USB CD/DVD drive?

 

[Hodges]

InGordon typed on Mon, 7 Sep 2009 17:11:03 +0100:



Well it *must* be Ubuntu then, right? I too have had Ubuntu Live screw
up my Windows XP registry on the drive. It isn't suppose to do this, but
it does. Thus you want to dump Linux anyway right? If so, I would delete
the Linux partitions and redo a Microsoft MBR on the drive and then it
should work.

It shouldn't have anything to do with Ubuntu since this is before you
boot into the OS.

 

[BillW50]

In Mark Adams typed on Mon, 7 Sep 2009 10:40:01 -0700:

Interesting, does Linux even use NTLDR? If so, why is the netbook
looking at the hard drive for for NTLDR when it's set to boot from
the USB CD/DVD drive?

I have no idea. Ubuntu Live isn't supposed to toast Windows XP on the
internal drive either. I fixed Windows and ran Ubuntu two more times to
make sure it was Ubuntu that was screwing Windows up. And it did so
three times in a roll.

 

[Hodges]

It shouldn't have anything to do with Ubuntu since this is before you
boot into the OS.

Then again, you could try formatting the drive with FDISK or something
and try the install again.

 

[BillW50]

In
Hodges typed on Mon, 7 Sep 2009 11:02:55 -0700 (PDT):

It shouldn't have anything to do with Ubuntu since this is before you
boot into the OS.

You won't think so anyway. But it works before Ubuntu, but doesn't after
Ubuntu. Plus Ubuntu Live wasn't supposed to screw up my XP on my
internal drive either. But it did, three times in a row no less.

 

[Gordon]

I have an XP Pro CD slipstreamed with SP3.
I have a Toshiba Netbook, currently running Ubuntu 9.04. I want to replace
this with my copy of XP Pro. (I have done this several times before with
no problems)
I put the CD in the external USB CD/DVD drive, choose "boot from CD" in
the boot menu and immediately get the error message "Couldn't find NTLDR.
Please insert another disk".
If I disconnect the CD/DVD drive from the Netbook and connect it to my
Toshiba Satellite running Windows 7RC, it boots normally from the CD and
begins the install so there would appear to be nothing wrong with the
CD/DVD drive or the XP Pro CD.
So can anyone tell me why I am getting this error message on the Netbook?

Thanks to all who responded - finally got it working by booting with a W98
boot floppy, deleting all the partitions, creating and formatting a DOS
partition, fixing the MBR and then setting the BIOS to boot from CD/DVD
first. (Never had to do all that before...)
XP SP3 is installing nicely now as I write this....

 

[BillW50]

In Gordon typed on Mon, 7 Sep 2009 19:17:09 +0100:

Thanks to all who responded - finally got it working by booting with
a W98 boot floppy, deleting all the partitions, creating and
formatting a DOS partition, fixing the MBR and then setting the BIOS
to boot from CD/DVD first. (Never had to do all that before...)
XP SP3 is installing nicely now as I write this....

Yep, I though so. PIA isn't it?

 

[BillW50]

In BillW50 typed on Mon, 7 Sep 2009 13:07:27 -0500:

In Mark Adams typed on Mon, 7 Sep 2009 10:40:01 -0700:

I have no idea. Ubuntu Live isn't supposed to toast Windows XP on the
internal drive either. I fixed Windows and ran Ubuntu two more times
to make sure it was Ubuntu that was screwing Windows up. And it did so
three times in a roll.

I meant that I have no idea for the latter. Linux doesn't use NTLDR.
Although a mix with a MS MBR and a Linux partition it will be looking
for NTLDR and it can't find it.

 

[M.I.5¾]

I have an XP Pro CD slipstreamed with SP3.
I have a Toshiba Netbook, currently running Ubuntu 9.04. I want to replace
this with my copy of XP Pro. (I have done this several times before with
no problems)
I put the CD in the external USB CD/DVD drive, choose "boot from CD" in
the boot menu and immediately get the error message "Couldn't find NTLDR.
Please insert another disk".
If I disconnect the CD/DVD drive from the Netbook and connect it to my
Toshiba Satellite running Windows 7RC, it boots normally from the CD and
begins the install so there would appear to be nothing wrong with the
CD/DVD drive or the XP Pro CD.
So can anyone tell me why I am getting this error message on the Netbook?

When you boot a Windows CD there is a gotcha. The Boot from CD option is in
fact generated by the CD boot system itself, but if you give the wrong
answer it just attempts to boot the windows on the hard disc. The error
(like all error messages) is strictly correct but doesn't tell you what you
really need to know. In this case it is telling you that NTLDR couldn't be
found on your hard disc. It has been a while since I installed a Windows
system and I can't recall exactly what sequence of keys is required to get
the thing working, but ISTR that pressing nothing is the wrong answer!

 

[Hodges]

When you boot a Windows CD there is a gotcha.  The Boot from CD option is in
fact generated by the CD boot system itself, but if you give the wrong
answer it just attempts to boot the windows on the hard disc.  The error
(like all error messages) is strictly correct but doesn't tell you what you
really need to know.  In this case it is telling you that NTLDR couldn't be
found on your hard disc.  It has been a while since I installed a Windows
system and I can't recall exactly what sequence of keys is required to get
the thing working, but ISTR that pressing nothing is the wrong answer!

Funny, Ubuntu didn't do that to my pc. I ran it off of a live cd. I
would have been pissed if it had though.

 

[M.I.5¾]

When you boot a Windows CD there is a gotcha. The Boot from CD option is
in
fact generated by the CD boot system itself, but if you give the wrong
answer it just attempts to boot the windows on the hard disc. The error
(like all error messages) is strictly correct but doesn't tell you what
you
really need to know. In this case it is telling you that NTLDR couldn't be
found on your hard disc. It has been a while since I installed a Windows
system and I can't recall exactly what sequence of keys is required to get
the thing working, but ISTR that pressing nothing is the wrong answer!

Funny, Ubuntu didn't do that to my pc. I ran it off of a live cd. I
would have been pissed if it had though.