NTLDR File is missing Msg upon Windows startup

[CF]

Greetings,

A few months back I had the same issue & followed the advice given:
Delete NTLDR & copy back from Windows Installation CD
Delete NTDETECT.Com & copy back from Windows Installation CD
If these things didn't work, then I did the following:
delete & create a new master boot record(FIXMBR & FIXBOOT)
None of these things worked. So I went to Windows Install CD, chose option to
re-install windows over itself, & now I get message with some kind of
unreadable notation like the infinity sign.

Please keep in mind I have gone through 3 HD drives, with the thought that
the hard drive was the culprit. Now I am convinced the hard drives never had
anything wrong. Each time I reformatted & re-installed Windows from scratch,
everything would be fine for about 2 months, until the infamous message "
NTLDR File is missing press CRTL+ALT+DELETE to restart" would re-appear. I
have another machine using the exact same Windows version so I know it's not
the OS.

Lately, I noticed some other strange things taking place. Last month, the
zone alarm software would go into a loop each time windows started, I had to
go to Windows in Safe Mode to uninstall then re-install zone alarm. Just last
week, the computer froze for no apparent reason, so I rebooted & problem went
away until I got the NTLDR file missing message. I am firmly convinced I
have bad
memory which caused the computer freeze & zone alarm problems, just not sure
if the NTLDR file issue can be blamed on the same thing. What I do know is
that strange things have happened as a result of bad memory. So I will
replace the memory, but the question I have is the following: From a computer
engineering perspective, The NTLDR file is located from the master boot
record in address 0 in hard drive. Once file is located, it is placed into
memory, from which it loads the appropriate instruction set into real memory
for CPU processing. Here is the question: each time the PC starts or
restarts, does it always go to the hard drive to load the NTLDR, or if the HD
has cache(which it does) will it look into the HD's cache, & if it finds it
there, then load it into memory? or: If the memory has cache, will it find it
there? As I'm toying with these theories, & if I may be on to something, does
it not cause a myriad of issues provided the memory has been corrupted?

Please send me your thoughts
Regards,
CF

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

You Receive an NTLDR Is Missing Error Message When You Start Your Computer:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320397&Product=winxp

 

[CF]

Mark,

I believe I am working with XP SP2, so this should not apply, however I will
double-check. If I do indeed have SP2 installed, do you have any thoughts
regarding the bad memory issues?
Regards,
CF

 

[CF]

Hello thecreator,

I am using Drive C: and there is no dual reboot. Although I have 2 HD's, I
have to go into rombios to choose which HD to boot from. The reason I have 2
HD's is because I thought the first HD was bad, resulting in the acquisition
of a 2nd HD.
I also tried some more commands last night with no success(mbscan, mblist,
mbrebuild) I could be saying them incorrectly but you get the idea. I also
confirmed my windows XP Pro CD is inclusive of SP2. Each time Windows is
installed, I always turn on automatic updates. Apparently no one seems to be
buying into my theory
of bad memory as the cause. I will replace the memory before any further
attempts
at this machine, so there is time & I am open to suggestions. At this point,
the last message I get is "Verifying DMI Pool data" followed by
~~~~~(unreadable words)
The unreadable words are a result of doing the FixMbr & fixboot commands.
Prior to my running these commands, the original problem was the NTLDR file
missing message. Anything you can suggest would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
CF

 

[CF]

Hi thecreator,
Thanks for the input. I will install Windows on the 2nd HD. Once
re-installed, I will be able to access the main HD. I will also retrive the
contents of the main HD's Boot.ini & pass it along to you for further
assistance. Stay tuned,
Regards,
CF

 

[CF]

Hello the creator,

I am really at a loss here, running into more unexpected complications.
After re-installing XP on the spare HD, Windows will still not boot up. I get
"Verifying DMI Pool data" message followed by "type any key to boot from CD".
Normally I don't type anything at that point so Windows will boot up from HD
after CD installation. But instead, I get "YoYo"(this is the unreadable stuff
I mentioned previously). Also
different parts of the ROMBIOS screen change color. The last time I
experienced this I wrote the HD off, obtained another HD & installed XP,
which brings me to my present situation. So the only option I have is the
following:
Take the good HD out of the machine & put it into another machine, copy the
data I want to keep & open the boot.ini file so I can forward to you for
review.

If the boot.ini is repairable, I will do the necessary changes, put HD back
in problem machine & try to reboot. By the way, I am also getting the "YoYo"
phenomenon when I try to boot from good HD. If booting from good HD still
fails, I will format & install XP & hope for the best(since I copied the data
from this HD into another machine). I think I am on the verge of getting rid
of this machine(at least the motherboard which gave me at least 7 years).

Any Thoughts?
Regards,
CF

 

[CF]

Hello thecreator,

Thanks very much for helping. As it turns out, this motherboard by Soyo has
2 internal controllers, so each HD can be master in its respective
controller, but controller 2 can never own the "C" drive. When I installed XP
on the "D" drive, it gave messages that it successfully installed but I never
got past the "Verifying DMI Pool data" message followed by YoYo(unreadable)
machine language. So I will disconnect the good drive, connect the 2nd drive
to primary controller, & reinstall XP on the drive, but this time the 2nd
drive will be the "C" drive when I do the install. Even before I install, I
will disconnect primary HD & make secondary HD "C" drive & reboot, I may get
lucky. I could sure use some luck just about now, But at least I have a plan,
I will keep you posted, I will be working on this throughout weekend, so you
can lookout for updates from me during weekend.
Regards,

CF

 

[CF]

Hello thecreator,

I apologize about taking a two week hiatus before tackling these PC issues.
I have good news. After clearing the CMOS bios and using only one connected
hard drive, I re-installed XP using the regular format & not quick format. I
now have a working system. I was able to re-connect what was originally the
primary HD, but is now the 'E' drive. The CD-ROM is the 'D" drive. If you
remember, the current 'E' drive
was the drive originally reporting the 'NTLDR file missing' messages. After
doing a quick search on boot.ini, XP could not find it(I probably need to
click the option which allows me to show hidden files). I will retrieve the
output of the defective drive's boot.ini & display them to you. At this point
I am thinking of trying to copy the boot.ini from the working 'C' drive to
the 'E' drive, swapping the cables between 'C' & 'E' & going for broke.
Otherwise you can expect the output from the bad boot.ini

Regards,
CF

 

[CF]

Hello thecreator,

Curently the large HD has 8 meg unpartitioned space while everything else is
inside one large partition, so I basically created one very large
partition(by the way, this is XP Pro). What would I gain by reformatting &
partitioning the HD into 2 logical drives as it pertains to the boot.ini, or
for that matter, any file needed during booting of system?

Regards,
CF

Hi CF,

That's okay.

Just remember, if you are starting over, try partitioning your large
Hard Drive. I don't have Windows XP Home Edition on any Hard Drive as C:\, I
have it installed as E:\ and G:\ on this computer. Partition / Drive C:
actually holds the Boot information, where you will find the Boot.ini file.
Each time, you make a change, the working Boot.ini is renamed
Boot.ini.saved.

This is a normal working Boot.ini Configuration File on my system:
[boot loader]
timeout=6
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition E" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition G" /fastdetect



--
thecreator

Hello thecreator,

I apologize about taking a two week hiatus before tackling these PC
issues.
I have good news. After clearing the CMOS bios and using only one
connected
hard drive, I re-installed XP using the regular format & not quick format.
I
now have a working system. I was able to re-connect what was originally
the
primary HD, but is now the 'E' drive. The CD-ROM is the 'D" drive. If you
remember, the current 'E' drive
was the drive originally reporting the 'NTLDR file missing' messages.
After
doing a quick search on boot.ini, XP could not find it(I probably need to
click the option which allows me to show hidden files). I will retrieve
the
output of the defective drive's boot.ini & display them to you. At this
point
I am thinking of trying to copy the boot.ini from the working 'C' drive to
the 'E' drive, swapping the cables between 'C' & 'E' & going for broke.
Otherwise you can expect the output from the bad boot.ini

Regards,
CF

 

[CF]

Hello thecreator,

After reading up on the subject, I can have 2 partitions: the system
partition which contains the boot files(NTLDR, NTDETECT, Boot.INI) & the boot
partition which contains Windows.
1) Is this what you were referring to?
2)If this is what you meant, is there an option that allows me to create a
system partition while installing windows in the other partitions?
3) If 1 & 2 are true, if I were to create a system backup from the working
'C' drive
do both drives need to be formatted/partitioned/created the same way?

Thanks in advance
Regards,

CF

Hello thecreator,

Curently the large HD has 8 meg unpartitioned space while everything else is
inside one large partition, so I basically created one very large
partition(by the way, this is XP Pro). What would I gain by reformatting &
partitioning the HD into 2 logical drives as it pertains to the boot.ini, or
for that matter, any file needed during booting of system?

Regards,
CF

Hi CF,

That's okay.

Just remember, if you are starting over, try partitioning your large
Hard Drive. I don't have Windows XP Home Edition on any Hard Drive as C:\, I
have it installed as E:\ and G:\ on this computer. Partition / Drive C:
actually holds the Boot information, where you will find the Boot.ini file.
Each time, you make a change, the working Boot.ini is renamed
Boot.ini.saved.

This is a normal working Boot.ini Configuration File on my system:
[boot loader]
timeout=6
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition E" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition G" /fastdetect



--
thecreator

Hello thecreator,

I apologize about taking a two week hiatus before tackling these PC
issues.
I have good news. After clearing the CMOS bios and using only one
connected
hard drive, I re-installed XP using the regular format & not quick format.
I
now have a working system. I was able to re-connect what was originally
the
primary HD, but is now the 'E' drive. The CD-ROM is the 'D" drive. If you
remember, the current 'E' drive
was the drive originally reporting the 'NTLDR file missing' messages.
After
doing a quick search on boot.ini, XP could not find it(I probably need to
click the option which allows me to show hidden files). I will retrieve
the
output of the defective drive's boot.ini & display them to you. At this
point
I am thinking of trying to copy the boot.ini from the working 'C' drive to
the 'E' drive, swapping the cables between 'C' & 'E' & going for broke.
Otherwise you can expect the output from the bad boot.ini

Regards,
CF

:

Hello thecreator,

Thanks very much for helping. As it turns out, this motherboard by Soyo
has
2 internal controllers, so each HD can be master in its respective
controller, but controller 2 can never own the "C" drive. When I
installed XP
on the "D" drive, it gave messages that it successfully installed but I
never
got past the "Verifying DMI Pool data" message followed by
YoYo(unreadable)
machine language. So I will disconnect the good drive, connect the 2nd
drive
to primary controller, & reinstall XP on the drive, but this time the 2nd
drive will be the "C" drive when I do the install. Even before I install,
I
will disconnect primary HD & make secondary HD "C" drive & reboot, I may
get
lucky. I could sure use some luck just about now, But at least I have a
plan,
I will keep you posted, I will be working on this throughout weekend, so
you
can lookout for updates from me during weekend.
Regards,

CF

:

Hi CF,

I found this link on the Web:
http://www.duxcw.com/faq/computer/dmi.html

Remove all CDs from the CD Drives and see what happens.

Also Clear Computer BIOS, by following the motherboard's
manufacturer's
procedure for resetting the Computer BIOS and see what happens.

You will need to manually readjust the settings you were using to
boot
to a specific Hard Drive.


--
thecreator

Hello the creator,

I am really at a loss here, running into more unexpected
complications.
After re-installing XP on the spare HD, Windows will still not boot
up. I
get
"Verifying DMI Pool data" message followed by "type any key to boot
from
CD".
Normally I don't type anything at that point so Windows will boot up
from
HD
after CD installation. But instead, I get "YoYo"(this is the
unreadable
stuff
I mentioned previously). Also
different parts of the ROMBIOS screen change color. The last time I
experienced this I wrote the HD off, obtained another HD & installed
XP,
which brings me to my present situation. So the only option I have is
the
following:
Take the good HD out of the machine & put it into another machine,
copy
the
data I want to keep & open the boot.ini file so I can forward to you
for
review.

If the boot.ini is repairable, I will do the necessary changes, put
HD
back
in problem machine & try to reboot. By the way, I am also getting the
"YoYo"
phenomenon when I try to boot from good HD. If booting from good HD
still
fails, I will format & install XP & hope for the best(since I copied
the
data
from this HD into another machine). I think I am on the verge of
getting
rid
of this machine(at least the motherboard which gave me at least 7
years).

Any Thoughts?
Regards,
CF

:

Hi thecreator,
Thanks for the input. I will install Windows on the 2nd HD. Once
re-installed, I will be able to access the main HD. I will also
retrive
the
contents of the main HD's Boot.ini & pass it along to you for
further
assistance. Stay tuned,
Regards,
CF

:

Hi CF,

Thanks for getting back to me.

One way to dual-boot is to use Rombios to select the Hard
Drive to
boot
to. Another way, is to use BootIt NG program, that you can buy or
use
for 30
days, then uninstall and reinstall the program.

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/index.htm

and download from:
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootit-next-generation.htm

If you have access to another operating system on the same
computer,
then use Explore to access the C:\ partition on that problem Hard
Drive
and
edit Boot.ini . Sometimes Boot.ini gets changed and points to a
different
partition, resulting in missing files error.

Also for Automatic Updates to work, the following must be set
correctly
in Services:
Automatic Updates Set to Automatic
Background Intelligent Transfer Service Set to Automatic
or Manual
Event Log Set to Automatic

--
thecreator



Hello thecreator,

I am using Drive C: and there is no dual reboot. Although I
have 2
HD's,
I
have to go into rombios to choose which HD to boot from. The
reason I
have
2
HD's is because I thought the first HD was bad, resulting in the
acquisition
of a 2nd HD.
I also tried some more commands last night with no
success(mbscan,
mblist,
mbrebuild) I could be saying them incorrectly but you get the
idea. I
also
confirmed my windows XP Pro CD is inclusive of SP2. Each time
Windows
is
installed, I always turn on automatic updates. Apparently no one
seems to
be
buying into my theory
of bad memory as the cause. I will replace the memory before any
further
attempts
at this machine, so there is time & I am open to suggestions. At
this
point,
the last message I get is "Verifying DMI Pool data" followed by
~~~~~(unreadable words)
The unreadable words are a result of doing the FixMbr & fixboot
commands.
Prior to my running these commands, the original problem was the
NTLDR
file
missing message. Anything you can suggest would be greatly
appreciated.
Regards,
CF

:

Hi CF,

What is the operating system's Drive Letter? Is it C:\? Are
you
dual-booting?


--
thecreator

Greetings,

A few months back I had the same issue & followed the advice
given:
Delete NTLDR & copy back from Windows Installation CD
Delete NTDETECT.Com & copy back from Windows Installation CD
If these things didn't work, then I did the following:
delete & create a new master boot record(FIXMBR & FIXBOOT)
None of these things worked. So I went to Windows Install CD,
chose
option
to
re-install windows over itself, & now I get message with some
kind
of
unreadable notation like the infinity sign.

 

[CF]

Hello the creator,

After creating a 40 GB partition for windows, I will format the unformatted
8M partition & I wil make the following assumption that the 8MB partition
will be used for the system files(NTDETECT, NTLDR, BOOT.INI, etc.), unless
there is something I missed. Otherwise, I may have another issue: Each time I
have used the XP CD, I don't believe I have ever had an option to format a
partition in FAT or FAT32. I believe NTFS is the only option(but then again,
I have not partitoned a hard drive into several partitions as you are
describing).

If NTFS is not an option for the soon-to-be-created C:\, should I find a
Windows'98
system disk & create partitions in that manner? or is NTFS for C:\ okay?

Thanks in advance

Hi CF,

Ideally, when you use Windows XP Pro Ed CD to partition, format and
install the operating system, you want to start with an unpartition or new
Hard Drive.

For Example: If a brand new Hard Drive was 320 GB in size, you want to
use the XP CD to create a partition size of 40 GB in size. After it is
created, you will notice an unformatted partition of 8 MB in size. Format
that space using either FAT32 or FAT. This will be Drive C:\. Next format
the 40 GB in size with the NTFS File System and install Windows XP Pro Ed.

You do not have to finish partitioning the Hard Drive all at once.
Within Windows XP, you can use the operating system to partition the rest of
the Hard Drive, or you can use, if you have it, Acronis Disk Director Suite
10. You never ideally want the operating system partition to be larger than
40 GB in size. Maintenance takes forever with large partitions. You want a
seperate partition for your Documents. Why? You don't need to worry about
losing the Documents partition, if your Operating System partition, becomes
corrupt and unbootable. You can reformat and reinstall the operating system
or even restore an image file of the operating system, when it was working.
Now, you can also create a seperate partition that holds your Drive /
Partition images, but ideally, you want a second Hard Drive to store the
image on, if possible.

Let's not forget about Outlook Express Store Folders, or the Briefcase
Folder. The Briefcase Folder, itself, does not need to be locate on the
Desktop, but can be located on the Documents partition, but not within My
Documents folder. Just create a shortcut of My Briefcase Folder on the
Desktop.

True, it is complicated, but well worth the hassle, if your operating
system becomes corrupted or unbootable. It is the User's Decision on how to
proceed. Note: Manufacturers create one Large partition and place the
operating system and everything inside it, because it is real fast getting
it out the door. As a User, you want a safe system, because problems do
occur.

To reply directly, take out "ofXuxa".

Both Hard Drives, do not need to be partitioned the same, unless you are
using RAID configuration.



--
thecreator

Hello thecreator,

After reading up on the subject, I can have 2 partitions: the system
partition which contains the boot files(NTLDR, NTDETECT, Boot.INI) & the
boot
partition which contains Windows.
1) Is this what you were referring to?
2)If this is what you meant, is there an option that allows me to create a
system partition while installing windows in the other partitions?
3) If 1 & 2 are true, if I were to create a system backup from the working
'C' drive
do both drives need to be formatted/partitioned/created the same way?

Thanks in advance
Regards,

CF

Hello thecreator,

Curently the large HD has 8 meg unpartitioned space while everything else
is
inside one large partition, so I basically created one very large
partition(by the way, this is XP Pro). What would I gain by reformatting
&
partitioning the HD into 2 logical drives as it pertains to the boot.ini,
or
for that matter, any file needed during booting of system?

Regards,
CF

:

Hi CF,

That's okay.

Just remember, if you are starting over, try partitioning your
large
Hard Drive. I don't have Windows XP Home Edition on any Hard Drive as
C:\, I
have it installed as E:\ and G:\ on this computer. Partition / Drive C:
actually holds the Boot information, where you will find the Boot.ini
file.
Each time, you make a change, the working Boot.ini is renamed
Boot.ini.saved.

This is a normal working Boot.ini Configuration File on my system:
[boot loader]
timeout=6
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition E" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition G" /fastdetect



--
thecreator

Hello thecreator,

I apologize about taking a two week hiatus before tackling these PC
issues.
I have good news. After clearing the CMOS bios and using only one
connected
hard drive, I re-installed XP using the regular format & not quick
format.
I
now have a working system. I was able to re-connect what was
originally
the
primary HD, but is now the 'E' drive. The CD-ROM is the 'D" drive.
If you
remember, the current 'E' drive
was the drive originally reporting the 'NTLDR file missing' messages.
After
doing a quick search on boot.ini, XP could not find it(I probably
need to
click the option which allows me to show hidden files). I will
retrieve
the
output of the defective drive's boot.ini & display them to you. At
this
point
I am thinking of trying to copy the boot.ini from the working 'C'
drive to
the 'E' drive, swapping the cables between 'C' & 'E' & going for
broke.
Otherwise you can expect the output from the bad boot.ini

Regards,
CF

:

Hello thecreator,

Thanks very much for helping. As it turns out, this motherboard by
Soyo
has
2 internal controllers, so each HD can be master in its respective
controller, but controller 2 can never own the "C" drive. When I
installed XP
on the "D" drive, it gave messages that it successfully installed
but I
never
got past the "Verifying DMI Pool data" message followed by
YoYo(unreadable)
machine language. So I will disconnect the good drive, connect the
2nd
drive
to primary controller, & reinstall XP on the drive, but this time
the 2nd
drive will be the "C" drive when I do the install. Even before I
install,
I
will disconnect primary HD & make secondary HD "C" drive & reboot,
I may
get
lucky. I could sure use some luck just about now, But at least I
have a
plan,
I will keep you posted, I will be working on this throughout
weekend, so
you
can lookout for updates from me during weekend.
Regards,

CF

:

Hi CF,

I found this link on the Web:
http://www.duxcw.com/faq/computer/dmi.html

Remove all CDs from the CD Drives and see what happens.

Also Clear Computer BIOS, by following the motherboard's
manufacturer's
procedure for resetting the Computer BIOS and see what happens.

You will need to manually readjust the settings you were using
to
boot
to a specific Hard Drive.


--
thecreator

Hello the creator,

I am really at a loss here, running into more unexpected
complications.
After re-installing XP on the spare HD, Windows will still not
boot
up. I
get
"Verifying DMI Pool data" message followed by "type any key to
boot
from
CD".
Normally I don't type anything at that point so Windows will
boot up
from
HD
after CD installation. But instead, I get "YoYo"(this is the
unreadable
stuff
I mentioned previously). Also
different parts of the ROMBIOS screen change color. The last
time I
experienced this I wrote the HD off, obtained another HD &
installed
XP,
which brings me to my present situation. So the only option I
have is
the
following:
Take the good HD out of the machine & put it into another
machine,
copy
the
data I want to keep & open the boot.ini file so I can forward to
you
for
review.

If the boot.ini is repairable, I will do the necessary changes,
put
HD
back
in problem machine & try to reboot. By the way, I am also
getting the
"YoYo"
phenomenon when I try to boot from good HD. If booting from good
HD
still
fails, I will format & install XP & hope for the best(since I
copied
the
data
from this HD into another machine). I think I am on the verge of
getting
rid
of this machine(at least the motherboard which gave me at least
7
years).

Any Thoughts?
Regards,
CF

:

Hi thecreator,
Thanks for the input. I will install Windows on the 2nd HD.
Once
re-installed, I will be able to access the main HD. I will also
retrive
the
contents of the main HD's Boot.ini & pass it along to you for
further
assistance. Stay tuned,
Regards,
CF

:

Hi CF,

Thanks for getting back to me.

One way to dual-boot is to use Rombios to select the Hard
Drive to
boot
to. Another way, is to use BootIt NG program, that you can
buy or

 

[CF]

I'll try first w/CD, & use Win'98 dos system disk as backup. I'll keep you
posted.
Thanks for everything

Hi CF,

The option to format with FAT and FAT32 are there. However, you could
use Windows 98 SE Startup Diskette and also BootIt NG program from a Floppy
Diskafter downloading the program from
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads-bootit-next-generation.htm . As
long as you don't install BootIt NG, but run it from Maintenance Mode, you
can work on Partitions, including imaging them from DOS.

Actually BootIt NG, when it creates partitions, doesn't leave any unused
space available. A program like Acronis Disk Director Suite 10, does.

It also has the ability to create Partition Images.

SPECIAL BUNDLE PRICING Purchase BootIt NG and Image for Windows (includes
Image for DOS/Linux and the OSD Tool Suite) together and receive over 40%
off the normal price from RegNow or BTSoftware.
All five products for only $49.98!

This is not a Sales pitch, because I don't work for TeraByte. I am
unemployed.



--
thecreator

Hello the creator,

After creating a 40 GB partition for windows, I will format the
unformatted
8M partition & I wil make the following assumption that the 8MB partition
will be used for the system files(NTDETECT, NTLDR, BOOT.INI, etc.), unless
there is something I missed. Otherwise, I may have another issue: Each
time I
have used the XP CD, I don't believe I have ever had an option to format a
partition in FAT or FAT32. I believe NTFS is the only option(but then
again,
I have not partitoned a hard drive into several partitions as you are
describing).

If NTFS is not an option for the soon-to-be-created C:\, should I find a
Windows'98
system disk & create partitions in that manner? or is NTFS for C:\ okay?

Thanks in advance

Hi CF,

Ideally, when you use Windows XP Pro Ed CD to partition, format and
install the operating system, you want to start with an unpartition or
new
Hard Drive.

For Example: If a brand new Hard Drive was 320 GB in size, you want
to
use the XP CD to create a partition size of 40 GB in size. After it is
created, you will notice an unformatted partition of 8 MB in size. Format
that space using either FAT32 or FAT. This will be Drive C:\. Next format
the 40 GB in size with the NTFS File System and install Windows XP Pro
Ed.

You do not have to finish partitioning the Hard Drive all at once.
Within Windows XP, you can use the operating system to partition the rest
of
the Hard Drive, or you can use, if you have it, Acronis Disk Director
Suite
10. You never ideally want the operating system partition to be larger
than
40 GB in size. Maintenance takes forever with large partitions. You want
a
seperate partition for your Documents. Why? You don't need to worry about
losing the Documents partition, if your Operating System partition,
becomes
corrupt and unbootable. You can reformat and reinstall the operating
system
or even restore an image file of the operating system, when it was
working.
Now, you can also create a seperate partition that holds your Drive /
Partition images, but ideally, you want a second Hard Drive to store the
image on, if possible.

Let's not forget about Outlook Express Store Folders, or the
Briefcase
Folder. The Briefcase Folder, itself, does not need to be locate on the
Desktop, but can be located on the Documents partition, but not within My
Documents folder. Just create a shortcut of My Briefcase Folder on the
Desktop.

True, it is complicated, but well worth the hassle, if your operating
system becomes corrupted or unbootable. It is the User's Decision on how
to
proceed. Note: Manufacturers create one Large partition and place the
operating system and everything inside it, because it is real fast
getting
it out the door. As a User, you want a safe system, because problems do
occur.

To reply directly, take out "ofXuxa".

Both Hard Drives, do not need to be partitioned the same, unless you
are
using RAID configuration.



--
thecreator

Hello thecreator,

After reading up on the subject, I can have 2 partitions: the system
partition which contains the boot files(NTLDR, NTDETECT, Boot.INI) &
the
boot
partition which contains Windows.
1) Is this what you were referring to?
2)If this is what you meant, is there an option that allows me to
create a
system partition while installing windows in the other partitions?
3) If 1 & 2 are true, if I were to create a system backup from the
working
'C' drive
do both drives need to be formatted/partitioned/created the same
way?

Thanks in advance
Regards,

CF

:

Hello thecreator,

Curently the large HD has 8 meg unpartitioned space while everything
else
is
inside one large partition, so I basically created one very large
partition(by the way, this is XP Pro). What would I gain by
reformatting
&
partitioning the HD into 2 logical drives as it pertains to the
boot.ini,
or
for that matter, any file needed during booting of system?

Regards,
CF

:

Hi CF,

That's okay.

Just remember, if you are starting over, try partitioning your
large
Hard Drive. I don't have Windows XP Home Edition on any Hard Drive
as
C:\, I
have it installed as E:\ and G:\ on this computer. Partition / Drive
C:
actually holds the Boot information, where you will find the
Boot.ini
file.
Each time, you make a change, the working Boot.ini is renamed
Boot.ini.saved.

This is a normal working Boot.ini Configuration File on my
system:
[boot loader]
timeout=6
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Home
Edition E" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Home
Edition G" /fastdetect



--
thecreator

Hello thecreator,

I apologize about taking a two week hiatus before tackling these
PC
issues.
I have good news. After clearing the CMOS bios and using only one
connected
hard drive, I re-installed XP using the regular format & not quick
format.
I
now have a working system. I was able to re-connect what was
originally
the
primary HD, but is now the 'E' drive. The CD-ROM is the 'D" drive.
If you
remember, the current 'E' drive
was the drive originally reporting the 'NTLDR file missing'
messages.
After
doing a quick search on boot.ini, XP could not find it(I probably
need to
click the option which allows me to show hidden files). I will
retrieve
the
output of the defective drive's boot.ini & display them to you. At
this
point
I am thinking of trying to copy the boot.ini from the working 'C'
drive to
the 'E' drive, swapping the cables between 'C' & 'E' & going for
broke.
Otherwise you can expect the output from the bad boot.ini

Regards,
CF

:

Hello thecreator,

Thanks very much for helping. As it turns out, this motherboard
by
Soyo
has
2 internal controllers, so each HD can be master in its
respective
controller, but controller 2 can never own the "C" drive. When I
installed XP
on the "D" drive, it gave messages that it successfully installed
but I
never
got past the "Verifying DMI Pool data" message followed by
YoYo(unreadable)
machine language. So I will disconnect the good drive, connect
the
2nd
drive
to primary controller, & reinstall XP on the drive, but this time
the 2nd
drive will be the "C" drive when I do the install. Even before I
install,
I
will disconnect primary HD & make secondary HD "C" drive &
reboot,
I may
get
lucky. I could sure use some luck just about now, But at least I
have a
plan,
I will keep you posted, I will be working on this throughout
weekend, so
you
can lookout for updates from me during weekend.
Regards,

CF

:

Hi CF,

I found this link on the Web:
http://www.duxcw.com/faq/computer/dmi.html

Remove all CDs from the CD Drives and see what happens.

Also Clear Computer BIOS, by following the motherboard's
manufacturer's
procedure for resetting the Computer BIOS and see what happens.

You will need to manually readjust the settings you were
using
to
boot
to a specific Hard Drive.


--
thecreator

Hello the creator,

I am really at a loss here, running into more unexpected

 

[CF]

Hello thecreator,

I have great news(thanks to you). I partitioned the primary HD as follows:
C:\ partition - 8 MB - formatted as FAT- used for system files
D:\ partition - 40 GB - formatted as NTFS - used for Windows XP
all system-related functions(printing, Anti-virus, sound drivers,etc.)
are installed in D:\ partition
E:\ - this is my CDROM
F:\ - this is secondary HD - used for documents, user applications

Since I had another physical HD, there was really no need to create a 3rd
partition
in the primary HD. Now I have just a couple of more questions:
1) I still cannot locate system files in C:\ partition. I know they are
there but are still hidden. Once I find them, I will copy them as .sav

2) I will get new memory as this was another task left after clearing the
CMOS Bios

3) Should the infamous "NTLDR File is missing" situation happen again, I
will do the following:
a) Rename the .SAV members & try to reboot
b) disconnect the primary HD & connect the secondary again as C:\, boot up
the system & find out what the problem is with system partition in primary HD
c) Reformat system partition if necessary

Is there anything you would add or change to the above?

Thanks in advance

I'll try first w/CD, & use Win'98 dos system disk as backup. I'll keep you
posted.
Thanks for everything

Hi CF,

The option to format with FAT and FAT32 are there. However, you could
use Windows 98 SE Startup Diskette and also BootIt NG program from a Floppy
Diskafter downloading the program from
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads-bootit-next-generation.htm . As
long as you don't install BootIt NG, but run it from Maintenance Mode, you
can work on Partitions, including imaging them from DOS.

Actually BootIt NG, when it creates partitions, doesn't leave any unused
space available. A program like Acronis Disk Director Suite 10, does.

It also has the ability to create Partition Images.

SPECIAL BUNDLE PRICING Purchase BootIt NG and Image for Windows (includes
Image for DOS/Linux and the OSD Tool Suite) together and receive over 40%
off the normal price from RegNow or BTSoftware.
All five products for only $49.98!

This is not a Sales pitch, because I don't work for TeraByte. I am
unemployed.



--
thecreator

Hello the creator,

After creating a 40 GB partition for windows, I will format the
unformatted
8M partition & I wil make the following assumption that the 8MB partition
will be used for the system files(NTDETECT, NTLDR, BOOT.INI, etc.), unless
there is something I missed. Otherwise, I may have another issue: Each
time I
have used the XP CD, I don't believe I have ever had an option to format a
partition in FAT or FAT32. I believe NTFS is the only option(but then
again,
I have not partitoned a hard drive into several partitions as you are
describing).

If NTFS is not an option for the soon-to-be-created C:\, should I find a
Windows'98
system disk & create partitions in that manner? or is NTFS for C:\ okay?

Thanks in advance

:

Hi CF,

Ideally, when you use Windows XP Pro Ed CD to partition, format and
install the operating system, you want to start with an unpartition or
new
Hard Drive.

For Example: If a brand new Hard Drive was 320 GB in size, you want
to
use the XP CD to create a partition size of 40 GB in size. After it is
created, you will notice an unformatted partition of 8 MB in size. Format
that space using either FAT32 or FAT. This will be Drive C:\. Next format
the 40 GB in size with the NTFS File System and install Windows XP Pro
Ed.

You do not have to finish partitioning the Hard Drive all at once.
Within Windows XP, you can use the operating system to partition the rest
of
the Hard Drive, or you can use, if you have it, Acronis Disk Director
Suite
10. You never ideally want the operating system partition to be larger
than
40 GB in size. Maintenance takes forever with large partitions. You want
a
seperate partition for your Documents. Why? You don't need to worry about
losing the Documents partition, if your Operating System partition,
becomes
corrupt and unbootable. You can reformat and reinstall the operating
system
or even restore an image file of the operating system, when it was
working.
Now, you can also create a seperate partition that holds your Drive /
Partition images, but ideally, you want a second Hard Drive to store the
image on, if possible.

Let's not forget about Outlook Express Store Folders, or the
Briefcase
Folder. The Briefcase Folder, itself, does not need to be locate on the
Desktop, but can be located on the Documents partition, but not within My
Documents folder. Just create a shortcut of My Briefcase Folder on the
Desktop.

True, it is complicated, but well worth the hassle, if your operating
system becomes corrupted or unbootable. It is the User's Decision on how
to
proceed. Note: Manufacturers create one Large partition and place the
operating system and everything inside it, because it is real fast
getting
it out the door. As a User, you want a safe system, because problems do
occur.

To reply directly, take out "ofXuxa".

Both Hard Drives, do not need to be partitioned the same, unless you
are
using RAID configuration.



--
thecreator

Hello thecreator,

After reading up on the subject, I can have 2 partitions: the system
partition which contains the boot files(NTLDR, NTDETECT, Boot.INI) &
the
boot
partition which contains Windows.
1) Is this what you were referring to?
2)If this is what you meant, is there an option that allows me to
create a
system partition while installing windows in the other partitions?
3) If 1 & 2 are true, if I were to create a system backup from the
working
'C' drive
do both drives need to be formatted/partitioned/created the same
way?

Thanks in advance
Regards,

CF

:

Hello thecreator,

Curently the large HD has 8 meg unpartitioned space while everything
else
is
inside one large partition, so I basically created one very large
partition(by the way, this is XP Pro). What would I gain by
reformatting
&
partitioning the HD into 2 logical drives as it pertains to the
boot.ini,
or
for that matter, any file needed during booting of system?

Regards,
CF

:

Hi CF,

That's okay.

Just remember, if you are starting over, try partitioning your
large
Hard Drive. I don't have Windows XP Home Edition on any Hard Drive
as
C:\, I
have it installed as E:\ and G:\ on this computer. Partition / Drive
C:
actually holds the Boot information, where you will find the
Boot.ini
file.
Each time, you make a change, the working Boot.ini is renamed
Boot.ini.saved.

This is a normal working Boot.ini Configuration File on my
system:
[boot loader]
timeout=6
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Home
Edition E" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Home
Edition G" /fastdetect



--
thecreator

Hello thecreator,

I apologize about taking a two week hiatus before tackling these
PC
issues.
I have good news. After clearing the CMOS bios and using only one
connected
hard drive, I re-installed XP using the regular format & not quick
format.
I
now have a working system. I was able to re-connect what was
originally
the
primary HD, but is now the 'E' drive. The CD-ROM is the 'D" drive.
If you
remember, the current 'E' drive
was the drive originally reporting the 'NTLDR file missing'
messages.
After
doing a quick search on boot.ini, XP could not find it(I probably
need to
click the option which allows me to show hidden files). I will
retrieve
the
output of the defective drive's boot.ini & display them to you. At
this
point
I am thinking of trying to copy the boot.ini from the working 'C'
drive to
the 'E' drive, swapping the cables between 'C' & 'E' & going for
broke.
Otherwise you can expect the output from the bad boot.ini

Regards,
CF

:

Hello thecreator,

Thanks very much for helping. As it turns out, this motherboard
by
Soyo
has
2 internal controllers, so each HD can be master in its
respective
controller, but controller 2 can never own the "C" drive. When I
installed XP
on the "D" drive, it gave messages that it successfully installed
but I
never
got past the "Verifying DMI Pool data" message followed by
YoYo(unreadable)
machine language. So I will disconnect the good drive, connect
the
2nd
drive
to primary controller, & reinstall XP on the drive, but this time
the 2nd
drive will be the "C" drive when I do the install. Even before I
install,
I
will disconnect primary HD & make secondary HD "C" drive &
reboot,
I may
get
lucky. I could sure use some luck just about now, But at least I
have a
plan,
I will keep you posted, I will be working on this throughout
weekend, so
you
can lookout for updates from me during weekend.
Regards,

CF

:

Hi CF,

I found this link on the Web:
http://www.duxcw.com/faq/computer/dmi.html

Remove all CDs from the CD Drives and see what happens.

Also Clear Computer BIOS, by following the motherboard's
manufacturer's
procedure for resetting the Computer BIOS and see what happens.

You will need to manually readjust the settings you were
using
to
boot
to a specific Hard Drive.

 

[CF]

Hello thecreator,

Each HD is 240 GB. Thanks for showing me how to unhide system files, I
believe I will invest in the Acronis software & also the director which
allows for disk optimization. I previously used Symantec Norton for that, but
over the years, Norton got too expensive & required a newer, faster & more
expensive machine just to run its software, so I dumped Symantec & replaced
w/Zone Labs internet suite. However internet suite doesn't clean windows
registry like Norton WinDoctor or perform disk optimization. So I will still
be on the hunt for a good registry maintenance product. I will also look for
the diagnostics tools from the hardware manufacturers from their web sites.
After I change the memory, & if I get good reports from the HD diagnostics, I
should be in good shape. The other thing I never did was flash the bios. It
was always presented to me that flashing was only required to address a
specific concern, whereas flashing was not necessarily the equivalent of
upgrading in order to avoid future problems(like going to VISTA when XP drops
support). I haven't seen any bios-related issues for this motherboard(SOYO)
regarding "NTLDR file missing", but there is a later version of bios out
there. Any thoughts on any of the above would be appreciated.

Hi CF,

How large are your Hard Drives? I ask because, while not necessary to
have, you always need extra space for holding Drive Images, which are
actually partition images. A good program to have is called Acronis True
Image 11 Home and you need the extra space to hold these images.

This link tells you about it:
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/ However, lots of
store sells it, and often is cheaper than buying directly from the
manufacturer, like Newegg.com .

And don't forget about BootIt NG also has the ability to image the Hard
Drive Partition.

However, in order to manually back up your System Files on Drive C:\ you
need to be able to see them.

Start > Control Panel > Folder Options and click View. In Hidden files
and folders, Dot "Show hidden files and folders" and uncheck "Hide
protecting operating system files (Recommended)". Click Apply then OK.

But you can also simply image Drive C:\ and there would be no reason to
disconnect anything. If it get's corrupted, just restore the image.

One other thing to do, is know your Hard Drive Manufacturer and download
its Diagnostic Tools and run it. If you have bad sectors and the diagnostic
tool repairs them. Repeat the test and if they come back, the Hard Drive
needs to be replaced.


--
thecreator

Hello thecreator,

I have great news(thanks to you). I partitioned the primary HD as follows:
C:\ partition - 8 MB - formatted as FAT- used for system files
D:\ partition - 40 GB - formatted as NTFS - used for Windows XP
all system-related functions(printing, Anti-virus, sound drivers,etc.)
are installed in D:\ partition
E:\ - this is my CDROM
F:\ - this is secondary HD - used for documents, user applications

Since I had another physical HD, there was really no need to create a 3rd
partition
in the primary HD. Now I have just a couple of more questions:
1) I still cannot locate system files in C:\ partition. I know they are
there but are still hidden. Once I find them, I will copy them as .sav

2) I will get new memory as this was another task left after clearing the
CMOS Bios

3) Should the infamous "NTLDR File is missing" situation happen again, I
will do the following:
a) Rename the .SAV members & try to reboot
b) disconnect the primary HD & connect the secondary again as C:\, boot up
the system & find out what the problem is with system partition in
primary HD
c) Reformat system partition if necessary

Is there anything you would add or change to the above?

Thanks in advance

I'll try first w/CD, & use Win'98 dos system disk as backup. I'll keep
you
posted.
Thanks for everything

:

Hi CF,

The option to format with FAT and FAT32 are there. However, you
could
use Windows 98 SE Startup Diskette and also BootIt NG program from a
Floppy
Diskafter downloading the program from
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/downloads-bootit-next-generation.htm .
As
long as you don't install BootIt NG, but run it from Maintenance Mode,
you
can work on Partitions, including imaging them from DOS.

Actually BootIt NG, when it creates partitions, doesn't leave any
unused
space available. A program like Acronis Disk Director Suite 10, does.

It also has the ability to create Partition Images.

SPECIAL BUNDLE PRICING Purchase BootIt NG and Image for Windows
(includes
Image for DOS/Linux and the OSD Tool Suite) together and receive over
40%
off the normal price from RegNow or BTSoftware.
All five products for only $49.98!

This is not a Sales pitch, because I don't work for TeraByte. I am
unemployed.



--
thecreator

Hello the creator,

After creating a 40 GB partition for windows, I will format the
unformatted
8M partition & I wil make the following assumption that the 8MB
partition
will be used for the system files(NTDETECT, NTLDR, BOOT.INI, etc.),
unless
there is something I missed. Otherwise, I may have another issue:
Each
time I
have used the XP CD, I don't believe I have ever had an option to
format a
partition in FAT or FAT32. I believe NTFS is the only option(but then
again,
I have not partitoned a hard drive into several partitions as you are
describing).

If NTFS is not an option for the soon-to-be-created C:\, should I
find a
Windows'98
system disk & create partitions in that manner? or is NTFS for C:\
okay?

Thanks in advance

:

Hi CF,

Ideally, when you use Windows XP Pro Ed CD to partition, format
and
install the operating system, you want to start with an unpartition
or
new
Hard Drive.

For Example: If a brand new Hard Drive was 320 GB in size, you
want
to
use the XP CD to create a partition size of 40 GB in size. After it
is
created, you will notice an unformatted partition of 8 MB in size.
Format
that space using either FAT32 or FAT. This will be Drive C:\. Next
format
the 40 GB in size with the NTFS File System and install Windows XP
Pro
Ed.

You do not have to finish partitioning the Hard Drive all at
once.
Within Windows XP, you can use the operating system to partition the
rest
of
the Hard Drive, or you can use, if you have it, Acronis Disk
Director
Suite
10. You never ideally want the operating system partition to be
larger
than
40 GB in size. Maintenance takes forever with large partitions. You
want
a
seperate partition for your Documents. Why? You don't need to worry
about
losing the Documents partition, if your Operating System partition,
becomes
corrupt and unbootable. You can reformat and reinstall the operating
system
or even restore an image file of the operating system, when it was
working.
Now, you can also create a seperate partition that holds your Drive
/
Partition images, but ideally, you want a second Hard Drive to store
the
image on, if possible.

Let's not forget about Outlook Express Store Folders, or the
Briefcase
Folder. The Briefcase Folder, itself, does not need to be locate on
the
Desktop, but can be located on the Documents partition, but not
within My
Documents folder. Just create a shortcut of My Briefcase Folder on
the
Desktop.

True, it is complicated, but well worth the hassle, if your
operating
system becomes corrupted or unbootable. It is the User's Decision on
how
to
proceed. Note: Manufacturers create one Large partition and place
the
operating system and everything inside it, because it is real fast
getting
it out the door. As a User, you want a safe system, because problems
do
occur.

To reply directly, take out "ofXuxa".

Both Hard Drives, do not need to be partitioned the same, unless
you
are
using RAID configuration.



--
thecreator

Hello thecreator,

After reading up on the subject, I can have 2 partitions: the
system
partition which contains the boot files(NTLDR, NTDETECT, Boot.INI)
&
the
boot
partition which contains Windows.
1) Is this what you were referring to?
2)If this is what you meant, is there an option that allows me to
create a
system partition while installing windows in the other partitions?
3) If 1 & 2 are true, if I were to create a system backup from the
working
'C' drive
do both drives need to be formatted/partitioned/created the
same
way?

Thanks in advance
Regards,

CF

:

Hello thecreator,

Curently the large HD has 8 meg unpartitioned space while
everything
else
is
inside one large partition, so I basically created one very large
partition(by the way, this is XP Pro). What would I gain by
reformatting
&
partitioning the HD into 2 logical drives as it pertains to the
boot.ini,
or
for that matter, any file needed during booting of system?

Regards,
CF

:

Hi CF,

That's okay.

Just remember, if you are starting over, try partitioning
your
large
Hard Drive. I don't have Windows XP Home Edition on any Hard
Drive
as
C:\, I
have it installed as E:\ and G:\ on this computer. Partition /
Drive
C:
actually holds the Boot information, where you will find the
Boot.ini
file.
Each time, you make a change, the working Boot.ini is renamed
Boot.ini.saved.

This is a normal working Boot.ini Configuration File on my
system:
[boot loader]
timeout=6