"NTLDR is compressed..." Need help

[Yichuan Dong]

Hello,
My computer is a Compaq Presario. I do not know the model number, however, because I cannot boot up my computer. When I get to the OS choices menu, a message saying, "NTLDR Compressed Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart." Before this happened, I used the compaq recovery console in an attempt to fix a seriously damaged copy of Windows XP Home Edition; System Restore wouldn't work. When I do get into the boot menu by pressing F10 (for recovery), it replaces Home with a non-functional Windows XP Pro. Also, I don't have the Windows XP CD. Could this have been a virus? I can't format the hard drive, either. Please help. I have years of work that has not been backed-up. Thanks.


-astroview120mm

 

[John John]

Hello,
My computer is a Compaq Presario. I do not know the model number,
however, because I cannot boot up my computer. When I get to the OS
choices menu, a message saying, "NTLDR Compressed Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to
restart." Before this happened, I used the compaq recovery console in an
attempt to fix a seriously damaged copy of Windows XP Home Edition;
System Restore wouldn't work. When I do get into the boot menu by
pressing F10 (for recovery), it replaces Home with a non-functional
Windows XP Pro. Also, I don't have the Windows XP CD. Could this have
been a virus? I can't format the hard drive, either. Please help. I have
years of work that has not been backed-up. Thanks.

I don't know what the "compaq recovery console" is, to repair the ntldr
problem you can use the Windows Recovery Console and change the
compression attribute on ntldr. If you don't have a real Windows cd you
can download the setup diskette set and use them to boot to the Recovery
Console: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310994

To "decompress" ntldr simply boot to the Recovery Console and issue the
following commands (pressing <Enter> after each):

CD \
ATTRIB -C NTLDR

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

That should take care of the ntldr problem but there is no saying
whether or not the computer will boot. You mention that you tried to
repair your Windows installation and that it had unexpected results.
You mention that you have "years of work that has not been backed-up"
and that you cannot format the drive. At this point I would strongly
advise you to forget about ntldr or recovering Windows and that you
handle this as a file recovery operation. Mount your disk to another
Windows XP computer or use a live cd and salvage your files while you
can! Once you have salvaged your files you can then try to repair the
Windows installation, or do a clean install if the installation cannot
be repaired.

You will have to review your back-up strategy, an external USB drive is
relatively inexpensive and is excellent for backups. Even backups on
cd's are better than nothing! Every step in your continuing attempts to
repair the failed Windows installation is one extra step that could
corrupt your files beyond the salvageable point!

John

 

[Patrick Keenan]

===========
Hello,
My computer is a Compaq Presario. I do not know the model number, however,
because I cannot boot up my computer. When I get to the OS choices menu, a
message saying, "NTLDR Compressed Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart." Before
this happened, I used the compaq recovery console in an attempt to fix a
seriously damaged copy of Windows XP Home Edition; System Restore wouldn't
work. When I do get into the boot menu by pressing F10 (for recovery), it
replaces Home with a non-functional Windows XP Pro. Also, I don't have the
Windows XP CD. Could this have been a virus? I can't format the hard drive,
either. Please help. I have years of work that has not been backed-up.
Thanks.


-astroview120mm

============

I agree with John, you should treat this as data recovery, primarily because
you don't have a backup. New drives are cheap - I see 250 gig SATA drives
for about CDN$75. .

Take the old drive out and get a new drive, and install XP to the new
drive. Once you're done, reattach the old drive and copy your data from
it. If all goes well, all you'll have to do is Take Ownership to get your
files. It will be fairly easy and you'll be done in a few hours.

If you continue the route you're presently on, you increase the risk of
further damage and data loss. If the data is worth anything, stop and do
it right. In your situation, that means treating the existing files as the
only backup copy, and you don't want to write *anything* to that disk.

If you don't have an XP disk, you have two choices. First, contact Compaq
for replacement media, or a company like www.restoredisks.com. Second,
buy a new license. An OEM disk for XP Home will probably be in the $100
range. A full retail version is around CDN$200.

For option 2, you will also need to go to the Compaq site to get the
hardware drivers for your system. This will be easy once you know the
model number.

You don't need to start the system to find the model number. There are
identifying stickers on it, usually on the bottom of a laptop or on the back
panel of a desktop/tower system chassis.

HTH
-pk

 

[Gary Brandenburg]

Hello,
My computer is a Compaq Presario. I do not know the model number, however,
because I cannot boot up my computer. When I get to the OS choices menu, a
message saying, "NTLDR Compressed Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart." Before
this happened, I used the compaq recovery console in an attempt to fix a
seriously damaged copy of Windows XP Home Edition; System Restore wouldn't
work. When I do get into the boot menu by pressing F10 (for recovery), it
replaces Home with a non-functional Windows XP Pro. Also, I don't have the
Windows XP CD. Could this have been a virus? I can't format the hard drive,
either. Please help. I have years of work that has not been backed-up.
Thanks.


-astroview120mm

I experienced the same message a while back & a repair install did the
trick:
(You'll have to download all the updates again afterward)

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

~Gary