NTLDR Missing and Disk Read Error

[jl637]

Both of my hard drives on two SEPARATE computers decided to die on me
around the same time, making me unable to back up my data.

On one hard drive, I have an NTLDR is Missing error. After looking at
many websites, I inserted my WINXP cd and recopied the ntldr and
ntdetect.com from the cd to my C:\, and did a fixboot, AND a bootcfg
/rebuild. None of that worked!! Is there anything else I can do??

As for my other hard drive, I got a "Disk read error" and I can't even
access my C:\ drive when I used the Window's recovery console..it
turns out 2 of my partitions were no longer acknowledged. And now that
I reformated that C:\ drive, I can't even properly reinstall windows
anymore!! help!!

 

[Curious George]

Both of my hard drives on two SEPARATE computers decided to die on me
around the same time, making me unable to back up my data.

That's why you backup as you work per schedule not as hardware is
dying or when you get a psychic vision that a virus / user error is
coming.

On one hard drive, I have an NTLDR is Missing error. After looking at
many websites, I inserted my WINXP cd and recopied the ntldr and
ntdetect.com from the cd to my C:\, and did a fixboot, AND a bootcfg
/rebuild. None of that worked!! Is there anything else I can do??

As for my other hard drive, I got a "Disk read error" and I can't even
access my C:\ drive when I used the Window's recovery console..it
turns out 2 of my partitions were no longer acknowledged. And now that
I reformated that C:\ drive, I can't even properly reinstall windows
anymore!! help!!

Some options:

1. an antivirus boot disk
2. Winternals ERD commander or Administrator's Pack boot disks
3. bootable data recovery disk
4. pull the disks and try to read them on a working machine
5. add a disk and install an os on it. Then try to read from the
hosed disks.

I don't think there is enough yet to determine whether this is
hardware error of software/malware. In the future you should backup
your boot sector after every major intentional change to disk
structure. If the MBR is hosed you'r not going to be able to boot
even if you recopy ntldr and ntdetect or partitions will appear
missing.

 

[Zvi Netiv]

Both of my hard drives on two SEPARATE computers decided to die on me
around the same time, making me unable to back up my data.

On one hard drive, I have an NTLDR is Missing error. After looking at
many websites, I inserted my WINXP cd and recopied the ntldr and
ntdetect.com from the cd to my C:\, and did a fixboot, AND a bootcfg
/rebuild. None of that worked!! Is there anything else I can do??

The NTLDR missing error is issued by the partition boot sector and may have been
caused in result of incorrect settings of the drive in the BIOS. Before copying
the two files you should have checked if the files and directories on the C:
drive were accessible from the recovery console. Copying files, and attempting
to fix boot components with the wrong drive settings in the BIOS will only
worsen the problem, that could be easily recovered otherwise.

A better course of action was to clone the problem drive and do all recovery
work on the clone.

As for my other hard drive, I got a "Disk read error" and I can't even
access my C:\ drive when I used the Window's recovery console..it
turns out 2 of my partitions were no longer acknowledged. And now that
I reformated that C:\ drive, I can't even properly reinstall windows
anymore!! help!!

A disk read error usually indicates a bad or marginal sector. If there are many
of those, or their number increases rapidly, then again, the best course of
action is to clone the dying drive with no delay (deterioration may progress
real fast) and do all the recovery work on the clone. When caught at an early
stage, cloning many times is the entire solution.

Check www.resq.co.il/resq.php for CloneDisk.

Regards, Zvi

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

The NTLDR missing error is issued by the partition boot sector and may have been
caused in result of incorrect settings of the drive in the BIOS. Before copying
the two files you should have checked if the files and directories on the C:
drive were accessible from the recovery console.

Copying files, and attempting to fix boot components with the wrong drive settings
in the BIOS will only worsen the problem, that could be easily recovered otherwise.

Are you saying that recovery console, or whatever it is called, is running in CHS mode?

 

[Zvi Netiv]

Are you saying that recovery console, or whatever it is called, is running in CHS mode?

Not the least. What I am saying is that the parameters with which the drive is
mounted are passed from the boot phase to the OS and if the previous are wrong
then all sorts of bad things happen, especially when the wrong parameters are
also "supported" by a modified MBR or boot sector. These are basics in disaster
recovery.

Regards

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

The fact that they could be copied there are proof that they were.

Not the least.

Oh, good. So copying files is safe even when you appear to infer different.

What I am saying is that the parameters with which the drive is mounted are passed from
the boot phase to the OS and if the previous are wrong then all sorts of bad things happen,

Like that it doesn't boot up in the first place.
So how can bad things happen when it doesn't even boot-up.

especially when the wrong parameters are also "supported" by a modified MBR or
boot sector. These are basics in disaster recovery.

Only to antiquated software that works in CHS mode.