Ntldr is missing error - pls help

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tech.addict

tech.addict

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I'm trying with various linux distros in my computer. Suddenly this morning I started to get a "Ntldr is missing - press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart" when I started to run XP. If I boot my PC with a old bootable WIN98 CD and then select boot from hard disk I'm able to get into windows. I reinstalled XP but without any result.
So what may be the cause and how to rectify it?
 
You may have changed your partition order, if that is the case.. all you need to do is edit the boot.ini and make sure it is pointing to the correct drive and partition.
 
just copying the ntldr file to the C:\ (or your default windows partition) partition might also work

before that you need to copy that ntldr file to a floppy or a cd or any removable media, alternatively, you can copy the ntldr file from the xp cd too

1. boot with the windows xp cd

2. start the recovery console

3. copy the ntldr file to your default windows partition

copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\

where 'e' is your cd-drive
 
Boot with XP CD - > Repair - > Command "Fixmbr" - > now "Fixboot".

Always works , unless you have messed up partition itself :) .
 
After copying Ntldr and Ntdetect in root directory of my windows installation disk i'm getting the message "bad boot.ini file starting from C:\Windows" and windows booted successfully.

Strangely enough I do not have any windows installion in my C: drive. It is for data storage. My windows is installed in D:\Windows.

So, how to edit the boot.ini? and how the system is seeing c:\windows instead of of d:\windows?

If i install linux in this stage will the grub mess my windows startup?
 
You need to make the windows partition the active partition, copy all boot files to it, and then edit the boot.ini to point to correct location...
 
download gparted LiveCd ISO and burn image to cd. Bot into Gparted LiveCd and chose your partition and make it active. (I think you should be able to find this easily enough, but since I don't have it open, I can't tell you exactly where to look.)

Copy

NTDETECT.COM

AUTOEXEC>BAT

CONFIG.SYS

io.sys

MSDOS.SYS

ntdlr

boot.ini

to boot partition

edit the boot.ini as follows

Here is an EXAMPLE using mine

Code: 
[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

You need to pay attention to the part below in red and make sure both the default section and the operating system point to the same place

rdisk(0)partition(1)

rdisk(0)

Which disk on the controller is being used. In the above example I am using an rdisk(0) which means the first disk on the primary controller. This number starts at 0 for disk 1 and 1 for disk 2.

paritions(0)

Which partition the operating system is on. In the above example, the operating system is on the first partition of the drive. This number starts at partition 1 for 1st partition..... 2 for 2nd.

A link with further info for you
 
archat68 said:
Strangely enough I do not have any windows installion in my C: drive. It is for data storage. My windows is installed in D:\Windows.
Click to expand...

What about this?

I;ve tried fixboot, fixmbr and bootcfg /rebuid without any result.

Now what I do is:

Keep the WinXP boot CD in my DVD. Restart PC. Wait for "press any key to boot from CD". But do nothing. So the PC waits and after sometime boots from HDD and this time I get no error. I get the usual OS selection menu and boot into Windows.

what's happening in this case? I'm curious.
 
as I said... the wrong partition is active partition. When you install windows xp... it ALWAYS installs the boot files to the active partition, even if you install the OS to a different partition, it will still install the boot files to the active one. Follow the above directions to fix it.
 
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