[MarkDreams]

Hi Guys
I have a some experience with installing OS but never enough!
Recently I returned from a LAN party but after resetting my IP Connection (no problem here)
I soon developed other problems when gaming with F4:AF.

1) Sidewinder v Saitek configuration conflicts.
2) Teamspeak (VOIP Program) Microphone (No Communications).

So I thought I would try and rebuild my PC. As the whole family (4 Users) use it a lot much depends
upon my ability to get the systems running with minimal disruption.

As I have two drives what I would like to do is reinstall one drive with the Original Windows XP Home and then
transfer data for all users using the BackUp created. Once this was working then I could Format the other drive and install Windows XP Pro OEM for my gaming platform.

Hence secondary drive E:\ was the one which I attempted for format ready to load Windows XP Home.

From the command prompt I typed:
FORMAT /FS:NTFS E:

I received a prompt asking:
Volume Label? <Enter> for none ?

At which point I returned:
<Enter> (KB-Enter)

All went well and so I then performed a checkdisk:
chkdsk /F

At this point I powered down. Now rebooted with the E:\ drive using IDE1 and set as primary drive.

The message displayed:
NTLDR is missing
Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to Restart

Obviously is looking for NTLDR to kick up the system. I tried many things in vain and had no joy!

I know that when the two drives are connected they are shown as drives C: E: respectively. Drive E: is the one on which I want to install Windows XP Home ... once working I will then Format drive C ready to accept XP Pro ... not before as I need the system running for whole family.

When E: is used as the sole drive ... on bootup I get the NTLDR message and the PC does not see the drive at all!

When I issued the command:
E: vol

The reply states:
Volume in Drive E is BackupData
Volume Serial Numbers is ............

If I then issue the command:
Format E:

The reply states:
The type of the file system is NTFS
Enter current volume lable for drive E:

Hence I entered:
BackupData

After which I get the reply:
An incorrect volume label was entered for this drive.

So in short I can not boot the system using drive E: as a primary drive with master boot settings as the PC does not recognise the drive. Consequently I can not install the OS ......

Sorry for such a long message .... hard to explain what is happening without quite understanding all aspects.
I hope you might be able to instruct me what to do ....

MarkDreams
Ps Will depart for work shortly. Will pickup any messages from home after returning from my shift. Hence please understand that I may not be able to reply for a few hours but rest assured I will. Thankyou in advance for all your help.

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You are trying to do the wrong thing, you can't boot for E: there is nothing on it. What you need to do it boot form the Windows XP CD that you what to use to install Windows with. I hope this guides your thinking down the right path.

If you need to know how to do any thing else just ask, you seam to know how to boot from what device and all that, so I don't need to explain.

[Michael]

You are trying to do the wrong thing, you can't boot for E: there is nothing on it. What you need to do it boot form the Windows XP CD that you what to use to install Windows with. I hope this guides your thinking down the right path.

If you need to know how to do any thing else just ask, you seam to know how to boot from what device and all that, so I don't need to explain.

[MarkDreams]

Dear Michael Buckley
Actually I closed the machine down. The drive I wanted to install windows on was then set as primary HD and the other HD disconnected. The machine could not find the HD it seems and I could not access the BIOS to verify if the BIOS had a problem. Does this make sense to you?
Issue remains unsolved.

Yes I can boot from CD Rom ... When the screen offers install OS ... I consent and then I get the message
about NTLDR (here too!)
MarkDreams.

[Michael]

That is abnormal, how about you try copying NTLDR (hidden file, so unhide them to find it) form the CD or other hard drive to the one that you what to install Windows on and see of that fixes it. I am going to do a bit of research in this, hope this tricks the computer into letting you install XP.

[MarkDreams]

Dear Michael Buckley
Thanks for your reply. Sorry I need to go bed now as 0500. Having left work at 0300 this morning.
I shall investigate and advise you advise the outcome in the morning / early afternoon. Normally I would have done this immediately ... but I need my sleep.
Thanks for your help.
MarkDreams

[MarkDreams]

Dear Michael Buckley
Ok I have tracked the file to the following location:
D:\I386\LANG\NTLDR

I found this by entering the following command at the command prompt after having moved to the D: drive.
(D: or CDRom Drive)

From the command prompt:
CD C:\

Then
D:

This puts you here D:\>

Then:
DIR /A /S /P >> C:\AllFilesOnWindowsXPHomeCDROM_MB.txt

The command prompt window will display page by page; pausing between pages untill a key is pressed.
The data is also written to a notepad text file on the C:\ drive.

Afterwards the saved document ( C:\AllFilesOnWindowsXPHomeCDROM_MB.txt ) can then be copied directly into an excel spreadsheet and using the Find command from Edit \Find I could search for the required file.

Hence the file resides in:
D:\I386\Lang\NTLDR

The question I have is how do I copy that to my drive?

I tried executing this command:
ATTRIB -H D:\I386\LANG\NTLDR

Reply was:
File not found - D:\I386\Lang\NTLDR

I will keep trying to think of any other ways but at present I am stuck.

Could tell you a few other things - but for clarity I have not included them. Just to say that when searching my HD I got unexpected results ... but then I dont know how NTLDR interacts.

Please advise your thoughts Michael as I would very much appreciate your help.

MarkDreams

[Michael]

NTLDR is a file that is vital to the booting process, I realy can't think why it is whated it just dose not make sence to me. The command to copy to form one place to another would look like this
COPY D:\I386\Lang\NTLDR C:\

I don't know if that will fix your problem.

I understand that you have another hard drive that has a working installation of XP could you put that hard drive in you computer and set it to Master and this one that you what to install XP to as slave. Then boot to Windows on you working installation. Now put in the XP CD and chose to install XP as long as you chose to do a fresh installation of XP and also select to install to you other hard drive (E:\ I think it would be called) I think that you might have no problems, worth a try!

[pip22]

Hope you don't mind me coming in here. I believe you are mistaken about the location of the NTLDR file. On my XP Pro it's here:
C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\ntldr

There is no I386 folder in the root of the Windows drive, at least not on my system.

Pip

[Michael]

It is not in either of those folders on my XP Home CD some deep, long directory if I rememeber right. I think it changes depending on what CD you have.

[MarkDreams]

Dear Michael Buckley & pip22
Pity your not sat here .... a lot simpler to say " there, now thats strange! What do you think?"

Ref C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\ntldr
Comments:
Using Windows \ Mouse I looked in i386 and could not see "ntldr" there nor in the "lang"
directory.

Comments:
Then I used the command prompt:

From C:>
dir /a /s /p NTLDR

Reply:
Total Files Listed:
3 File<s> 722,432 bytes
0 Dir<s> 66,842,570,752 bytes free

Comments:
I could easily advice two of the three locations listed. All different sizes.

Second Directory Listed:
C:\Windows\$NTServicePackUninstall$
1 File 222,368 bytes

Third Directory Listed:
C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386
1 File 250,032 bytes

Comments: I can hear somone saying "Told you so!" .....

First Directory Listed:
1 File 250,032 bytes

C:\Documents and Settings\Mark2\My Documents\Computer..........

Comments:
The computer seems to report Directories associated with various HTML files I have saved from the web amongst various folders. But no mention of NTLDR.


Ref The Good HD
Comments:
Yes I could install Windows on my existing disk. As I was fearful of screwing things up I wanted to use one of the other hard drives. I guess as a last resort that is what I will have to do. I have made a backup of this HD. If I decide to go this way (would prefer not as learning) and assuming that the Drive accepts the new installation of Windows .... Do I the use the BackupData created by the backup Utility provided by XP to simply restore data to original state. A little confused / nervous as never done this. That said maybe a good time to learn .... ( Can you imagine the family members loosing valuable data --- LOL!)

Well must go now ... back to work. One day I hope I will have learnt enough to break into the IT world. Far more exciting here!

MarkDReams

Ps Will continue until problem is solved.

[Michael]

I think you miss under stood what I meant. You can start and installation of XP form with in Windows. The while still in windows you can put in the CD start the installation, put in the CD code, chose what hard drive you what to install it to and enter some other settings. This means that form with in a working installation of XP you start the installation of XP to another hard drive.

Do you see what I am suggesting you do? Put the two hard drives in you computer boot to the working one and install to the empty hard drive.

Losing data is every ones worst nightmare on computers, that is why there are programs like Acorns True Image and Norton Ghost. Both are very easy to use and make image files of you hard drive that can easily to restored if some thing goes wrong. Have and image file on a DVD is a really nice thing to have when a computer goes unusable. Just restore the image file and you have every thing back operating system, programs, settings and personal data. I has saved me more that once.

[MarkDreams]

Dear Michael Buckley
Yes I did not read what you said at first. Oddly enough what you suggest is what I was hoping to do in the first place. Have a laugh ... My Laptop develop a problem with VB Basic ... sorted after determining missing file. Now my Win98 machine refuses to boot! LOL
Going back to this problem: I will take a fresh look at this in the morning after I have had some sleep! Tend to read my mails this time of morning befor I go to bed!
Can you copy this NTLDR file easily ... I mean have you tried?
Ah yes .... know any good script / batch files references? Just thought I would ask. I am always trying to learn as much as possible.
MarkDreams

[Michael]

I am sorry to hear you have had those other problems if you need help with them I will help.
I tryed copy Ntldr it was no diferent than copying any other file.

If you what to know about Batch file have a look Here
I have not gone further than lightly playing with scripts so I don't know any realy good place to look.

Test it out and tell me how installing XP goes

[MarkDreams]

Dear Michael Buckley
Was looking through my systems log and I came acrros this:
Product: Windows Operating System
ID: 11
Source: Disk
Version: 5.2
Symbolic Name: IO_ERR_CONTROLLER_ERROR
Message:The driver detected a controller error on %1

Explanation
This problem is typically caused by a failing cable that connects the drive to the computer.


User Action
Replace the cable.

Now I wonder ..... Guess I will be down the shop over the next few days. I wonder if that is causing my problem. Give me a few days ... rest assured I will get it fixed and will keep you posted!

[Michael]

That dose sound bad, I hate hardware errors, you try every thing, and then you find you have to go buy more hardware to fix it. Well lest see of a new cable dose any thing, if it dose not I will keep trying other things.

I will be waiting till you come back, I want to see this working.