[twistedone]

I seem to be having problems booting up, it states "ntldr is missing, press any key to reboot". I've tried several different things to get it to work to no avail. I tried copying ntldr, and ntdetect.com from an xp disc, through the recovery console, but it didn't fix anything. I tried fixboot, fixmbr, and the like with no success. I tried booting from the winxp cd, and attempting to go and repair the installation, but when I went to repair it, the only option I had was to create a new partition over top of my old one. Is my only option to reinstall Windows XP, or is there anything else I could try?

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Hi twistedone!

When you installed XP, did you do it as an upgrade to another operating system such as 98 or ME?

Fenor

[Fenor]

Hi twistedone!

When you installed XP, did you do it as an upgrade to another operating system such as 98 or ME?

Fenor

[twistedone]

It wasn't regarding installing xp or upgrading or anything like that. My comp had been working fine for a couple of months, and then one day when it was booting it would get to the xp loading screen, then a blue screen would flash by too quickly to read anything, and loop endlessly. So, I went into the recovery console, did a chkdsk /r, and fixboot, and all seemed well. It was running fine for 2 days, and then one night, it downloaded some windows updates, and then I shut it off. When I turned it on the next morning the ntldr problem appeared.

[Fenor]

Before you did the fixboot in the Recovery Console, did you do a bootcfg /rebuild? Because without doing that first you are just replacing the boot sector with the same thing that didn't work previously. Like putting a band-aid on a 3 inch cut. It'll hold the blood in for awhile but it will eventually seep through.

Fenor

[twistedone]

Unfortunately I didn't, but there isn't anything I can do about that now.

[Fenor]

Just go back into the recovery console and if you are given a windows installation to log into, aka you have to type 1 to log into C:\WINDOWS, then do the bootcfg /rebuild and then /fixboot.

If you don't get the option to log into a windows installation, then once you are at the c:\ prompt, type fixmbr. This will attempt to fix the Master Boot Record of your hard drive and could possibly recreate the partition for your windows installation. This hardly ever works, but can't hurt anything given the situation you are currently in.

Fenor

Edited by Fenor, 10 November 2005 - 10:35 PM.

[Fenor]

Try what is suggest at this site. Never tried it myself, so let us know how it goes.

Fenor

[twistedone]

I'll try that and see how it goes. Also, when I go into the recovery console and do a chkdsk, is it odd that it says the serial numberi s 0000-0000? When I try and repair it it says the volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems. I'm thinking the only option left for me is to reformat.

[Fenor]

I'll try that and see how it goes. Also, when I go into the recovery console and do a chkdsk, is it odd that it says the serial numberi s 0000-0000? When I try and repair it it says the volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems. I'm thinking the only option left for me is to reformat.

Seems to me like your hard drive is very near death. If what I suggested in my last post doesn't work, then I suggest you get yourself a new hard drive, because if you don't, then very shortly you could be right back in this same situation.

Fenor

[twistedone]

Blah, I put this hard drive in like 6 months ago because my old 40gig one died.

[duhduhduh]

Try what is suggest at this site. Never tried it myself, so let us know how it goes.

Fenor

Hey - it worked! I checked here earlier today (from another computer, of course) looking for threads to get help with this same problem. Well, here I am at my own computer again. Huge sigh of relief, man - this thing saved me.

Anyone with this problem should definitely check out that link and give it a try (in case you have trouble, you can get to the site referred to above by going to www.tinyempire.com - after you click on "Fix It" the NTLDR problem is the first option on the list. Twistedone, I hope it works for you, too. Fenor, thanks for the tip. Since you hadn't used it yourself, I wanted you to know that it did work.

[Fenor]

SWEET SWEET SWEET SWEET SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glad it worked for you! And thank you for letting us know that it worked so that other people can benefit from it as well. I'm definitely putting that one in the 'works like a charm' book.

Fenor