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Thread ID: 56661	2005-04-11 23:23:00	NTLDR is Missing - Help!	Strommer (42)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
343915	2005-04-12 04:58:00	Boot off the XP CD, Repair "R" when at the console type fixmbr and then fixboot as Metla has mentioned. But it won't work if you primary (boot) drive is not detected, you need to fix that first. If you want to try repairing by restoring files, you can do that by booting to the XP CD as well and, although your i386 files should protect Windows updates and such like, 3rd party changes/files may be lost (.dll files in the main). You can confirm the replacement or not of each system file rather than let Windows CD decide, I've done this twice, it took blimmin ages with a dose of OOS for good measure (I only wanted to recover about 4 files out of 10,000+).	Murray P (44)
343916	2005-04-12 09:52:00	Now back from Wgtn... Thanks Murray. Before I go any further, here is a basic question: if the primary boot drive (assume you mean my primary hard drive) is not detected, as per the bios status report, then it would be impossible for me to reformat the HD, correct? What I am aiming at is this: if the HD is 'disconnected'/undetected, then it means I must take it back to the shop, right?	Strommer (42)
343917	2005-04-12 11:36:00	Now back from Wgtn . . . Thanks Murray . Before I go any further, here is a basic question: if the primary boot drive (assume you mean my primary hard drive) is not detected, as per the bios status report, then it would be impossible for me to reformat the HD, correct? What I am aiming at is this: if the HD is 'disconnected'/undetected, then it means I must take it back to the shop, right? Yes C: drive (whatever), I should have said primary/boot, it's not always obvious but I guess you just have the one OS installed . Why can't you pop the lid? If your not allowed to under your warrenty terms it would seem a bit tedious to have to RTM for minor irritations, how do you get on popping an add-in card in? Anyway I digress, if your BIOS or CMOS are corrupted or damaged then it would be best to get it fixed under warranty, but you'd like to know with more certainty it was that before going to the bother . Have you tried auto detect HDD in the BIOS? or Reset the BIOS to Default? One thing in your favour is, it's not coming up with No System Disk type error, I'm wondering though whether your partition table has been trashed (BTW, I doubt an file eraser app would be able to write to the MBR, boot sector or partition table, a disk app might with explicit permission) . Did you make any changes in Disk Management to say an active partition? If you can boot to the XP CD and it finds C or better still Windows then at least you'll know it's all there and not down the gurgler . If fximbr and/or fixboot doesn't work, then you can try replacing some files; boot . ini, NTLDR, Ntdetect . com and some other(s) that escape me at the mo . I'm also going off win2k experience but I don't believe XP is different but it would pay to check at MS Knowledge base (or here) and print off articles before proceeding . A parallel install is another option but rather messy . Edit: Decided to hunt out some links . Is MS KB getting more useless, I think so, very little info for XP that I could find, but I was in a rush to beat the edit limit . MS MBR, Boot article ( . microsoft . com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default . asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkd_tro_evwd . asp" target="_blank">www . microsoft . com) under troubleshoot lol, and another here ( . microsoft . com/default . aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320397" target="_blank">support . microsoft . com) pretty much as useless until you use the link to the good old Win2k one here ( . microsoft . com/kb/318728/" target="_blank">support . microsoft . com) that I used when I had my troubles . Some of those files look a bit diff, memory gone up in smoke :eek: May as well sling this one at you too ( . microsoft . com/search/results . aspx?view=en-us&st=b&na=82&qu=+%22NTLDR+Is+Missing%22++Windows+XP" target="_blank">search . microsoft . com), you can pick it clean .	Murray P (44)
343918	2005-04-12 18:29:00	I am reluctant to open the case since it would invalidate the warranty.................not ONE of the previous helpful suggestions about using boot disks etc will be of any use if the system cant find the hard drive........try setting your bios to 'defaults' and failing that ..........take the thing back to get it repairred under warranty cause ..........'primary harddrive - none' is NOT good and you cant do damn all unless you get the system to recognize it...........	drcspy (146)
343919	2005-04-12 21:35:00	Murray & DrCSpy - many thanks. I will now try to reset the Bios to default, and if this does nothing I will plan yet another trip over the Rimatukas into Wgtn - it is a gray wet day here so the trip will be somewhat of a drag.	Strommer (42)
343920	2005-04-13 02:10:00	Isn't NTLDR one of the hidden system files in the root directory? I think it's the programme which starts the loading of the OS.("NewTechnologyLoaDeR"). ;) There's no way a disk cleaner programme should touch it.	Graham L (2)
343921	2005-04-13 02:43:00	Isn't NTLDR one of the hidden system files in the root directory? I think it's the programme which starts the loading of the OS . ("NewTechnologyLoaDeR" ;) . ;) There's no way a disk cleaner programme should touch it . That's what I was thinking Graham . Also, if the drive was not detected, I'm sure the No System Disk error or some such will pop up before the NTLDR message gets a look in . Thats why I think boot, mbr, partition tables may be corrupted or the BIOS has got itself in a knot . If the Drive wasn't detected then the OS or it's loader could not report that NTLDR was missing could it! and as far as I know, Windows is not included in motherboard firmware just yet, shudder! I hope the shop does not resort to wiping Steves info and reloading without trying a few things first .	Murray P (44)
343922	2005-04-13 08:24:00	Murray, Graham, et. al., well all is OK now. Went to Welly, dropped off the PC, heard it would take the standard 2-5 work days, ate lunch, read Dom Post, went to make a booking, met a friend, then got a ring on the cellphone to say I could pick it up. :thumbs: Before I left home, I did try to do a repair and also a reinstall (from the XP CD) but it got hung up on the 'press F8' if you agree with MS blah blah. Also noticed that the primary HDD was in fact detected but this was displayed for only a split second during the initial DOS-style boot up bit - I had to use the Pause button to read it but then it would not come off of Pause. So I gave up and decided to drive over the hill so I could get it back next week. Metla says that most PC jobs are around 3 minutes and they charge 20 notes or even more; maybe that is what they did but I felt like shoving the problem on someone else so I wouldn't be temped to toss it out the window - ha! Anyhow, they were able to do a fix-repair XP or whatever it is called so the data and programs should all be there. Will set it up tomorrow as I cannot be bothered tonight and my wife would probably throw the PC out the window if I did do 'puting tonight (figuritively speaking, of course!). I sure was not looking forward to reinstalling all of the programs again, or putting back all the backed up data. Well, I did learn a few things through all this - thanks again for the assistance.	Strommer (42)
343923	2005-04-13 19:51:00	Metla says that most PC jobs are around 3 minutes and they charge 20 notes or even more;...........hmmmmm.........think i'll go be an understudy for mr Metla.....in my experience there are very few pc repair jobs that take 3 mins......	drcspy (146)
343924	2005-04-13 22:49:00	Thats taken out of context, I said installing a device takes 3 minutes,and that is only when the case is well laid out and the item doesn't require drivers (as in ram,optical drive etc etc) The real work as has been discussed many times can take hours to complete,though one shouldn't have to sit infront of the system as you put it through its paces.....	Metla (12)
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