Missing NTLDR

[The Hunter]

Im still working on trying to get the bugs out of this pc, and I have an old 8 gig fujitsu, that was given to me a while ago, and worked great as a second drive. I went to install it as my main drive to check it out a bit more, as I plan to install my spare OS on it for a back up. I set the jumpers up no problem, but the message I got was missing NTLDR. Now heres the wierd part, the computer boots fine from the 40 gig fireball Im now using. Im wondering if the firmware for the drive may have been buggered up by the previous owner of the drive. If thats the case, how do I get it back up and running?

[cpugeniusmv]

Does the error occur during the installation of Windows, or after it's done?

You may be able to fix it by booting with the XP CD, and going into the Recovery Console (http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxprcons.htm). The commands that should ™ fix it are fixboot, and fixmbr (fixmbr probably not necessary...but safe.)

If that doesn't work, I have some more ideas.

[Miniver]

If you were using it as a slave drive, it has no ability to be booted, as it probably has no os. Simply change your bios settings to boot from cd-rom first, if they aren't already, and boot up your install cd for windoze. Bill takes care of the rest.

[cpugeniusmv]

Yeah, NTLDR is a windows error...if there's already an installation on that disk (and you want to get rid of it anyway)...just boot from a CD, format and install.

[The Hunter]

It did have 98se on it earlier, and had been used to run a duel boot with xp. Im going to tinker with it tonight if I get the chance. I really have to get a spare pc, so I can mess around with this stuff, and still be online.

[Miniver]

Right, but if it wasn't the master drive in the dual boot, it would not be bootable. All you need to do is boot a install cd and either keep the partition already there and don't format, if you want the data, or repartition and reformat if you don't. Note: If you don't reformat you will have to use se's fat system instead of nt's nifty ntfs.

[The Hunter]

It had been a master drive at one time, but after talking to the person I loaned it to, they were trying to make more space by deleting some files manually. That totally explains WTF happened.

[Dark Messenger]

cool. I hope it works out for you...btw if the old installation directory still exists and you overwrite it with a new installation...then all previous installed programs will need to be reinstalled...unless you install it to a different folder like "win98se" or "windows.000"..

I suggest installing to a different directory..then while in windows removing the read only and hidden attribute from msdos.sys and editing the paths below:

[Paths]
WinDir=D:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=D:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=D
UninstallDir=D:\

to match the location for the old windows installation....example D:\windows or whatever (if you installed to 'win98se' the paths would need to be changed to match the old locations..if you wanted to preserve the old programs installation...then simple save the msdos.sys file with the same extension and make it readonly and hidden again.

should work great. Don't edit below the line that says:
";The following lines are required for compatibility with other programs.
;Do not remove them (MSDOS.SYS needs to be >1024 bytes)."
and you should be fine.
Good luck to you and please let us know how it goes in the forum. :gj:

Please ask if anything is unclear here.

[The Hunter]

Actually thats what I want, a clean installation, that I can install xp on.

[Dark Messenger]

Actually thats what I want, a clean installation, that I can install xp on.

okay, cool. Sounds like you're on your way then. :gj:

cheers.

[The Hunter]

Another question here folks, I have Acronis Disk Director Suite, and I have never used it before. Im wondering if I have this drive in my spare bay as a secondary drive, and format it as a primary drive, will it then be frigging able to load xp when I put it back in as a primary drive.

[cpugeniusmv]

Another question here folks, I have Acronis Disk Director Suite, and I have never used it before. Im wondering if I have this drive in my spare bay as a secondary drive, and format it as a primary drive, will it then be frigging able to load xp when I put it back in as a primary drive.
Windows always installs the boot loader on the first master disk. If you want to be able to switch to that installation later without depending on the other disk, take the first drive out of the picture, install XP to the "new first drive", then put the other drive back in.

If something were to happen to the first disk, you would simply remove it and boot from the second disk ("new first disk")

[The Hunter]

LOL, and now Im right back to where I started, as the fucker wont install because of the missing NTDLR, I guess Im going to have to change the boot order, so it will boot from the cd, and choose format, install. Sorry for being a pain in the ass, but im left handed, and right now my left wing is kinda screwed up and its a royal pain in the ass trying to keep swapping drives with one hand, especially when its not the one you are used to working with. Hmm my floppy drive is kinda screwed, so I guess its best If I just remove the thing, and change the boot order.

[The Hunter]

question gang, can I just unhook the defective floppy drive, IE remove the power and system cables, and then on reboot, change the boot order?

[cpugeniusmv]

question gang, can I just unhook the defective floppy drive, IE remove the power and system cables, and then on reboot, change the boot order?
Absolutely.

[The Hunter]

Thank you young feller. This is getting frigging annoying, as my software I normally use to fill the drive with zeros is on a floppy. Time to get on the phone, and order a new drive.

[The Hunter]

A new one will be delivered to my door tomorrow, for $12.00 plus tax.

[cpugeniusmv]

I use dban (http://dban.sourceforge.net/) for zeroing. It has floppy and also bootable CD images.

[The Hunter]

Interesting, as I was still using the software I downloaded from Fujitsu. It sounds like its time I updated some of my software.

[cpugeniusmv]

If you decide to try dban, be careful (http://www.cipherserver.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=280). The default option has (according to the link) 9 full passes of erasure. That could take a significant amount of time.

[The Hunter]

ROTFL, but just think how clean it would be. Sort of a cyber douche.

[cpugeniusmv]

Next time I burn dban...I'm writing that on the CD.