Missing NTLDR files no solutions work!

[Mr.Joecat]

I hope this is the right forum for this question. I have a "Missing NTLDR" problem where my computer won't boot up, and before coming to this forum I've tried every fix I found online, with no luck, so hopefully someone out there is expert enough to suggest something. I run Windows 2000 on my computer. I've tried using a reboot disc and a startup disc, both as a floppy and as a CD. I've made sure both contained NTLDR, NTdetect.com, and boot.ini files as suggested, but they don't work. The computer is trying to access them (I can hear it trying) but either the information on the discs is not being read correctly or it just won't work. So I can't get into my computer to edit anything, I can't upload any fixes by inserting discs, and I can't even run it on safe mode. Is there anything else I can try or has my computer become just one big paperweight? Thanks for any help you can give!

[Harry Kuhman]

NTLDR is the NT Loader. So someing in Windows is giving you problems, no shock there. Have you tried booting Knoppix? On most cases Knoppix can see the files on your system just fine, although there are obviously some problems with the file system that can destroy files well enough that they are not really there and Knoppix can't see them either. If you have a FAT partition Knoppix might even be able to let you replace files, but of course it can't include any Microsoft copyrigted files. If you have NTFS partitions then Linux can not sadely write to them, but it can stillbe used to make backups of the files before a complete reinstall. There are many ways to backup the files; across a network to another system is one of the most popular, but depending on what needs saved external USB devices, even flash devices mauy help, burning optical media (some tricks may be needed here if you have only one optical drive), and even adding an addition drive, partitioning it FAT, and copying files there all have been suggested.

[Mr.Joecat]

Ok, I’ve made quite a bit of progress since my postings yesterday. I went to various computer help sites and downloaded the files for something called an “Emergency Restore Disk� or “Emergency Recovery Disk� on a floppy. That seems to work, in that it allows me to get past the initial screen and onto my computer normally. But here’s where the catch comes in:

When I try to correct the “Missing NTLDR� problem, I’ve used both the Windows System Restoration CD, and I have even tried to totally reload Windows altogether. The computer then says that for the changes to take effect, Windows must be restarted. However, when I do the computer isn’t reading it as a re-start, but rather right back where I began, as if I was booting on for the first time before any changes were made, where it still needs the floppy to operate and doesn’t yet recognize any of the changes or fixes that have just been installed. In other words, its like the old chicken-or-the-egg problem: for the newly installed files to work, I need a successful re-start, but in order for the computer to get a successful re-start on its own, I need for the newly installed files to work. It’s like a Catch-22.

I’ve read one idea on different help sites, in manually going in and inserting the NTLDR / NTdetec.com / boot.ini files etc. They all say they are root files, but I’m a computer novice of sorts, and I need to know exactly where on Windows 2000 these files are normally supposed to operate from, what file/subfolder/subfolder and so on. Will it work if I go in and manually insert them, or are there better ideas? At least I can now get onto my computer, but only with the help of the floppy.

[TopFarmer]

the root of drive C is C: no subfolders.

Likely the easyest is boot into OS, open drive C: ,open floppy A: (with needed files) ,resize the windows so both are showen and drag files from A: and drop to C:.

You do have other problems if the repair does not finish, be sure in the BIOS setup that an entrie for virus detection is not turned on. (so bios do not have entrie)

Do you have more then one partition or hdds? (use disk management to look)

It is likey best to fix the comp with only Win tools and not Knoppix so suggest posting on a Win forum. Try a site search at forums to find answer first.
http://www.windowsbbs.com/index.php?
http://www.softwaretipsandtricks.com/forum/index.php?
http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/wwwboard.html