Boot up failure

[udayan]

HI Friends
Just now I fixed a computer with a Jetway Via chipset m/b- don't remember the number- with tualatin support and used a VIA c3 - 600 MHz CPU with 128 SDRAM and 7200RPM 40GB Samsung.
After loading Windows XP it worked for two days eventhough it took an hour to install XP.
Now it crashed.
When I switch on the computer I get a message "NLDR missing"
What could be the problem?

 

[Scotsdude]

could the message be "NTLDR missing"?

if it is, it means that the windows installation is a bit guggered. you may be able to do something using the recovery console from the XP cd, I'm not sure.

by the way, an hours about right for XP installation... Scotsdude
Help us help you - let us know when our insane scribblings help!!

 

[wolluf]

If this was upgrade,

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314057

might be useful.

Otherwise, I'd try recovery console -

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654.

check that ntldr is present (in root of C:, hidden, system, read only file so attrib ntldr -s -h -r first). If it isn't, copy it from XP install CD (\i386). check ntdetect.com & boot.ini present too. Then (whem all 3 files present), run fixboot.

PS. Create an emergency XP boot disk by copying all 3 files (boot.ini, ntldr, ntdetect.com) to a newly formatted floppy. This will boot your XP installation.

 

[snlburns]

On a simple note. Make sure you have not got a floppy disk in the drive. NT/2000 both will give that same error if you have a non system disk in the drive at boot.