NTLDR is missing?

[erniehogan]

I have installed the Recovery Console as a startup option, Windows XP pro. I recently had occasion to use it, however, when doing so I received the message, "NTLDR is missing." I checked and found NTLDR and NTDETECT.com are both present on the C: drive. I received the same message when attempting to use the Recovery Console with the Windows XP CD. How do I get the Recovery Console to work?

 

[bcastner]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;318728

thread779-720095

 

[linney]

What file system is this? What size hard drive is involved? Besides XP and Recovery Console, are there any other operating systems that you have boot options for?
And are you saying you can boot to XP without any error message? Is your XP a recent upgrade over 9x?

 

[Caitlinjo]

The file system is FAT32, Maxtor 80GB SATA hard drive, XP pro is the only OS installed.

The problem with the computer not being able to boot was solved by using Norton Ghost to retrieve a recent backup from another hard drive. What the problem was I do not know. The symptom was scandisk running and getting to about the 75% point in the scan and the computer rebooting only to run scandisk again. The cycle kept repeating. That is when I tried to use the Recovery Console and saw the "NTLDR is missing, press any key to restart" message.

Everything is currently running properly. However, when I tried to access the Recovery Console just to see if I could use it, I was faced with the same "NTLDR is missing" message. I posted the question to see if someone could point me in the direction I need to go in order to be able to actually use the Recovery Console if and when I may need it.

 

[erniehogan]

I'm sorry for the confusion in the wrong handle being applied to my recent reply. I was using my daughter's computer and didn't realize that her handle was applied to my message. The previous answer was from me, Ernie Hogan.

 

[linney]

Only guessing here. This behavior might occur if your installation was cloned and then applied to a drive that has a different geometry from that of the source drive of the cloned copy. Maybe you will have to replace the current Ntldr with another version.

This article touches on the subject but is more 9x related.
314057 - "NTLDR Is Missing" Error Message When You Upgrade or Install Windows XP Over Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314057&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Could all your problems be because you have Formatted (via XP Setup) your drive as FAT32 and it is larger than 32gb?

Limitations of the FAT32 File System in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q314463

Can you now run Chkdsk? Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking.


If they don't work you could try repairing windows itself by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp

 

[erniehogan]

Thanks for your assistance Linney.

I think that I will uninstall the Recovery Console startup option and just forget it. I have a second hard drive in the computer that is used for a backup. I turn it on or off with a toggle switch and use it to clone the the main hard drive on a weekly basis. I have a third hard drive that I keep in another building on my property and use it for a monthly backup. So it seems that no matter what goes wrong with the computer, I'm pretty well covered.

Incidently, all of the three mentioned hard drives are identical.

As far as Im concerned, this case is closed. I appreciate the assistance offered, thanks.....Ernie

I have checked the drives in the computer for errors and have found none.