Windows error message.....explaination inside

[zasgard]

Hello!

Here is my problem. I got to turn on my computer and it goes through its drive detection and then it goes through the boot sequence but before it can get to the Windows XP loading screen.....i get this message.. "Windows could not start because the following file is missing of corrupt: System32\Drivers\Ntfs.sys"
Then it says....."You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup using the original Setup CD-ROM. Select 'r' at the first screen to start repair"

I also get another screen that gives me a few options to restart windows....Safe Mode, Safe Mode w/networking, Safe Mode w/ Command Prompt, Last Known Good Configuration, and Start Windows Normally............I have tried all of them to no success.

so what should I do? I was told I should FDISK my HDD but when I went to go make a bootdisk for Win XP i got a system disk error so I had to take the floppy out.

Can anyone offer any suggestions? I dont mind reformating my HDD.

My specs: AMD 1600XP, Epox 8KHA+ MB, 20G IBM Desktar HDD, 512 ddr ram, gf2 t-500 64meg vcard, WINDOWS XP, soundblaster 5.1


Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!!

Bruce

 

[prescot9]

Bruce,

If you can get to another copy of NTFS.sys, you can replace the file without booting into XP, but it does take some doing to make a diskette to do this...

As long as you don't mind formatting, I would suggest that you have nothing to lose by simply rerunning setup for XP.

If you do decide to rerun setup, be sure to choose to "Repair an existing installation", and see if setup can replace that ntfs.sys file for you that way.

If you've installed any web-based updates for XP, you'll need to rerun them, but everything else should be ok.

Let Me Know!

Rich
prescot9@hotmail.com
Father, Geek, and MCP

 

[linney]

Have you tried putting your XP CD in and let it re-install over itself and repair it that way. If that did work you would save your data but need to reload all your XP updates and patches.

If your going to Fdisk you can use any old 9x startup disk to boot from. The one created by XP doesn't have Fdisk or much else on it. You might be able to get a startup disk from

http://www.bootdisk.com

 

[zasgard]

Thanks for all the respones and advice. I finally got win XP to start up but I realize now that the problem IS Windows XP....im now one of those that dislikes XP...I want to install Windows 2000 server on the machine as it has been running flawlessly on my other machine.

Can someone walk me through OR provide a link that can walk me through deleting XP, FDISK'ing?

Thanks all!

Bruce

 

[linney]

I am not familiar with Windows 2000, perhaps if you insert the 2000 CD it will give you the option to delete partitions and format a new one automatically.

Here are some links to walk you through Fdisk.

http://www.5starsupport.com/

How to Use Fdisk and Format to Partition/Repartition a Hard Disk

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q255/8/67.asp

http://www.compguystechweb.com/troubleshooting/fdisk/fdisk_scr.html

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&querytime=8E-E&q=fdisk

 

[Guest_imported]

When I start up my computer, which runs winxp, i get an error message in a dos type startup. It says "Boot from ATAPI CD-ROM : Failure ...
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER"
I do not have a system disk, Please do what you can.
-Jordie

 

[Guest_imported]

When I start up my computer, which runs winxp, i get an error message in a dos type startup. It says "Boot from ATAPI CD-ROM : Failure ...
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER"
I do not have a system disk, Please do what you can.
-Jordie

 

[tlcscousin]

Look in the floppy drive and the CD-Rom drive to ensure you have not left a bootable disk in place.It does sound like there is a CD in the drive and windows thinks you are trying to boot with it and it does not contain system files.

 

[prescot9]

Jordie_xp,

I have found that sometimes, the CD-ROM Drive itself doesn't REALLY support booting up from it...usually, this is with early model Pentium BIOS's. If you're using a 200, or perhaps 300Mhz Pentium PC, your BIOS may require an upgrade before it will boot properly form the XP CD.

You can test it this way:
1.) Insert a "known good", bootable CD disk into the CD-ROM Drive, and attempt to boot from it, (something like a Windows 98, Me, or NT4.0 CD Disk).

2.) If it works, then the trouble would be with either the "session" used to create your XP CD Disk, or physical damage to the disk.

3.) If it DOES NOT work, then you need to look at the Drive itself, or the BIOS upgrade as the culprit.

Rich
prescot9@hotmail.com
Father, Geek, and MCP

 

[Guest_imported]

I was getting error System32\Drivers\pci.sys is corrupt or missing....
I replaced it with another and then got Sytem32\..\ntfs.sys is missing or...
Decided to do a Repair on install and will post (if I can..) what happens.

 

[Guest_imported]

It worked had to repair it with install did not have quick repair disk - Need to add floppy. for missing or corrupt *.sys files, it seemed to work to Repair the install.

 

[squirtgunboat]

I have had this problem when reinstalling XP, when it gets to the Booting from ATAPI CD ROM, you have about 2 seconds to hit any key to continue, once you see the failure, then you have to shut off the puter and restart. See if that helps.

SG

 

[Guest_imported]

Hello i got a brand new computer the other day and when i try to play and games that are on a cd after a few mins it crashes and a screen apears that say the there is a page in a nonpage section. ntfs.sys if any one can help i will be very greatfull

 

[COMPMexico]

I am trying to re-format the hard disk. What is the bios command on WinXP machine so that I can boot from the CD first instead of the HD?

Help!

 

[scholar24]

COMPMex-select boot order in bios as 1. cd-rom 2.hard disk 0 3. floppy