Ntldr is missing please restart - Overclock.net

darkninja · 11-10-09

Hey guys!
I am looking for help with this error that i get when i try to install windows onto my computer. I had windows installed o it before and using acronis Partition magic i wiped, formated and repartitioned my harddrive to the active partition that takes up the full harddrive space and is NTFS, I have burnt 3 discs of the windows installation now and they have worked every other time on my other computers but this time when i boot from the cd to start the install progress i just get the message "NTLDR is missing Press <ctr> <Alt> <del> to restart" and i cannot install windose(XD) this has happened to me once before and the harddrive thati am installing windows on had ubuntu on it before but i removed that and have been using it as a second hard disc ever since. Any help is greatly appreciated

.
~Dan

**_02** · 11-10-09

So you just have one disk, one partition?

Have you already installed windows and this is happening on reboot?

darkninja · 11-10-09

i have 2 hard drives.... windows is currently installed on one and i am installing windows on my second hard disk and am then going to move my documents / etc across then reformat the original disk and use it as my Data disk. the error happens after this:
1. installation disk in disk drive
2. turn computer on
3. select boot from cd drive
4. computer then sends the error message and i have to restart computer...
Cheers
~Dan

**_02** · 11-10-09

Unplug all HDD other than the one that you want to install your OS on and then run the installation.

Format that drive entirely and install. After install reattach the other drive, move your files over. Then format that drive and make sure that the MBR is on your new installation and is marked as the system partition.

I feel like I'm missing something, but that sounds like it. I had this problem with my w7 install.

Flatliner · 11-10-09

No need to do what _02 said, this can be repaired fairly easily.

1. Pop in your windows disc and reboot, this should allow you to get into windows since every disc has ntldr and a few other necessary files for startup.
2. You can either copy the ntldr file from the disc into the windows root directory, or run a system restore to when it was working fine.
3. ???
4. Profit!

EDIT: It seems that I jumped the gun and answered a little too quickly. Have you tried installing a different version of windows? and you say that the disc works fine on other computers (if not try burning it at a lower speed).

**_02** · 11-10-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flatliner

No need to do what _02 said, this can be repaired fairly easily.

1. Pop in your windows disc and reboot, this should allow you to get into windows since every disc has ntldr and a few other necessary files for startup.
2. You can either copy the ntldr file from the disc into the windows root directory, or run a system restore to when it was working fine.
3. ???
4. Profit!

EDIT: It seems that I jumped the gun and answered a little too quickly. Have you tried installing a different version of windows? and you say that the disc works fine on other computers (if not try burning it at a lower speed).

It sounds like the OS is looking for the MBR where it doesn't exist. This is probably because the MBR is on the other drive. If you don't care about preserving your other install anyway, detaching the drive takes it out of the picture, where you will be free to install the OS and deal with the other drive after install.

iKxGaMeX · 11-10-09

If you want to keep your XP installation on that drive run windows setup the press R to repair. Select your windows installation then run these commands:

Fixboot

Fixmbr

darkninja · 11-11-09

Guys,
Ok update!
I have only got the one drive in at the moment which is the one that is reformated and empty of data, but on 2 of the different types of windows installation disks that I have I just get "non system disk. Press <CTR> <ALT> <DEL> to restart" error when I try to boot from cd which is unusual in itself because like I said they have worked on other computers before. I also have just burnt a fresh disk with a new version of XP on it and on this 3rd disk it boots from it and I get the blue pre installation loading files screen where it says windows setup is loading (file name *i.e kernal debuggger, ETC* )and it goes through that but when I get to "starting up windows" in the pre installation screen, I get the Blue screen of death with the error message " UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME"... I am not sure if that is a problem with the windows installation disk or the HDD.... As I have never used this disk I wouldnt discount the fact that the disk may be dodgy but it is a bit wierd that 3 disk's would be dodgy, I would like to figure out why the other disk's are not loading and I am getting the "non system disk" error even though I used them to install windows on two computers last week ...
Thanks guys
Dan
PS sorry for the uber post XD just loads of info to be given

**_02** · 11-11-09

Have you tried an alternate optical drive?

Do other CDs install and run fine in this computer?

If the boot volume is referring to the HDD then yes, it could be failing, but I don't think it's booting from the HDD at that point, as you still need to have the windows CD in to continue installation.

Quantum Reality · 11-11-09

Supposedly a quickie trick is to copy the NTLDR from another Windows XP computer and plop it onto the HD.

		Overclock.net - Overclocking.net > Software, Programming and Coding > Operating Systems
Ntldr is missing please restart

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)