first ntldr error, now something else

[danj]

Hey Folks,

Recently my hard disk became inaccessible upon receiving a ntldr error. I tried using the system disk to add these two files:
copy ntldr c:
copy ntdetect.com c:

That didn't work, it just made the error go away and some other very long error screen come up. So, I tried installing another operating system along side it, both XP Home, which worked. BUT, In the new os, I can't access any old files in the documents and settings/me folder. Just the old stuff in the c: folder itself. It says the correct amount of occupied space on the c: drive, but I can't access the folder, as I said, where the stuff should be. Although I know it should be there, it says the folder is empty.


Any advice would be appreciated. I've done some forum searches and can't seem to find someone who's experienced this problem.

-dan

 

[patrickv]

BUT, In the new os, I can't access any old files in the documents and settings/me folder. Just the old stuff in the c: folder itself. It says the correct amount of occupied space on the c: drive, but I can't access the folder, as I said, where the stuff should be. Although I know it should be there, it says the folder is empty.
Any advice would be appreciated. I've done some forum searches and can't seem to find someone who's experienced this problem.

why didn't you fix the error in the first place ? you should have also noted the error message those are very important you know.
Did you have a password on the previous OS on both Administrator and your account itself ? if so that could be the problem.

 

[concorde]

Try bootcfg/rebuild with your Recovery Console CD found on your installation disc.
That's how I'd solve it, but you may not have your disc.

You know, an operating system's critical files should be read-only and deletable only by FORMAT. If there needs to be a change in a system file, the original should be kept and the new file should be right next to it. I'd love to see Microsoft, the Linux community and Apple do this - Apple to an extent already has. I can go into a Windows system and delete, say, NTDETECT.COM or AUTOEXEC.BAT and render the system unusable just by simply going into the system files folder. That's very poor security.

As an anecdote: before the end of the school year, I had to have a kid suspended for doing something like this in three of my classroom computers. All three had the same problem. Being a mathematics teacher and not the sysadmin, I don't have administrative authority to set up the computers and establish accounts. There is only one account on those computers -and that's the Administrator - so some students pretty much do whatever they want. Because I don't incorporate a lot of PC usage in my class, I think I will ask to have those given to a class that needs more.

 

[tlarkin]

Boot off your XP CD and enter recovery console and run the following commands:

C: CD ..
C: ATTRIB –H C:\boot.ini
C:ATTRIB –S C:\boot.ini
C:ATRIB –R C:\boot.ini
C: del boot.ini
C: BOOTCFG /Rebuild

When it asks to add to the installation you pick Yes
then name it like "Windows XP Professioanl" or whatever
input these options as well when it asks for options
/fastdetect /noexecute=optin

C: CHKDSK /R /F
C: FIXBOOT

 

[danj]

Thanks for your advice guys. tlarkin, your fix didn't completely work but it gave me enough access to do an OS upgrade, which gave me a clean start, all files intact. I had planned on doing that anyway, so it worked out for the best.

Keep up the good work,

-dan