NTLDR is missing (windows won't boot)

S

snorkyller

Member
I'm having another problem :angry: Don't laugh!

My hard drive has 3 partitions :
c: (windowsXP)
d: which was empty
e: (private files)

I wanted to erase d:, and give the remaining free space to c:
So, I merged c: and d: using Partition Magic (or Master?).
During the process, Partition Magic copied the data of the d: partition into a folder named "New folder" that was created in the c: partition. In fact, the d: partition was empty.

Now, I can't boot windows, and I'm having the following message error
NTLDR is missing

The root of the c: partition now contains these 2 folders:
New Folder
Partition_0_0

Can you tell me what is the right thing to do now.

Thanks!!!
 
Thats why you always make a backup before using any partitioning software, sometimes they don't work right. You will now most likely need to do to do a repair install of the OS.
 
Are you sure? I thought that the c: partition was moved into the partition_0_0 folder, and that I could somehow move it back to the root.
 
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LoL just copy the NTLDR file using Linux Ubuntu on your "C:\" by taking that file from some other working computer that is using XP.You can also copy that file from your XP CD disk by using the recovery console.
 
To me it sounds unlikely that the partition program just deleted ntldr. So just restoring ntldr sounds a bit too easy.
 
rebuild the boot.ini file from the command console is what I would do and it works.

1) boot off your xp CD, and choose the option of recovery console

2) Select your installation and be sure to give your admin password if asked for one.

3) at the command line do this:

This will make the boot.ini file no longer a system file, no longer read only and no longer hidden, though you could probably skip the hidden part not sure.
Code: 
attrib -h c:\boot.ini

attrib -s c:\boot

attrib -r c:\boot.ini

del c:\boot.ini

4) Now we need to rebuild the boot.ini file

Code: 
bootcfg /rebuild

Most common settings are name your OS, then add the options: /fastdetect and /noexecute=optin

5) Now write the boot sector

Code: 
fixboot /mbr

6) file system clean up (longest step)

Code: 
chkdsk c: /r

Then reboot and it should rebuild all the library files needed to reboot. I also do this when I create an image to ensure all files are pristine before I seal it up.
 
The OP has merged two partitions. Now he has two folders on his new and bigger system drive: New Folder & Partition_0_0

What might be the odds that the contents of the former system partition is in one of those folders?

PS. The boot process is: master boot record > partition boot sector > ntldr > boot.ini (read by ntldr)
 
Next time: when the partition is just empty, cancel it. After that you extend the existing partition. Merge is no good here.
 
tyttebøvs said:
The OP has merged two partitions. Now he has two folders on his new and bigger system drive: New Folder & Partition_0_0

What might be the odds that the contents of the former system partition is in one of those folders?

PS. The boot process is: master boot record > partition boot sector > ntldr > boot.ini (read by ntldr)
Click to expand...

I don't have all my white papers handy and I barely work with Windows anymore, but from my understanding the bootcfg /rebuild command rebuilds all the files needed to boot, boot.ini, NTLDR and other dll files and such.
 
bootcfg is only about modifying/creating a valid boot.ini.

Anyways, as long as he only as two folders in the root of his partition, I don't think he will be able to boot Windows even with the correct boot files :)
 
tyttebøvs said:
bootcfg is only about modifying/creating a valid boot.ini.

Anyways, as long as he only as two folders in the root of his partition, I don't think he will be able to boot Windows even with the correct boot files :)
Click to expand...

Yeah I looked it up after posting that, the rebuild option is only in recovery console and it does just rebuild the boot.ini file.

I got this info a long time ago from this blog post

http://tech.icrontic.com/articles/repair_windows_xp/
 
tyttebøvs said:
Really not the best repair-article I've seen
Click to expand...

nope, lacks lots of details but it does work. I have used that method to save machine and I have used it to slim down images. One time a chkdsk /r got rid of all the wasted space Windows uses for updates and what not, and it slimmed off 2gigs of my image file. So typically back in the day, I would create a master image, boot recovery console, clean it up, sys prep it, and then write it to an image file.

I read now that sysprep is no longer needed with new windows deployment stuff does all that on the fly when pushing out an image to a client.
 
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