Thread: NTLDR not found - but I'm looking at it!

"Thriell" <webmaster@blacksheepjewelry.com> wrote
> Long story. typing is a pain due to Rheumatoid Arthritis in hands. plz
> exscuse.
>
> Machine one: 1.0 Ghz Celeron w/ 800mb RAM and 80Gig HD. OS is Windows
> XP home.
>
> Tuesday, 5/1, the smoke got let out of the CPU, so the machine is, for
> the moment, a paperweight.
>
> This brings Machine Two into the equation: a 533Mhz Celeron w/ 128Mb
> RAM and a 15Gig hd with Win98 installed. Picked it up used, with the
> stipulation that I need to format the HD to be certain that the other
> guy's stuff is gone.
>
> "No problem," says I, "I'll just take that 15Gig drive out and put my
> 80Gig in it's place." Yeah, right.
>
> Performed the drive transplant and was greeted with "NTLDR not found"
> upon boot. When I finished swearing, I put the smaller drive back in
> and checked google for the error message. Found a discussion board
> where someone suggested to another poor slob with this problem that he
> copy "NTLDR" and "NTDETECT.EXE" from the I386 directory of the XP
> install disk. Same thread, farther down, someone else suggests running
> "FIXMBR" on the drive.
>
> "Oh," says I, "that should be simple to fix," and the drive transplant
> is repeated a third time while I don't hear the maniacle laughter of
> the Fates.
>
> After getting to the "recovery console" (which looks more like a "DOS
> PROMPT" in my opinion), I look for and FIND a copy of NTLDR in the
> root of my primary partition (C: drive - the drive in question has 6
> partitions).
>
> I think to myself, "Well, crud. Maybe it's corrupted" and copy the two
> files from the CD and reboot.
>
> "NTLDR is missing," says the computer.
>
> "Horse Feathers!", says I, "I just saw it!"
>
> Next, I go back to the Recovery Console/Dos Box thingumy and try
> "FIXMBR". This little gem warns me that I have a non-standard
> partition table and proceeding could make some or all partitions
> inaccessable.
>
> Methinks, "Well, THAT ain't gonna happen" and exit I from FIXMBR.
>
> In a fit of desperation I start the setup program and am given the
> opportunity to repair an existing installation of XP. Since I'm REALLY
> ready for SOMETHING to go right at this point - ANYTHING, really - I
> pick that option and wait 20 minutes while it replaces
> every .dll, .exe, .wav, and .chm file in my \windows directory
> structure, along with I-Don't-Know-What-Else.
>
> Having deluded myself into believing that this MUST have fixed the
> problem, I reboot, get the same old error message and, after an
> afternoon and evening of ranting, raving, screaming, swearing, and
> throwing things, I switched out the hard drives AGAIN (that's FOUR,
> for those who are keeping score) and discovered this newsgroup so that
> I can ask someone for a reason why I'm being told a file is missing
> when I know as well as I know my own name that it isn't.
>
> -=*(H_E_L_P___P_L_E_A_S_E)*=-

Do you know that computer can run XP? Did you run the Upgrade Advisor on
it?

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

"Thriell" <webmaster@blacksheepjewelry.com> wrote
> Long story. typing is a pain due to Rheumatoid Arthritis in hands. plz
> exscuse.
>
> Machine one: 1.0 Ghz Celeron w/ 800mb RAM and 80Gig HD. OS is Windows
> XP home.
>
> Tuesday, 5/1, the smoke got let out of the CPU, so the machine is, for
> the moment, a paperweight.
>
> This brings Machine Two into the equation: a 533Mhz Celeron w/ 128Mb
> RAM and a 15Gig hd with Win98 installed. Picked it up used, with the
> stipulation that I need to format the HD to be certain that the other
> guy's stuff is gone.
>
> "No problem," says I, "I'll just take that 15Gig drive out and put my
> 80Gig in it's place." Yeah, right.
>
> Performed the drive transplant and was greeted with "NTLDR not found"
> upon boot. When I finished swearing, I put the smaller drive back in
> and checked google for the error message. Found a discussion board
> where someone suggested to another poor slob with this problem that he
> copy "NTLDR" and "NTDETECT.EXE" from the I386 directory of the XP
> install disk. Same thread, farther down, someone else suggests running
> "FIXMBR" on the drive.
>
> "Oh," says I, "that should be simple to fix," and the drive transplant
> is repeated a third time while I don't hear the maniacle laughter of
> the Fates.
>
> After getting to the "recovery console" (which looks more like a "DOS
> PROMPT" in my opinion), I look for and FIND a copy of NTLDR in the
> root of my primary partition (C: drive - the drive in question has 6
> partitions).
>
> I think to myself, "Well, crud. Maybe it's corrupted" and copy the two
> files from the CD and reboot.
>
> "NTLDR is missing," says the computer.
>
> "Horse Feathers!", says I, "I just saw it!"
>
> Next, I go back to the Recovery Console/Dos Box thingumy and try
> "FIXMBR". This little gem warns me that I have a non-standard
> partition table and proceeding could make some or all partitions
> inaccessable.
>
> Methinks, "Well, THAT ain't gonna happen" and exit I from FIXMBR.
>
> In a fit of desperation I start the setup program and am given the
> opportunity to repair an existing installation of XP. Since I'm REALLY
> ready for SOMETHING to go right at this point - ANYTHING, really - I
> pick that option and wait 20 minutes while it replaces
> every .dll, .exe, .wav, and .chm file in my \windows directory
> structure, along with I-Don't-Know-What-Else.
>
> Having deluded myself into believing that this MUST have fixed the
> problem, I reboot, get the same old error message and, after an
> afternoon and evening of ranting, raving, screaming, swearing, and
> throwing things, I switched out the hard drives AGAIN (that's FOUR,
> for those who are keeping score) and discovered this newsgroup so that
> I can ask someone for a reason why I'm being told a file is missing
> when I know as well as I know my own name that it isn't.
>
> -=*(H_E_L_P___P_L_E_A_S_E)*=-
>


One other question, is the version of XP Home retail or OEM?

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

When you started up the computer did you go into BIOS to ensure the BIOS can
see the HDD correctly?


"Thriell" <webmaster@blacksheepjewelry.com> wrote in message
news:1178254571.644545.78640@u30g2000hsc.googlegro ups.com...
> Long story. typing is a pain due to Rheumatoid Arthritis in hands. plz
> exscuse.
>
> Machine one: 1.0 Ghz Celeron w/ 800mb RAM and 80Gig HD. OS is Windows
> XP home.
>
> Tuesday, 5/1, the smoke got let out of the CPU, so the machine is, for
> the moment, a paperweight.
>
> This brings Machine Two into the equation: a 533Mhz Celeron w/ 128Mb
> RAM and a 15Gig hd with Win98 installed. Picked it up used, with the
> stipulation that I need to format the HD to be certain that the other
> guy's stuff is gone.
>
> "No problem," says I, "I'll just take that 15Gig drive out and put my
> 80Gig in it's place." Yeah, right.
>
> Performed the drive transplant and was greeted with "NTLDR not found"
> upon boot. When I finished swearing, I put the smaller drive back in
> and checked google for the error message. Found a discussion board
> where someone suggested to another poor slob with this problem that he
> copy "NTLDR" and "NTDETECT.EXE" from the I386 directory of the XP
> install disk. Same thread, farther down, someone else suggests running
> "FIXMBR" on the drive.
>
> "Oh," says I, "that should be simple to fix," and the drive transplant
> is repeated a third time while I don't hear the maniacle laughter of
> the Fates.
>
> After getting to the "recovery console" (which looks more like a "DOS
> PROMPT" in my opinion), I look for and FIND a copy of NTLDR in the
> root of my primary partition (C: drive - the drive in question has 6
> partitions).
>
> I think to myself, "Well, crud. Maybe it's corrupted" and copy the two
> files from the CD and reboot.
>
> "NTLDR is missing," says the computer.
>
> "Horse Feathers!", says I, "I just saw it!"
>
> Next, I go back to the Recovery Console/Dos Box thingumy and try
> "FIXMBR". This little gem warns me that I have a non-standard
> partition table and proceeding could make some or all partitions
> inaccessable.
>
> Methinks, "Well, THAT ain't gonna happen" and exit I from FIXMBR.
>
> In a fit of desperation I start the setup program and am given the
> opportunity to repair an existing installation of XP. Since I'm REALLY
> ready for SOMETHING to go right at this point - ANYTHING, really - I
> pick that option and wait 20 minutes while it replaces
> every .dll, .exe, .wav, and .chm file in my \windows directory
> structure, along with I-Don't-Know-What-Else.
>
> Having deluded myself into believing that this MUST have fixed the
> problem, I reboot, get the same old error message and, after an
> afternoon and evening of ranting, raving, screaming, swearing, and
> throwing things, I switched out the hard drives AGAIN (that's FOUR,
> for those who are keeping score) and discovered this newsgroup so that
> I can ask someone for a reason why I'm being told a file is missing
> when I know as well as I know my own name that it isn't.
>
> -=*(H_E_L_P___P_L_E_A_S_E)*=-
>

On May 4, 1:04 am, "Rock" <R...@nospam.net> wrote:
>
>
> One other question, is the version of XP Home retail or OEM?
>

It's XP Home Retail w/ Service Pack Two.

On May 4, 8:46 am, "Joe" <e...@342.com> wrote:
> When you started up the computer did you go into BIOS to ensure the BIOS can
> see the HDD correctly?
>
Yes, the bios reports the correct size for the drive and the "recovery
console" can see all six partitions (drives c: thru h.

On May 4, 9:16 am, "Anna" <myn...@myisp.net> wrote:
> Thriell:
> All the following is based on my understanding that what you're attempting
> to do is simply transfer a HDD from one PC to another PC so that you'll have
> a workable computer with that HDD containing the XP OS together with your
> programs & user-created data.

Correct. I need some way to access all my programs/data on the 80 gig
drive until Santa
Claus brings me a new CPU.

>
> First of all we'll assume that the 80 GB HDD that you're attempting to
> transfer to "Machine Two" does not contain an XP operating system that was
> BIOS-locked to the machine from whence it came (as in the case of many OEM
> machines).

I, frankly, have no way of telling. I just know that it's an HP
Pavillion that was shipped with
98 pre-installed.

> And that you have a retail version of the XP Home Ed.

Correct.

> And that there are no OEM considerations affecting
> "Machine Two" which might preclude the installation of a new HDD into that
> system. The latter shouldn't be an obstacle but one never knows for sure in
> these cases.

Again, I'm not 100% sure, but I do know that the WinXP Recovery
Console was able to read
the entire 80gig drive with no complaints.

>
> You will need to run a Repair install of the XP OS after you connect that
> HDD in the new machine.

(Again)

> The process is relatively straightforward. It would
> be roughly akin to making a fresh install of the OS, but in nearly every
> case your existing programs & user-created data would be retained. Notice I
> said "nearly". While it would be a rather rare situation where data would be
> lost or corrupted as a result of the Repair install, and as unlikely as it
> may be, it *could* happen.
>

If that is what I think you're talking about (start setup and select
"R" to repair an existing
installation after it determines that XP already exists on that
drive), I've already done that
and, after I watched it copy 80 gazillion files, I still got the same
error message.

> So if there are any programs and/or other data on your present drive that
> are absolutely crucial to you and you could not tolerate its loss, then I
> would strongly suggest that before installing the HDD you use whatever means
> you have at your disposal to copy whatever data you want from that HDD to
> some other media.

I have access to two machines. One has a dead cpu. the other makes my
blood pressure
go up every time I get the 80gig drive near it. I don't see a way to
back up anything on that
drive.

>
> There are a number of websites that contain step-by-step instructions for
> undertaking a Repair install. Let me assure you that it's not a difficult
> process and not terribly time-consuming. If you do a Google search on "XP
> repair install", you'll be pointed to many of these sites. Here are a

[snip]

Thanks, I'll look into those.

>
> There may be another complicating factor in this process in that following
> the (hopefully) successful Repair install, you might need to install drivers
> associated with components such as the motherboard and sound & video cards,
> etc. Hopefully the XP OS will pick up these drivers during the Repair
> install but that is not always the case so I would hope you have the
> motherboard's installation CD that contains the drivers or you can obtain
> them by & by.

I have all the CDs that were originally sold w/ the computer,
including two "restore"
disks. I'm praying that somewhere on those all the necesary drivers
exist.

>
> Assuming the Repair install is successful, you should use your A-V program
> to immediately check out your PC for any virus infestation.

I'll do that just as a matter of course, but the reason the cpu died
was overheating. I have
two fans on it, but I've been negligent in cleaning dust off of them -
I moved a while back and
the problem is much worse than I realized in this place. The dust was
thick enough to make
the fans useless!

>Also, you will
> need to download/install *all* the MS critical updates since SP2. (I'm
> assuming that if the Repair install is necessary, you will be undertaking it
> with a XP CD that contains SP2). That, of course, is one of the downsides re
> undertaking a Repair install. It's usually an onerous task to download all
> the Critical Updates from MS especially if you have a dialup phone
> connection rather than broadband.

Oh, be still my heart! I get to do that AGAIN? I just installed xp for
the first time a couple of
months ago and, yes, I'm on dialup. Nothing else is available out in
the middle of nowhere
where I live. I'm REALLY looking forward to that!

>
> BTW, I assume you're aware that even if this Repair install process is
> successful and you then have a working machine on your hands you'll be
> experiencing what I expect to be a painfully slow system. I assume this will
> be only a stopgap measure until you get your other system repaired or
> replaced.

I'm already complaining about this system that goes 1/2 the speed I'm
used to! It works, but
as soon as the other one is fixed, this one goes in the closet!

Thriell:
I trust you now understand (assuming you've taken a look at one or more of
those websites I listed) that the Repair install of the XP operating system
is *not* what you thought it is when you stated "If that is what I think
you're talking about (start setup and select "R" to repair an existing
installation after it determines that XP already exists on that drive), I've
already done that and, after I watched it copy 80 gazillion files, I still
got the same error message." What you're referring to and what you've
already attempted (apparently without success) is accessing the Recovery
console in order to enter some commands that would resolve the problem. The
Repair installation of which I speak and its process as detailed in those
websites I referred you to is a completely different process. Anyway, give
it a go and hopefully you'll have a bootable functioning system.
Anna

"Thriell" <webmaster@blacksheepjewelry.com> wrote in message
news:1178332086.247939.57800@n76g2000hsh.googlegro ups.com...
> On May 4, 9:16 am, "Anna" <myn...@myisp.net> wrote:
>> Thriell:
>> All the following is based on my understanding that what you're
>> attempting
>> to do is simply transfer a HDD from one PC to another PC so that you'll
>> have
>> a workable computer with that HDD containing the XP OS together with your
>> programs & user-created data.
>
> Correct. I need some way to access all my programs/data on the 80 gig
> drive until Santa
> Claus brings me a new CPU.
>
>>
>> First of all we'll assume that the 80 GB HDD that you're attempting to
>> transfer to "Machine Two" does not contain an XP operating system that
>> was
>> BIOS-locked to the machine from whence it came (as in the case of many
>> OEM
>> machines).
>
> I, frankly, have no way of telling. I just know that it's an HP
> Pavillion that was shipped with
> 98 pre-installed.
>
>> And that you have a retail version of the XP Home Ed.
>
> Correct.
>
>> And that there are no OEM considerations affecting
>> "Machine Two" which might preclude the installation of a new HDD into
>> that
>> system. The latter shouldn't be an obstacle but one never knows for sure
>> in
>> these cases.
>
> Again, I'm not 100% sure, but I do know that the WinXP Recovery
> Console was able to read
> the entire 80gig drive with no complaints.
>
>>
>> You will need to run a Repair install of the XP OS after you connect that
>> HDD in the new machine.
>
> (Again)
>
>> The process is relatively straightforward. It would
>> be roughly akin to making a fresh install of the OS, but in nearly every
>> case your existing programs & user-created data would be retained. Notice
>> I
>> said "nearly". While it would be a rather rare situation where data would
>> be
>> lost or corrupted as a result of the Repair install, and as unlikely as
>> it
>> may be, it *could* happen.
>>
>
> If that is what I think you're talking about (start setup and select
> "R" to repair an existing
> installation after it determines that XP already exists on that
> drive), I've already done that
> and, after I watched it copy 80 gazillion files, I still got the same
> error message.
>
>> So if there are any programs and/or other data on your present drive that
>> are absolutely crucial to you and you could not tolerate its loss, then I
>> would strongly suggest that before installing the HDD you use whatever
>> means
>> you have at your disposal to copy whatever data you want from that HDD to
>> some other media.
>
> I have access to two machines. One has a dead cpu. the other makes my
> blood pressure
> go up every time I get the 80gig drive near it. I don't see a way to
> back up anything on that
> drive.
>
>>
>> There are a number of websites that contain step-by-step instructions for
>> undertaking a Repair install. Let me assure you that it's not a difficult
>> process and not terribly time-consuming. If you do a Google search on "XP
>> repair install", you'll be pointed to many of these sites. Here are a
>
> [snip]
>
> Thanks, I'll look into those.
>
>>
>> There may be another complicating factor in this process in that
>> following
>> the (hopefully) successful Repair install, you might need to install
>> drivers
>> associated with components such as the motherboard and sound & video
>> cards,
>> etc. Hopefully the XP OS will pick up these drivers during the Repair
>> install but that is not always the case so I would hope you have the
>> motherboard's installation CD that contains the drivers or you can obtain
>> them by & by.
>
> I have all the CDs that were originally sold w/ the computer,
> including two "restore"
> disks. I'm praying that somewhere on those all the necesary drivers
> exist.
>
>>
>> Assuming the Repair install is successful, you should use your A-V
>> program
>> to immediately check out your PC for any virus infestation.
>
> I'll do that just as a matter of course, but the reason the cpu died
> was overheating. I have
> two fans on it, but I've been negligent in cleaning dust off of them -
> I moved a while back and
> the problem is much worse than I realized in this place. The dust was
> thick enough to make
> the fans useless!
>
>>Also, you will
>> need to download/install *all* the MS critical updates since SP2. (I'm
>> assuming that if the Repair install is necessary, you will be undertaking
>> it
>> with a XP CD that contains SP2). That, of course, is one of the downsides
>> re
>> undertaking a Repair install. It's usually an onerous task to download
>> all
>> the Critical Updates from MS especially if you have a dialup phone
>> connection rather than broadband.
>
> Oh, be still my heart! I get to do that AGAIN? I just installed xp for
> the first time a couple of
> months ago and, yes, I'm on dialup. Nothing else is available out in
> the middle of nowhere
> where I live. I'm REALLY looking forward to that!
>
>>
>> BTW, I assume you're aware that even if this Repair install process is
>> successful and you then have a working machine on your hands you'll be
>> experiencing what I expect to be a painfully slow system. I assume this
>> will
>> be only a stopgap measure until you get your other system repaired or
>> replaced.
>
> I'm already complaining about this system that goes 1/2 the speed I'm
> used to! It works, but
> as soon as the other one is fixed, this one goes in the closet!
>
>