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Question

NTLDR is Missing for XP

by Aug 3, 2011 2:37AM PDT

NTLDR is miss during boot, on my friends computer (windows XP) I spent a couple hours yesterday using tips that I found on the web. I have an operating system cd, Reinstallation CD. When I put it in the cd drive and booted from CD drive and then went through the steps of copying from the cd nothing worked. I'm not sure if the computer has an Administrative password, so i skip that part. That may be the issue. or this might be the wrong CD. Can I get those files another way? like a USB boot option?? There is no floppy drive on this computer so that won't work. If there is no other solution will it help to just Reinstall Windows XP? thanks for any tips!! Have a nice day!!!

Discussion is locked

5 Posts
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Answer
If online articles fail, then the fresh install should fix.
by Forum moderator Aug 3, 2011 2:46AM PDT

Be sure to start over with a clean drive. I delete the old partitions and let the XP installer create them again. I use the QUICK FORMAT and I'm on my way.

After that the dozen drivers...
Bob

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Answer
replace the ntldr
by Aug 3, 2011 7:10AM PDT

If you take a CD and copy the NTLDR file, the Boot.ini file and the NTDETECT.com file from a computer "like yours" (and I use that term loosely) and boot your PC with that CD, your PC will boot into the WXP OS. Make sure you go into CMOS first and change your boot order to CDROM first, then HDD. Change it back later.

If the other computer doesn't have a dual-boot configuration (that would make a hard-to-match Boot.ini file) your computer should boot up. If it does, then copy the NTLDR file that's on the CD (really a program) to your C:\ drive and it should work next time.

I've done this before, so I know it works.

Thanx,
pcmdsr

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thanks
by obietrice03 Aug 3, 2011 1:56PM PDT

Thanks

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Simple method to restore the NTLDR file...
by BlackBart1955 Aug 3, 2011 2:12PM PDT

The NTLDR file is found on your Windows CD at D:\I386, where D:\ is your CD drive.

The method I use is to disconnect the hard drive from that computer and hook it up as a Slave (which is the name they gave for "Secondary Hard Drive") on another computer.

Copy the NTLDR file to C:\

Disconnect the Hard Drive from the second computer.

Re-connect it to your computer.

It should work now--unless you have another problem.

Did you delete some "unnecessary files" like my son did once? That's where I learned this trick.

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Answer
NTLDR is Missing for XP
by Feb 12, 2012 10:58PM PST

I that this is an old thread but this reply is for anyone who is facing this issue currently. Have a look at this video on how to replace and recover from the NTLDR is missing error message.

Hope this helped

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