PC Pals Forum

Technical Help & Discussion => Windows PCs & Software: Help, News & Discussion => Topic started by: GillE on September 09, 2006, 16:39

Title: NTLDR is missing
Post by: GillE on September 09, 2006, 16:39

Last night I heard a rather strange sound from my computer, a bit like a mouse hunting around inside for food.  Then the computer siezed up.

So I rebooted and got the message on startup that 'ntldr is missing'.  I created a bootup disk on my backup computer and used that to boot up.  Everything seemed to be working fine and all hard drives were available as per normal.

I tried to reinstall the ntldr and ntdetect.com files but wasn't allowed to.  So I reformatted the drive and reinstalled windows from cd.  Everything seemed to go ok.  I've checked my hard drive with chkdsk and everything seems to be working.

I rebooted and set the bios to boot up from the hard drive as per normal instead of the cd drive.  Again I get the message that the ntldr is missing.  Again, the computer will start with a boot disk.

Can anyone help, please?

Gill

Title: NTLDR is missing
Post by: Clive on September 09, 2006, 17:11

I'm sure that Sandra will reply to this Gill but meanwhile take a look at this website:

http://www.xmission.com/~comphope/issues/ch000465.htm

Title: NTLDR is missing
Post by: Sandra on September 10, 2006, 00:24

I was going to suggest that you may have had a non bootable floppy or a cd in the pc when you tried to reboot it but Clives article has that as one of the possible causes.

I cant think what the noise was unless it was a fault with the cpu fan that would cause the cpu to overheat and shut the pc down but that wouldnt lock the pc it would shut it down to save any damage to the cpu.

Have you heard the noise again or been able to identify it ?

Title: NTLDR is missing
Post by: GillE on September 10, 2006, 13:13

Hi Sandra

I've been through everything that article suggested but to no avail.  I haven't heard the strange noise since.

You don't think it might be something to do with the MBR?

Gill

Title: NTLDR is missing
Post by: Sandra on September 10, 2006, 14:58

Well it was definately something corrupted or damaged in it that made it unreadable Gill.

Does it seem to be running ok now ?

The noise may or my not be a cause or it may have caused the effect.

If it had happened as you were starting the pc then I would have suspected a fault in the mechanics of the drive as that would account for the noise and possibly the failure to read the MBR correctly.

The really puzzling thing is that it locked the pc up, that wouldnt be due to the MBR but it could be some problem with reading the drive :?

Title: NTLDR is missing
Post by: GillE on September 10, 2006, 15:54

The puzzling thing is that the drive is working fine in all other respects!  I've happily been able to format it (twice  :roll:  ) and reinstall windows.  Yet it still needs a boot-up disk.

Gill

Title: NTLDR is missing
Post by: Sandra on September 10, 2006, 15:59

Have you tried the fixmbr thing Gill ?

In the bios set it to load failsafe defaults, it may be that its trying to boot too quickly and mis reading the MBR  :?

Title: NTLDR is missing
Post by: GillE on September 10, 2006, 16:13

I reset the bios to default as you suggested, Sandra.  Guess what?


Problem solved :) :) :) !


You're a star  :hatoff:  !  Thanks ever so much for your help.


Gill

Title: NTLDR is missing
Post by: Sandra on September 11, 2006, 00:41

Was a lucky guess Gill.

I think it must have been missing picking it up during the start up process but just what had altered in the bios to cause it will probably remain a mystery  :roll: