NTDLR is missing. Can't boot.

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hungryduck

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Mar 29, 2005
Messages
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Whenever I turn on my new computer I get this message "NTDLR is missing, press Ctrl-alt-delete to restart." I boot windows from the BIOS boot menu (Where you pick to boot from CD, Floppy, HD, etc.) but otherwise the computer spits out this error everytime. What should I do?
System:
AMD X2 3800+
1 GIG Corsair
EVGA NF4 SLI Mobo
EVGA 7800gt
WD 250Gig 16mb cache HD SATAII
 
If you just want to get it running right now, what I've done in the past is put a windows cd into the cd drive, set boot priority for the cd first, then the hd. Restart, and when it says "push any key to boot to cd..." don't push a button.

As for a real solution, I'd like to hear it too.
 
shoudl just be able to boot off a windows cd, and do a repair from the recovery console...

replace ntldr
 
i JUST had this problem 2 days ago after a FRESH install of xp.. you could try a repair install, or go ahead with a fresh install.

one thing you can try, which didnt work for me is go in the the xp setup and into the recovery console(press r), then select your installation,(press 1) and copy ntldr from your cdrom:\i386 folder to your root directory.
i.e. copy d:\i386\ntldr c
 
I reformatted and reisntalled to fix this when it happned to me.

 
Resetting the CMOS nails it everytime, unless of course, a virus or something really did eat your system files. I get it sometimes after playing with FSB and SPD settings.
 
I see this all the time at work. A repair install of Windows works well (unless the HDD itself is FUBARed). Only downside is having to grab Windows updates again. Everything (including user accounts and softwaret) remains intact.

To do a repair install, boot from the Windows cd, pretty enter to enter the Windows XP setup (not R for recovery console), take F8 a few times to get past the EULA screen. After setup detects all windows installations, highlight the one you want to repair and press R and continue with installation

movax said:
Resetting the CMOS nails it everytime, unless of course, a virus or something really did eat your system files. I get it sometimes after playing with FSB and SPD settings.
Click to expand...

Hmm, really? I'll have to give that a shot next time I see the problem. Definitely sounds quicker then a repair install, heh.
 
Reseting your BIOS really only helps if the error is from OCing too far, sometime you get that instead of BSOD when booting. I've hit this when hard drives die and when windows installs get really really messed up. Pretty much the only thing you can do is test the hard drive and do a repair install unless you have been overclocking.
 
Personally I find it easier to just boot into Recovery Console and copy over NTLDR from the XP CD. Why bother with a reformat/repair install when you dont have to? ;)
 
for some reason, when I boot into the recovery console, it doesn't see my main SATA hard drive that windows is on. But the HD is FUBAR, becuase I can still boot into it from the boot menu....I'll try reseting BIOS.
Note: This just happened after I decided to reset my FSB and OC settings back to stock becuase I'm not playing any games for a few weeks.
 
try this... in bios for your sata drive, try setting it to raid. if it is already in raid mode, try setting it to non-raid.

if that doesn't work, go back to your working setting (if it ever worked, if not try raid). then make sure you choose the proper boot order. if you have more hten 1 drive, more then likely its booting off the non-windows drive. you need to change the drive order for your boot drive to be 1st. then you have to change your boot order so it uses this drive as well.

if that doesnt work, make sure you install sata drivers. then retry steps above.

a last resort is a system reinstall. don't do this till you try the easy suggestions above
 
well, I decided to go and redo my cabling, and when I turned the PC back on....the problem was gone. Strange.
 
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