NTLDR Missing

[lonewolf]

Hi, I've gone through most of the posts here and can't find a solution to this problem.
I made the cd with boot.ini ntldr ntdtect on it but the computer won't boot from it. The BIOS is set to boot from cd.
I can't believe that I can't find a program where I can make a simple boot cd to DOS so I can copy these files over to the sick computer.
There is no recovery console even if I boot from the XP cd.
It just shows Partition1 no windows installation.
Does anyone know where I can get a bootable cd to dos that will read NTFS and I can copy the files over I need.
Thanks
Dave

[SpywareDr]

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console for advanced users
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

This article describes the functionality and limitations of the Windows Recovery Console. If a Windows XP-based computer does not start correctly or if it does not start at all, you may be able to use the Windows Recovery Console to help you recover the system software. This article discusses the following topics:

• How to start the Windows Recovery Console from your Windows XP installation disc
• How to use the Command Console
• Restrictions and limitations of the Windows Recovery Console
• The commands that are available in the Windows Recovery Console

When you use the Windows Recovery Console, you can obtain limited access to the NTFS file system, FAT, and FAT32 volumes without starting the Windows graphical user interface (GUI). In the Windows Recovery Console, you can perform the following actions:

• Use, copy, rename, or replace operating system files and folders
• Enable or disable service or device startup the next time that you start your computer
• Repair the file system boot sector or the master boot record (MBR)
• Create and format partitions on drives

Note Only an administrator can obtain access to the Windows Recovery Console. This prevents unauthorized users from using any NTFS volume.

...

... you can start the computer and use the Recovery Console directly from your original Windows XP installation disc. If your computer is already in Windows and you want to add the Windows Recovery Console as a startup option, go to the next section "Adding the Windows Recovery Console as a startup option."

1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your CD drive and restart your computer. If you are prompted, select any options required to start (boot) from the CD.
2. When the text-based part of Setup begins, follow the prompts. Select the repair or recover option by pressing R.
3. If you have a dual-boot or multiboot system, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console.
4. When you are prompted, type the Administrator password.
5. At the command prompt, type Recovery Console commands, and then you can refer to the commands that are listed in the "Available commands within Windows Recovery Console" section.
6. At any time, you can type Help for a list of available commands.
7. At any time, you can type Help commandname for help on a specific command. For example, you can type help attrib to display the help on the attributes command.
8. At any time, you can exit Windows Recovery Console by typing Exit at the command line.

[lonewolf]

Thank you for the reply.
But nothing comes up that gives me an option to choose "R"
It goes through the loading of files and then says starting windows and then I get a screen with Partition1 and the option to delete partition, create partition and run setup on the partition or F3 to quit.

[jdc2000]

Maybe a Repair Install would work:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&site=&s...85863bd1e81af6

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978788

[lonewolf]

As I stated there is no option to do a repair install because it doesn't show a Windows installation just Partition1

[jdc2000]

If it is not showing a Windows installation, then copying your files is not likely to work. Also, the Recovery Console needs to be installed when you install Windows, or some time afterwards, but BEFORE you actually need it. You could try removing the drive from the computer, connecting it to another computer, transferring the files, then putting it back into the original computer to see if it will boot. Odds are it won't, but you can always try it. It might be time to run the hard drive manufacturer's diagnostics on the drive as well.

[lonewolf]

Yeah your right, I actually got to a recovery console using a old XP Home disk I had.
It wouldn't copy the files over I wanted. Just kept saying "File could not be copied"
There's nothing important on the disk so I will just reload Windows, would have been faster then mucking around with this all day.
Thanks All!!
Dave

[Midknyte]

I would take the time and run a hard drive diagnostic first. If the drive is bad, there's no sense in reinstalling Windows.