NTLDR problem on a Compaq with XP

A friend needed me to fix his computer which was running INCREDIBLY slow and did have some malware on it. Malware Bytes would crash during scanning so I couldn't even try removing all the malware. After saving all the files they wanted to keep on a flash drive we resorted to trying to restore the computer back to factory. No malware, no potentially corrupt dlls, just a fresh computer that I would help get its Windows Updates and stuff like that so it would run well.

It's a Compaq V2000 with Windows XP SP2...I don't even know if they had it updated to SP3. Its specs are pretty crappy but since they only need it for really basic things, that's not a big deal. It came with 12 freaking recovery cds. I followed the instructions that came with them, booting with F11, and then did a destructive recovery from the Compaq recovery console. Everything went fine until disc 9 when I believe Windows.crc and another Windows.something file just couldn't be found by the computer, even after telling it to retry. I later copied everything from disc 9 to my computer's desktop without any problems so I don't know why their computer couldn't access them. Anyways, we had no choice at the time but to skip those files and continue the restore process.

The restore process finishes and the computer reboots and right after post it says NTLDR IS MISSING PRESS CTRL ALT DELETE TO REBOOT. I do that and still the same thing. I tried doing the exact same process I did the first time to have the computer use the recovery cds but it spends about 5 seconds "recovering" and backing up files and then says it's done and wants to reboot. And I still have the same problem. I would love to be able to use the recovery cds again because I had the 9th cd cleaned with a cd cleaning kit and a second time might be the charm but it just won't try using the recovery cds at all.

I looked the NTLDR problem up online and the solutions I'm finding tell me to use the XP cd to recover those files. That would be great except my friend doesn't have an XP cd, just the recovery cds. I do have an XP cd for my Dell and it says only to use it for Dell computers. I've put it in (just to see what would happen) and been taken to the Windows recovery console command prompt. It asks which Windows installation I would like to log in to. There's only one option. 1. D:\MiniNT.

I've looked up that problem and some people say it might be the computer thinking the Windows partition is the D: drive but since I'm using a Dell XP cd and the recovery cds didn't load everything, it might be looking at the cd rather than the hard drive. Obviously I'm a little confused here.

Assuming you could follow my plight coherently, I'd like to know if I can use the Dell XP cd to safely bring over the files needed to fix the NTLDR problem. If there's a way to get an XP cd from Compaq that would work, that might be an option too but I don't know if that's possible.

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give me.

 

NTLDR is Missing Error Resolution
By cipher

Steps to Resolve the NTLDR is Missing Error in Windows XP
NTLDR Error Message There are few different ways that the "NTLDR is missing" error may present itself, with the first listing being the most common:
* "NTLDR is missing Press any key to restart"
* "NTLDR is missing Press Ctrl Alt Del to restart"
* "Boot: Couldn't find NTLDR Please insert another disk"
The "NTLDR is missing" error displays very shortly after the computer is first started, immediately after the Power On Self Test (POST) is complete. Windows XP has only initially begun to load when the NTLDR error message appears.
Causes of NTLDR Errors
There are a number of possible causes for NTLDR errors, including the most common "NTLDR is missing" error message. The most common reason for this error is when your PC is trying to boot from a hard drive or flash drive that is not properly configured to be booted from; in other words, it's trying to boot from a non-bootable source. This also would apply to media on an optical drive or floppy drive that you're trying to boot from.
Other possible causes include corrupt and misconfigured files, hard drive and operating system upgrade issues, corrupt hard drive sectors, an outdated BIOS, and damaged or loose IDE cables.
Fixes for NTLDR Errors
1. Restart the PC. The NTLDR error could be a fluke.
2. Check your floppy and optical (CD/DVD) drives for media. Often times, the "NTLDR is Missing" error will appear if your PC is trying to boot to a non-bootable floppy disk or CD/DVD.
Note: If you find that this is the cause of your problem and it's happening a lot, you might want to consider changing the boot order in BIOS so the hard drive is listed first.
3. Check the hard drive and other drive settings in BIOS and ensure they are correct. The BIOS configuration tells the computer how to use a drive so incorrect settings can cause problems, including NTLDR errors. There is usually an Auto setting for hard drive and optical drive configurations in BIOS which is usually a safe bet if you're not sure what to do.
4. Restore the NTLDR and ntdetect.com files from the Windows XP CD. Restoring these two important system files from the original Windows XP CD may do the trick.
Enter Windows XP Recovery Console. When you reach the command prompt (detailed in Step 6 in the link above), type the following two commands, pressing Enter after each one:
copy d:\i386\ntldr c:\
copy d:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\
In the command listed above, d represents the drive letter assigned to the optical drive that your Windows XP CD is currently in. While this is most often d, your system could assign a different letter. Also, c:\ represents the root folder of the partition that Windows XP is currently installed on. Again, this is most often the case but your system could be different.
If you're prompted to overwrite either of the two files, press Y.
Take out the Windows XP CD, type exit and then press Enter to restart your PC.
Assuming that missing or corrupt versions of the NTLDR and/or Ntdetect.com files were your only issues, Windows XP should now start normally.
5. Repair or replace the boot.ini file. This will prevent the NTLDR error if the cause of the problem is a boot.ini file that is not configured properly for your Windows XP installation.
6. Write a new partition boot sector to the Windows XP system partition. If the partition boot sector has become corrupt or isn't properly configured, you may receive the "NTLDR is Missing" error.
Enter Windows XP Recovery Console.
When you reach the command, type the following command and then press Enter.
fixboot
The fixboot utility will write a new partition boot sector to the current system partition. This will repair any corruption that the partition boot sector may have and will undo any partition boot sector configurations that may be causing your problems.
Take out the Windows XP CD, type exit and then press Enter to restart your PC.
Assuming that a corrupt or unstable partition boot sector was your only issue, Windows XP should now start normally.
7. Repair the Windows XP master boot record. NTLDR error messages may also appear if the master boot record is corrupt.
Enter Windows XP Recovery Console.
When you reach the command prompt, type the following and then press Enter.
fixmbr
The fixmbr utility will write a master boot record to the hard drive that you're currently using to boot into Windows XP. This will repair any corruption or damage that the master boot record may have.
Take out the Windows XP CD, type exit and then press Enter to restart your PC.
Assuming that a corrupt master boot record was your only issue, Windows XP should now start normally.
8. Open your computer's case and ensure that the cable that connects the hard drive to the motherboard is firmly in place. If this does not resolve the issue, try replacing the cable. NTLDR error messages could be caused by loose or malfunctioning IDE cables.
9. Update your motherboard's BIOS. Occasionally, an outdated BIOS version can cause the "NTLDR is Missing" error.
You can restore your BIOS to its default settings simply by removing the motherboard battery for a few minutes.
10. Perform a repair installation of Windows XP. This type of installation should replace any missing or corrupt files. Continue troubleshooting if this does not resolve the issue.
11. Perform a clean installation of Windows XP. This type of installation will completely remove Windows XP from your PC and install it again from scratch. While this will almost certainly resolve any NTLDR errors, it is a time consuming process due to the fact that all of your data must be backed up and then later restored.
If you can't gain access to your files to back them up, understand that you will lose them all if you continue with a clean installation of Windows XP.
12. Finally, if all else has failed, including the clean installation from the last step, you're most likely facing a hardware issue with your hard drive. Replace the hard drive and then perform a new installation of Windows XP.
This issue applies to the Windows XP operating system, including Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition. Windows Vista does not utilize NTLDR.
Tip: Copy your XP CD to The root of C:
This will make it a lot easier to find and replace files the OS needs.