A long tome but I'm reaching the end of my tether - Help please

Hi, this is my first post ever. I started out on IBM360x/370x when we read in binary and counted in hexadecimal so be kind and treat me as you would your Grandfather. Long sad story coming.

I screwed up my XP and had to rebuild - used non-destructive as I need to recover my Outlook Express Address book (never could figure out how to back it up), rest is backed up ok. On loading - stopped with a 'NTLDR is compressed'. Web wisdom is to load from CDRom, drop into Dos and De-compress - ok got that but Bios keeps skipping the CDrom. Been into Bios and set CDROM as only boot device but keeps skipping past and going into PC Angel on HDD. Checked all cables and connections, used second copy of XP Recovery disk (proper MS ones) to checkout disks ok, Unable to F8 (doesn't have any effect) swapped keyboards to check - no probs found , even changed the battery. The Cdrom reacts to boot-up and starts spinning but Bios moves past it before it comes up to speed. That's it - I can't think of anything else and after 2 days, I've had it!

Has anybody out there any way of getting into Dos to de-compress this file? (I beginning to wish I still had my old MSDos bootup disk) Help please - I'll give it a couple of days then I'll reload with 'Destructive' and format c: (I presume this'l clear NTLDR out along with 10 years junk and start again.

Frank E.

 

I have a "boot disk" here that I have labeled for XP "use if message NTLDR is missing".

I have to borrow one of the USB floppy drives I have attached to my husband's computers to see what is on it (no floppy drive on my computer).

I'll then zip it and upload it and post a link so you can grab it. It has been so long since I've worked with floppies that I'm not sure you will just be able to put it on a floppy.

Can your computer boot from a USB stick?

 

This might not help your situation.
I'll look over my stash and see if I have an MS_DOS boot disks. We currently have 8 computers in the house for 2 senior citizens! I tend to store things for each computer in a case near the computer so I have to look through the cases for Win 2K and XP computers.

Anyway, here is the file http://www.walagata.com/w/perk/MjG/floppy.zip
You'll get a popup to download when you paste in the address.

There are 7 files when it is unzipped:
boot.ini
fixntldr.bat
NTDETECT.COM
NTDLR
ReadMe.txt
winnt.ini
winxp.ini

Did you see this?
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/239943-45-ntldr-compressed-press-ctrl-restart-restart-gives
3rd post in the thread gives pretty detailed instructions.

 

Hiya, first I've ever replied so I hope this works

XP/NTLDR sound good, just checked Boot Menu and doesn't say USB but does say 'Removable' and points to 'Floppy disk' which this machine doesn't have so still stuck.

However, I could create a bootup disk on this machine so if you want to give it a go - I'm all ears.

Frank E

 

Thanx Plodr - give me a mo to get brain in gear and away.

 

I take it this is XP2 with the NTLDR fix - will copy to cdrom and give it a go - see u in a short while

 

Any thoughts on getting the box to see the CDROM ? cause I still wont be able to load it if it keeps skipping past?

Frank E.

 

Have loaded cdrom but bios still skipping past CDrom. Whenever I recheck 'Boot Menu' its always showing 'Removable' as highlighted. I keep selecting CDROM and it reboots then when I check again its 'Removable' again - am I doing something wrong? or is this normal?

 

Don't know if that is "normal"; after all my years with computers, I'm convinced that computers do what they want when they want! :-D

I do have a boot floppy that will "see" a CD-ROM and allow you to point to it and boot it. I bought an old Optiplex for my husband and the CD was not a bootable option in the BIOS. I wanted to run a linux live CD so I had to do some looking and this boot floppy solved my problem.

I don't have an MSDOS boot floppy. I've looked through all the archives.

I do have a 98 boot disk that worked on an HP and Micron.
I have a DRDOS 703 boot disk that may contain MSDOS as part of the files on it.
Here's an explanation: http://nscsysop.hypermart.net/multiboot.html

I have to take hubby to the dentist so I'll be out for several hours.

When I come back, I'll zip up those 3 boot disks and upload them so you can grab them and see if any of them work.

 

Going to bed now - talk tomorrow I hope. If not - many thanks for your assist.


Brgds Frank E.

 

Sleep tight. You'll see this when you get up.
Here is DRDOS 703; it has 43 files when unzipped and I suspect MSDOS
http://www.walagata.com/w/perk/MjG/DRDOS_703.zip

and a 98 Boot disk which contains 18 files
http://www.walagata.com/w/perk/MjG/98_Bootdisk.zip

I can't manage to get the Smart Boot Loader to cough up the files so I'll explain what you need to do to create this boot floppy which actually holds more than a floppy holds.
First, you need a computer with an internal floppy drive that is working. (that might be the impossible part).
Then you download two files an img file which is similar to an ISO and a program to write the img file to the floppy disk.

smb.img (Smart Boot Master Image file) link is here
http://linux.simple.be/tools/sbm
the link is in the first paragraph. You can skip the rest of the page because it just complicates things.

RawWrite to write an image file to disk is here
http://www.chrysocome.net/rawwrite
grab the first file 0.7 for Windows.

You unzip the RawWrite and then run the exe (no install required)
You'll see this
On the write tab, aside of Image, click the three dots and find sbm.img and click it.
Press write and it will create the boot floppy.

 

Good morning, my appreciation for the work you've done can't be expressed - thankyou.

OK, got all this (I think). I have an old Win98 machine with a 3 1/4 floppy and can lan it to this machine so download/transfer to floppy can work. I also have a spare floppy in a bag but when checking inside cabinet of dodgy can't find any connectors that fit the floppy, so can't do a temp attach to upload boot files. I'm still stuck with reading the files in.

I get the feeling I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and do a destructive loadin. I notice that nobody else has taken the challenge so I'm presuming that they feel it's a lost cause as well.

The machine is an Emachines E3021 and I get the feeling that the BIOS that Emachines loaded was a cheapy cut-down 'cause it just doesn't do what it's supposed to.

Don't do anymore work - I feel guilty as it is. I'm going to keep looking into getting the floppy to fit but not hopeful.

 

Hi Plodr, even with an old cable loom that fits the floppy - there is no way to attach it to the board so attaching a floppy doesn't work so I still cant load in your stuff.

Again thanks for your work - I'll wait around and see if anybody else has had this with an Emachines and knows a workaround and if no response, then I'll kill it tonight.

Have a good day - We're off to sit down this afternoon and watch a 'Godfather' vid. (keeping an eye on the pc of course) it's just too miserable outside to think about starting in the garden and I'm generally 'cream-crackered' with this machine.

Brgds Frank E.

 

I sent you a PM (Personal message) please have a look. Top right there is the Private Messages. Click on that to read and respond.