NTLDR is missing...

I HAVE AN ACER ASPIRE 3620

i'll try to make this brief but i want to put all details of everything i did so i dont get asked a question over and over. and btw i did email acer technical support but they couldnt even answer my question and i couldnt call them b/c i have no warranty....

my laptop has system back up technology. i did the "eRecovery" (alt + f10) once b/c it had a virus. this time there was another issue with the computer so i wanted to do a recovery again only that this time it is giving me the following error:

"Fail in creating or opening a file" and when i click OK it says "Cannot find file C:\preload.tag" i click OK again and it goes to "Cannot find file X:\preload.tag" then i click OK once more and it goes to a BLACK SCREEN that says "NTLDR is missing, Press any key to restart"

i click all [and any] key and it stays on the same screen... I cannot get into windows. I try restarting the computer and using safe mode but it wont even go to that menu.

next i researched and found a website http://tinyempire.com/notes/ntldrismissing.htm and tried to do the steps. *i used a cd and not floppy*. i try the 1ST TRY THIS and it gives me the following error "windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll Please re-install a copy of the above file". so i try 3RD TRY THIS and it takes me to the log in screen. i pick a username. then it goes to the FOUND NEW HARDWARE WIZARD. It says it helps me install software for Ethernet Controller. It doesnt do anything b/c it says it cannot find the necessary software blah blah blah.. Then it goes to a light blue screen and stays like that. I waited exactly 10mins and it was still like that! I restart and try again and same thing.

NOW WHAT?

 

25 views and no replies yet =( doesn't ANYONE know how to fix this???

 

Personally, I have no idea how to fix this. However, it seems like MS does!! Here's the link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320397 If that is of no help, just Google 'NTLDR is missing.' I did and there is quite a few sites there that may be able to help. Sorry I couldn't have been of more help.

 

Oh yeah, one other thing....welcome to MGs!!

 

the microsoft support website does not work at all. 1- b/c u need a windows boot cd which i do not have. 2- everything else on that website is confusing and 3- i have already googled around for answers thus this forum was posted. i came here thinking maybe someone would have an answer b/c i could not find one anywhere else

 

Hi DMC,

Don't know if this will be any help to you. Several times I have received the NO NTLDR message. I read somewhere that you can fool it by createing a NTLDR file with no data in it and place it in the Root directory (folder) of the boot drive. Worked for me. You have other issues so may not work for you.

Good Luck, Jim

 

Basically your OS.. Lost the NTLDR file in the system...
Nobody knows why this happens ... it gets deleted or its there but its no beign recognized....
These are instuctions i followed when this happened to me....
I HOPE IT HELPS.....

1. Ensure your BIOS is configured to reach your CD-ROM before it checks your hard drive. You can check your BIOS on startup by holding down the "Delete" key when prompted to. This works for most PC systems.

2. Restart with a bootable Windows XP CD-ROM.

3. Wait for the startup and automatic loading of the Windows minimal set to take place from the CD,

4. When prompted, pres "R" for Repair to enter the Windows Recovery Console.

5. Select the Windows installation you wish to work on when the list is brought up. Usually this will be "[1] C:\WINDOWS" select number 1.

6. You will need to login using your admin password.

7. At the command prompt, type "bootcfg /rebuild" and proceed to do the rebuild. This rebuilds the boot.ini file.

8. After waiting patiently for the drive scan to complete, you will be prompted to enter some information. You will be shown a list of the current Windows installations again. Enter the letter "A" at this prompt. You only need to enter one other thing which will be requested at the very next prompt for info, and that is the name of the Windows installation to use. In this case, you could just enter "C:\WINDOWS" without the quotes. On Windows 2000 setups, this would probably be "C:\WINNT". Hit enter to move through the rest of the info requests without actually providing any further data.

9. Again at the command prompt, type the following in sequence, with "Z" being the drive letter where the Win XP bootable CD is located:
cd \
copy Z:\i386\NTLDR C:
copy Z:\i386\NTDETECT.com C:
fixboot

10. After all of this, type "exit" at the command prompt to restart. Eject your CD, enter the BIOS again and reset the load order of the drives so that the hard drive with your Windows installation comes first, save the changes and exit the BIOS. Your computer should start up normally. If you have more than one entry in boot.ini you will be asked to select which system to boot up with"

 

Hi! In your original post you stated you used a cd and not floppy, but in a reply you stated that you don't have a bootable cd? I understand the 'backup technology' part. I think it's a sh@tty practice that computer makers use, partitioning a part of your harddrive with reinstallation software as opposed to giving you the physical media. Not only does it waste storage space, but in the event of hardrive failure, you are left out in the cold. Back to your problem, if you do have the recovery/install cd for your computer, than the previous reply should solve the problem. It sounds as if you don't, and that the partition may be corrupt (or the hardrive is failing). Unless you've sovled the problem already, a little more information would helpful. How old is the computer? What windows are you using (xp/vista)? And do actually have a reinstall cd or not?

 

Well, unless the OP is dual booting XP with Vista and even then, NTLDR is only an XP thing. Vista has moved on from that with the BCDStore, it only tolerates legacy OS.

 

i dont have a windows xp bootable cd... i dont need one b/c My laptop has system backup technology by holding down ALT and pressing F10.. but this time it didnt work, thus the error messages and then thus the NTLDR error.

sorry for the confusion! the cd i was talking about is a regular writable cd i used to burn a file and use to try and resolve the problem. its all in the link i posted for that website that was supposed to help me. it gives u an option to use a disk or cd and burn it etc... but as far as i know this laptop did not come with a original windows xp bootable cd or disk and i dont have a bootleg one either. i guess maybe my only solution is to buy one? =\

i have windows XP, intel celeron processor... as i said before i cannot get into windows at all. so i cannot create a file or folder etc.

 

I had the same problem after I tried to install a 2nd HD. All I had to do was reset the BIOS to optimized defaults.

 

dan70889: how did you "reset the BIOS to optimized defaults"???
note, i cant get past that NTLDR screen so i'm guessing you probably had to get on to windows to do that, which i cant. :crybaby:

cadar21: thanks for an answer but i dont have a bootable cd therefore this wont work.

 

ok so can u guide me through how to reset the bios? what screen should i be on when i hit f1 or f2 w/e? what should i look for?