NTLDR is Missing.

Issue:

NTLDR is Missing.

Related errors:

Below are the full error messages that may be seen when the computer is booting.

NTLDR is Missing
Press any key to restart

Boot: Couldn't find NTLDR
Please insert another disk

NTLDR is missing
Press Ctrl Alt Del to Restart

Cause:

Computer is booting from a non-bootable source.
Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS.
Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.
Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file.
Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32.
New hard disk drive being added.
Corrupt boot sector / master boot record.
Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable.

Solutions:

Computer is booting from a non-bootable source

Many times this error is caused when the computer is attempting to boot from a non-bootable floppy disk or CD-ROM. First verify that no floppy diskette is in the computer, unless you are attempting to boot from a diskette.

If you are attempting to boot from a floppy diskette and are receiving this error message it is likely that the diskette does not have all the necessary files and/or is corrupt.

If you are attempting to install Windows XP or Windows 2000 and are receiving this error message as the computer is booting verify that your computer BIOS has the proper boot settings. For example, if you are attempting to run the install from the CD-ROM make sure the CD-ROM is the first boot device, and not the hard disk drive.

Second, when the computer is booting you should receive the below prompt.

Press any key to boot from the CD

Important: When you see this message press any key such as the Enter key immediately, otherwise it will try booting from the hard drive and likely get the NTLDR error again.

Note: If you are not receiving the above message and your BIOS boot options are set properly it's also possible that your CD-ROM drive may not be booting from the CD-ROM properly. Verify the jumpers are set properly on the CD-ROM drive. Additional information about checking the CD-ROM drive connections can be found on document CH000213.

Additional information: This error has also been known to occur when a memory stick is in a card reader and the computer is attempting to boot from it. If you have any type of card reader or flash reader make sure that no memory stick is inside the computer.

Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS

Verify that your computer hard disk drive is properly setup in the BIOS / CMOS setup. Improper settings can cause this error. Additional information on how to enter the BIOS / CMOS setup can be found in document CH000192.

Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file

Windows 2000 users
Windows XP users

Windows 2000 users

If your computer is using Microsoft Windows 2000 and you are encountering the NTLDR error. Create the below boot.ini file on the floppy diskette drive.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files from another computer using the same operating system. Both of these files are located in the root directory of the primary hard disk drive. For example, C:\NTLDR and C:\NTDETECT.COM should be the locations of these files on many computers.

Please keep in mind that these files are hidden system files, if you need additional help with viewing hidden files in Windows please see document CH000516.

Once these files have been copied to a floppy diskette reboot the computer and copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files to the root directory of the primary hard disk drive. Below is an example of what commonly should be performed from the A:\> drive.

copy ntldr c:
copy ntdetect.com c:

After the above two files have been copied, remove the floppy diskette and reboot the computer.

Windows XP users

Insert the Windows XP bootable CD into the computer.
When prompted to press any key to boot from the CD, press any key.
Once in the Windows XP setup menu press the "R" key to repair Windows.
Log into your Windows installation by pressing the "1" key and pressing enter.
You will then be prompted for your administrator password, enter that password.
Copy the below two files to the root directory of the primary hard disk. In the below example we are copying these files from the CD-ROM drive letter, which in this case is "e." This letter may be different on your computer.

copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\
copy e:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\
Once both of these files have been successfully copied, remove the CD from the computer and reboot.

Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file

Edit the boot.ini on the root directory of the hard disk drive and verify that it is pointing to the correct location of your Windows operating system and that the partitions are properly defined. Additional information about the boot.ini can be found on document CH000492.

Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32

If you are getting this error message while you are attempting to upgrade to Windows 2000 or Windows XP from Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME running FAT32 please try the below recommendations.

Boot the computer with a Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows ME bootable diskette.
At the A:\> prompt type:

sys c:
After pressing enter you should receive the "System Transferred" message. Once this has been completed remove the floppy diskette and reboot the computer.

New hard disk drive being added

If you are attempting to add a new hard disk drive to the computer make sure that drive is a blank drive. Adding a new hard disk drive to a computer that already has Windows installed on it may cause the NTLDR error to occur.

If you are unsure if the new drive is blank or not try booting from a bootable diskette and format the new hard disk drive.

Corrupt boot sector / master boot record

It's possible your computer's hard disk drive may have a corrupt boot sector and/or master boot record. These can be repaired through the Microsoft Windows Recovery console by running the fixboot and fixmbr commands.

Additional information and help in getting into the Microsoft Windows Recovery console can be found on document CH000627.

Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP

If you have tried each of the above recommendations that apply to your situation and you continue to experience this issue it is possible you may have a seriously corrupted version of Microsoft Windows. Therefore we would recommend you reinstall Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

If you are encountering this issue during your setup you may wish to completely erase your computer hard disk drive and all of its existing data and then install Microsoft Windows 2000 / Windows XP. Additional information about erasing the computer and starting over can be found on document CH000186.

Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable

This issue has been known to be caused by a loose or fault IDE/EIDE cable. If the above recommendation does not resolve your issue and your computer hard disk drive is using an IDE or EIDE interface. Verify the computer hard disk drive cable is firmly connected by disconnected and reconnecting the cable.

If the issue continues it is also a possibility that the computer has a faulty cable, try replacing the hard disk drive cable with another cable and/or a new cable.

How to troubleshoot the "NTLDR Is Missing" error message in Windows 2000

View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q318728

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes methods that you can use to troubleshoot th...

This step-by-step article describes methods that you can use to troubleshoot the "NTLDR Is Missing" error message that you may receive when you try to start Microsoft Windows 2000.

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How to Troubleshoot the "NTLDR Is Missing" Error Message

When you start your Windows 2000-based computer, you may receive the following error message:

NTLDR is missing
Press any key to restart

This problem may occur if the basic input/output system (BIOS) on your computer is outdated, or if one or more of the following Windows boot files are missing or damaged:

Ntldr
Ntdetect.com
Boot.ini

To resolve this issue, verify that the BIOS on your computer is current, and then use one or more of the following methods, as appropriate to your situation, to repair the Windows 2000 startup environment.

IMPORTANT: Microsoft recommends that you fully back up your data on a regular basis. This is the best defense against data loss, and it must be a part of any disaster recovery plan.

Verify That the BIOS on the Computer Is Current

Make sure that the latest revision for BIOS is installed on the computer. Contact the computer manufacturer to inquire about how to obtain, and then install the latest BIOS update that is available for the computer.

For information about how to configure and how to verify the correct BIOS settings for the computer, see the computer documentation or contact the manufacturer of the computer. For information about how to contact your computer manufacturer, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

65416 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/65416/ ) Hardware and software vendor contact information, A-K

60781 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60781/ ) Hardware and software vendor contact information, L-P

60782 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/60782/ ) Hardware and software vendor contact information, Q-Z

For more information about how to contact BIOS manufacturers, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

243909 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/243909/ ) List of BIOS manufacturer Web sites Part 1

243971 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/243971/ ) List of BIOS manufacturer Web sites Part 2

To repair the Windows startup environment, use one or more of the following methods, as appropriate to your situation.

Method 1: Use a Boot Disk to Start the Computer

Create a Windows 2000 boot disk that contains the following files:

Ntldr
Ntdetect.com
Boot.ini
Ntbootdd.sys

For more information about how to create a boot disk, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

301680 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301680/ ) How to create a boot disk for an NTFS or FAT partition in Windows

101668 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/101668/ ) How to use a Windows boot disk to prevent boot failure

Modify the Boot.ini file to point to the correct hard disk controller and to the correct volume for your Windows installation. For more information about how to create a boot disk, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

311578 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311578/ ) How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows 2000

Insert the boot disk into the computer's floppy disk drive, and then restart the computer.
Copy the Ntldr file, the Ntdetect.com file, and the Boot.ini file from the boot disk to the system partition of the local hard disk.

Method 2: Use the Recovery Console

Use the Windows 2000 Setup disks to restart the computer, or use the Windows 2000 CD-ROM to restart the computer.
At the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to repair the Windows 2000 installation.
Press C to repair the Windows 2000 installation by using the Recovery Console.
Type the number that corresponds to the Windows installation that you want to repair, and then press ENTER. For example, type 1, and then press ENTER. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

229716 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/229716/ ) Description of the Windows Recovery Console

Type the Administrator password, and then press ENTER.
Type map, and then press ENTER. Note the drive letter that is assigned to the CD-ROM drive that contains the Windows 2000 CD-ROM.
Type the following commands, pressing ENTER after you type each one, where drive is the drive letter that you typed in step 4 of "Method 2: Use the Recovery Console," of this article:

copy drive:\i386\ntldr c:\

copy drive:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\

If you are prompted to overwrite the file, type y, and then press ENTER.

NOTE: In these commands, there is a space between the ntldr and c:\, and between ntdetect.com and c:\.

Type the following command, and then press ENTER:

type c:\Boot.ini

A list similar to the following list appears:

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

If you receive the following message, the Boot.ini file may be missing or damaged:

The system cannot find the file or directory specified.

If the Boot.ini file is missing or damaged, create a new one. To do so, follow these steps:

a. Use a text editor, such as Notepad or Edit.com, to create a boot loader file similar to the following boot loader file:

b.  [boot loader]

c.  timeout=30

d.  default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

e.

f.  [operating systems]

g.  multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

102873 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102873/ ) Boot.ini and ARC path naming conventions and usage

301680 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301680/ ) How to create a boot disk for an NTFS or FAT partition in Windows

h. Save the file to a floppy disk as Boot.ini.

NOTE: If you used Notepad to create the file, make sure that the .txt extension is not appended to the Boot.ini file name.

i. Type the following command at the Recovery Console command prompt to copy the Boot.ini file from the floppy disk to the computer:

copy a:\Boot.ini c:\

Type exit, and then press ENTER. The computer restarts.

Method 3: Use the Windows 2000 CD-ROM

Insert the Windows 2000 CD-ROM into the computer's CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, and start Windows 2000 Setup.
On the Welcome to Setup page, press R.
On the Windows 2000 Repair Options page, press R.
When you are prompted to select one of the repair options, press M.
Press the UP ARROW, press the UP ARROW again, to select Verify Windows 2000 system files, and then press ENTER to clear the selection.
Press the DOWN ARROW to select Continue (perform selected tasks), and then press ENTER. The following message appears:

You need an Emergency Repair disk for the Windows 2000
installation you want to repair.

Do one of the following, as appropriate to your situation:

If you have an Emergency Repair Disk, follow these steps:

a. Press ENTER.

b. Insert the Emergency Repair Disk into the computer's floppy disk drive, and then press ENTER.

c. Follow the instructions to repair the installation, and then restart the computer.

-or-

If you do not have an Emergency Repair Disk, follow these steps:

. Press L. You receive a message similar to the following:

Setup has found Windows 2000 in the following folder:

drive:\WINNT "Microsoft Windows 2000"

a. Press ENTER.

Setup examines the disks, and then completes the repair process.

For more information about the emergency repair feature, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

231777 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/231777/ ) How to create an Emergency Repair Disk in Windows 2000

If Setup Cannot Locate Windows 2000

If you do not have a Windows 2000 Emergency Repair Disk, and if Setup cannot locate the Windows 2000 installation, follow these steps:

Start Windows 2000 Setup.
On the Setup will install Windows 2000 on partition page, select Leave the current file system intact (no changes), and then press ENTER.
Press ESC to install Windows 2000 to a new folder.
In the Select the folder in which the files should be copied box, type \tempwin, and then press ENTER.

Setup installs a new copy of Windows 2000.
Log on to the new copy of Windows 2000.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
At the command prompt, type drive:, where drive is the boot drive of the computer, and then press ENTER. For example, type c:, and then press ENTER.
Type attrib -h -r -s Boot.ini, and then press ENTER.
Type edit Boot.ini, and then press ENTER.

Edit.com opens a Boot.ini file that is similar to the following file:

11.[boot loader]

12.timeout=30

13.default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\TEMPWIN

14.[operating systems]

15.multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\TEMPWIN="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

16.

Replace all instances of TEMPWIN with WINNT. The Boot.ini file that appears is similar to the following file:

18.[boot loader]

19.timeout=30

20.default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

21.[operating systems]

22.multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

23.

Press ALT+F, and then press S.
Press ALT+F, and then press X.
Type attrib +h +r +s Boot.ini, and then press ENTER.
Type exit to quit the command prompt.
Restart the computer.
At the Please select the operating system to start screen, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows 2000, and then press ENTER.
Start Windows Explorer, locate the following folders, and then delete them:

Tempwin
All Users.Tempwin

The Windows 2000 and Windows XP CDs supplied by Microsoft has a tool called the Recovery Console which can be used to repair errors that prevent Windows XP from starting using the command line. OEM versions of Windows XP, including computers that were supplied with Windows XP preinstalled, may not have this utility.

Insert the Windows CD and start the computer.
When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press R.
Type a number corresponding to the Windows installation you wish to repair (usually 1) and press Enter.
When prompted, type the administrator password and press Enter.
From the command prompt, copy NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM from the i386 folder of the CD to the root folder of the hard drive. In the example commands given below, C: is the hard drive and D: is the CD-ROM drive. You will need to change the drive letters if appropriate:
COPY D:\I386\NTLDR C:\
COPY D:\I386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
Remove the Windows XP CD from the drive and restart the computer.

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Naveen Prasad

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NTLDR is Missing