ntldr missing urgent help

[blambert]

I have recently come across the well known 'ntdlr not found press ctrl+alt+del to restart ' error.

I am using windows 200 on a single HD. I do NOT have a floppy drive so no floppy boot disk fixes but whats killing me is most guides suggest I use the install disk and recovery console to repair, I have lost this install disk and don't know what to do, (my parents have it somewhere )

I have tried using a fixntldr iso from the web but to no avail.

Can anyone at all please help me out, I need an ISO i can burn to fix this, without reinstalling windows, even if theres a way I can boot to DOS and copy boot files I need from CD to my HD in a command line before re-booting ??

I really need help on this one please!

Thanks

Ben

[blambert]

i should also add that i've checked that i'm booting the hdd n the bios and nothing else i think this error occured when i\accidentally deleted stuff off my HD

[Sylvander]

1. How to make a free “Smart Boot Manager” floppy
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41498
This makes it easier to boot a chosen drive [particularly the one holding the EBCD].

2. How to make a free EBCD bootable CD
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=41485
This has a number of useful utilities included including "Image" [for DOS, by Terabyte] & "File Manager".

The EBCD also includes an "Un-Erase" program.
If you knew the files needed that you "deleted" [e.g. NTLDR, Boot.ini, NTDETECT.COM] you could "unerase" them.

See details at the end of Computer Boot Sequence (http://www.mossywell.com/boot-sequence/).

[Paul Komski]

You could see if you can boot your system from a specially prepared Boot Floppy. You need access to a system running Win2K or WinXP and have a blank floppy diskette. You then format the floppy from MyComputer and then copy ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini from the C: drive onto the floppy. The format must be a normal full format from Win2K/XP and not from other versions of Windows since they will not create the correct boot sector on the floppy. You may need to edit the boot.ini file but if both that system and your own only has one partition then it is probably OK as it is. Put the floppy in the drive (with the BIOS bootorder having FDD first) and boot up. If successful we can start the corrections needed to your own HDD.

The lowdown from MS re WinXP is at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305595&sd=tech and it is effectively identical for Win2K

[Sylvander]

The EBCD also includes a program that will "Create Boot Floppy" for Windows NT/2000/XP.
I tried it and it's rather good.
It explains that it makes a generic boot.ini file, and that you can edit the file using "Volkov Commander" I think it said [also included].

Here's what's in "Boot.ini" on the floppy I made:
"[boot loader]
timeout=-1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="NT, First harddisk, first partition" /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="NT, First harddisk, second partition" /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="NT, First harddisk, third partition" /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINNT="NT, First harddisk, fourth partition" /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="NT, Second harddisk, first partition" /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINNT="NT, Second harddisk, second partition" /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINNT="NT, Second harddisk, third partition" /sos
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(4)\WINNT="NT, Second harddisk, fourth partition" /sos
C:\="Previous Operating System on C:\""

[Paul Komski]

I do NOT have a floppy drive
woops - forgot about that

[Paul Komski]

If you could get hold of a Win2K installation disk and then do a repair installation from it that is probably the quickest way forward.

If you want to try making a Win2K boot-up CD it is possible to make one that will behave just as if it is the same as the boot floppy above. One first needs to have the floppy and then create an image file of that floppy and then burn a boot cd using that image file with a program that can create a boot CD iso using "floppy emulation".

If you dont have the appropriate software then grab the following two pieces of trialware:
UltraIso
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,23164,00.asp

WinImage
http://findsoftonline.com/winimage_download_10782.html

Either make the floppy (as per earlier instructions) on another PC and then use WinImage to make an image file from the floppy; save that image as .bin format (which will ensure it is not a compressed image). Alternatively download the pro version of EBCD and after extracting the files from the self-extracting download navigate to the file ...\ebcd-0.6.1-pro\BOOTRD1-PRO\32-NtBootFloppy\BIN\ntboot.bin One way or another you should now have a .bin image file of a Win2K bootup floppy.

You can then use a program like Nero or UltraIso to create a bootable CD and just ensure that the ntboot.bin file is used for the floppy emulation.

When you then boot to that CD you should get the menu specified by Sylvander above and hopefully that will startup your system; (no guarantees). If that doesnt work your file deletions may have hit other vital files or you may have a corrupt mbr or partition boot sector.

WinImage would also be needed if you wanted to edit the boot.ini file prior to burning the iso. You wont be abe to edit it once the CD has been burned.