I'm trying to install XP on a Win Me machine.

[thewolfe]

I'm trying to install XP on a Win Me machine.

I tried to do it from the XP CD but it wouldn't let me delete the FAT32 partition to install the NTFS partition. So I "slaved" the drive and formatted it with NTSF.

Now when I start the orig computer I get the above message.

How do I get past it to install XP?

The BIOS is set to boot from the CD first.

[thewolfe]

Sorry, NTLDR missing.

[123456]

Try this: Boot from the XP CD, and when it asks to install XP, press R to load the Recovery console. Type "fixboot" and restart.

[thewolfe]

Also I can see the CD from a dos bootup disk but it won't let me run "Setup.exe".

[thewolfe]

Can't boot from the CD.

[thewolfe]

I ass-u-me if I bought another HD, all would be well?

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Not really, from here it appears you are not properly booting to your cd

Do you get the option to boot from cd or HDD? If so, choose cd and follow prompts to formatting and installing. If not, go into BIOS and change boot order to cd first

[thewolfe]

Not getting the option to boot from CD and CD is first.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Are you able to boot to any cd at all? Knoppix? Memtest?

Try your XP cd in another pc to see if it will boot.

[thewolfe]

CD works in other computer. Nothing working in the one I'm working on.

I'll try another CD ROM in the morning and see if the CD ROM went south.

Although I can see it from DOS and it's spinning and the lights flashing.

[azzey]

If you set the CD to boot first, when you put the XP disk and power up the machine you should get something along the lines of "Press a key to enter setup..." at which point you can enter Setup, or leave it and it will attempt to boot from the HDD.

At the DOS prompt, Setup.exe does not get you into the setup. You can try running i386\winnt.exe but that doesn't work unless the HDD is completely formatted already and ready to go.

The easiest way is to just boot from the CD and install Windows

[setoguro]

If the CD ROM is good and the disk is good you may have to zero fill the HDD. Hopefully the drive isn't a big one. Doing that will give you a clean slate to work with. Oh and check the HDD also but anyway I've had that problem before and I'm thinking that I zeroed out the drive and all was well.

[thewolfe]

Doesn't auto run and CD's. No prompts.

it's only a 30 GB.

How do I zero fill the HDD?

Isn't there something I can do with a Maxtor utility?

I did download one to a floppy and tried to reformat but didn't change anything.

[setoguro]

Could be the CD ROM did you try an other one yet? The Maxtor utility should give you an option to zero out the drive.

[thewolfe]

Well.....I changed the data cables from the original position and I changed the jumper setting from the orig. and it gave me the same NT...missing but I also got "Press any key ...from CD".

So I restarted twice and got into the XP installation.

I did not change the cables or the jumpers yesterday so I don't undersatnd it but thanks for the posts.

I'll report back when all is installed.

[Paul Komski]

The simple ntldr is missing (all on its own and without the added "or corrupt") is generally when a system is attempting to boot from any NT formatted partition be it on a floppy or other drive but one that has not been made into a system partition. Coluld there have been a floppy in the drive?

I would suggest that if your new installation doesnt work that you delete all partitions (assuming you have no data you want) and then try booting to the CD. If that fails you can use winnt after making a FAT partition and copying the i386 folder from the CD to the new FAT partition on the HDD (http://www.iol.ie/~krakowangus/winnt.htm).

[thewolfe]

No floppy.

All is well. It's up an running.

W/ XP rather than ME it's running a little slow so I added some more RAM and that helped.

The My Computer Properties say I have 384mb which should be correct but Crucial says it will on take 256mb.

So are they wrong which means I'd like to bump it to 512mb or is My Computer Properties reporting incorrectly?

The system is an eMachine eMonster 800 running XP.

[Paul Komski]

Would suspect that MyComputer mimics what the BIOS detects. Crucial might err on the safe side or be referring the max per slot??