Missing NTLDR

Mikki · #1 05-19-2003, 08:22 PM

Hi, I just put together my first computer. When I started it for the first time it posted and I got into the BIO's to make sure the computer would boot from my Windows XP Pro cd. After I made the BIO's setting I put my Windows XP cd into the computer and re-booted. I got an error message that said there was a missing NTLDR. Please help. Thank you.

Mikki · #2 05-19-2003, 08:28 PM

Oh, I forgot that when I get the missing NTLDR error I must take out the battery in order to get it to post again. Is there a BIO's setting that I could change to get rid of this error? Thanks much.

lewis · #3 05-20-2003, 11:38 AM

Just be sure to double and triple check any jumpers that may be on the board.

You may also have to use 'boot disks' to install. I know of many people including myself that couldn't boot from the disk.

Mikki · #4 05-20-2003, 07:06 PM

Thank you for the advice. The jumpers are o.k. I installed a new smaller hard drive on the computer and it posted fine. I think something went wrong with the 80 gig drive. When I first booted with that drive I got a message saying "SPD data missing or inconclusive". It gave me the option to boot anyways so I did. I then put the Windows XP disk in and it formatted, but after that it shut down and when it re-started I got the missing NTLDR error message. I think that by formatting after the SPD missing data message I messed something up in the hard drive.

When the "missing NTLDR" message appears it asks if you want to re boot. Also there is a flashing cursor but when I try to type in a prompt nothing happens that's why I think I killed the hard drive. I put in a boot disk but nothing happened. How exactly do you start a boot from a boot disk? Thanks again for the help.

P.S. The SPD data missing error message was caused because I put two sticks of 512 mb ddr 333 ram in the motherboard and they were a little different from each other. When I took one out the hard drive let me get into the bios but still wouldn't let me boot.