re: NTLDR missing on dual-boot system
Friday, February 4, 2005 at 4:24 am
Windows 2000 Annoyances Discussion Forum
Posted by Steve B
(209 messages posted)
ntdlr and ntdetect.com are in the i386 folder of any install CD for Win2k or XP.
Note, the XP ones can boot Win2k, but the Win2k ones are clueless about XP
On Thursday, February 3, 2005 at 11:51 pm, capnfutile wrote:
>I posted this over at the straight dope boards, but got no response, so here goes:
>
>I've done a(nother) bonehead thing with my computer. I have a dual boot system (w98
>and win2k). I'm planning on upgrading to XP soon, and have been backing up stuff
>in preparation. Last night I decided I didn't need anything in the W98 partition,
>so I deleted everything there. Dumb. Today when I power on, I get "NTLDR not found".
>So obviously, I hosed some files crucial to Win2k.
>
>I've done some Googling and tried something from the MS knowledge base (sys c:,
that
>got me a w98 command prompt instead of "NTLDR missing"). I can get to the Recovery
>Console, and from there I have tried "fixboot c:" and "fixmbr c:" neither of which
>did squat. Do I want to try "fixmbr d:"?
>
>C: was where w98 was, D: is where win2k still is.
>
>Here's a screenshot of PartitionMagic:
>http://img209.exs.cx/img209/304/screenshot1lc.jpg
>(Thanks Imageshack)
>
>What I'd really like to do is to can everything except for D: (OS and program files)
>and the NTFS Data partition. I'd eventually like to dualboot with Mandrake Linux
>(there's an install there I can't get to but I'd prolly reinstall). Are the Linux
>partitions in the right place or should they be after the Win2k partition?
>
>Apparently, three files are needed in the bootable drive - ntldr, ntdetect.com,
and
>boot.ini. Boot.ini I can handwrite, but the others can only be gotten by copying
>them from another win2k system, which I don't have handy. I can probably see them
>from the recovery console, but the RC doesn't allow you to write to floppy, even
>if you know the admin PW. ARGH. I do have a w2k CD and a "spare" system, but I'd
>rather not install 2k over a good XP setup only to reinstall XP an hour later.
>
>Thanks for any help. I've been Googling and banging my head for two days and my
wife
>wants her laptop back!
>
>thanks,
>capn
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