re: NTLDR missing on dual-boot system
Friday, February 4, 2005 at 7:39 am
Windows 2000 Annoyances Discussion Forum
Posted by Steve Dunn
(924 messages posted)
steve b told you where to find ntldr & ntdetect.com. With those files and boot.ini
in the root of C:, you then need to return to recovery console and run fixboot again
(with the 3 files, this will create a new boot sector for you).
You could also just copy the 3 files to a newly formatted blank floppy - that floppy
will then boot your installation.
You're probably ok with boot.ini, but I'll just post what it should look like to
boot the 2nd partition on the first disk:-
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
If you intend dual booting with mandrake, I'd start from scratch. Install 2k on first
partition (during install, use its partitioning tools to wipe existing partitions
and just create one partition for it), with room for linux. Then let linux install
handle setting up of partitions and creation of dual boot menu.
If you do want to keep what you have, you'll probably need something like partition
magic, as your 2k installation is almost certainly on an extended partition and it
need to be a primary partition to allow dual boot with mandrake (tip - for best results
multi-booting any operating systems, put them each on their own primary partition).
You'd then need to create a boot sector in the new 2k primary partition (same as
at the top - but for D: not C: - and run fixboot D:). Now linux may install into
the 98 partition (or the space it takes up).
PS. Good free for personal use boot manager is at www.boot-us.com (lilo or grub which
are usually suplied with linux will do you fine - just an option). If you do use
a third party boot manager, you'll still need to install lilo/grub - but to the partition
that linux is on, not to the mbr.
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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