NTLDR is missing...

[xavier2k3]

Right, i'm not computer n00b or anything but this error has truly stumped me. I've formatted two seperate hard drives on two seperate pc's that i was attempting to install windows xp pro on. Now, when i go to install XP, the installation doesn't work and it must be due to the "NTLDR is missing."

What i dont understand is, if no OS is installed on either hard drive, why is NTLDR needed anyway? It should be like a virgin hard drive and just install XP no problem, but it doesn't. I've tried everything there is to try, even resetting bios' and such forth and i really can not seem to find any solution. Both these hard drives previously ran Windows XP OS's before they were wiped, with no problems whatsoever.

Does anyone know how i can get around this? BCupdate2.exe i cant use because i don't have an OS installed, so the same goes for implanting the NTDETECT and NTLDR files into the hard drive, because they are both blank, and just partitioned to 1 big drive.

Thanks in advance. It got so annoying with the first pc that i gave up, but when i offered to install Windows XP SP2 on my mates pc, the same thing happened as on the first one, and it was running XP fine before.

Regards
--Marty

 

[Rik]

Make sure that both pc's are set to boot from cd rom and it should work. If not, then the cd may be no good.

 

[xavier2k3]

Thanks but as i've said, i'm no computer n00b. Trust me, i've ensured boot from cd rom is chosen in bios. As for the CD, well i've tried various XP Pro CD's each to no avail. And in all of this, it still doesn't explain why i am still getting the 'NTLDR is missing' message when there is no OS installed. I've even zero wrote both drives too.

regards
--marty

 

[iss]

How did you format the drives? the way you describe it sounds like you used a boot disk instead of the XP CD. if you boot fromt he XP Cd and then partition and formatm the XP install begins right after the format.

 

[Rik]

What are the 2 pc's you are trying to install?

 

[xavier2k3]

I formatted the drives using the windows xp pro sp2 actual cd's not boot discs. I went through the recovery mode option. Iss, believe me, ive tried booting from the xp cd and formatting using the NTFS file system many a time, but it still doesnt work.

PC 1 which i gave up on was an athlon xp1600+
PC 2 is an athlon again, don't know which type though, xp something of course though.

regards
--marty

 

[Rik]

Have you tried any different ata cables, its a long shot, but you never know.

 

[xavier2k3]

you name it i've tried it. i've even tried replacing ram, ide cables, cd drives, everything, it just doesn't work. and the fact especially with this second pc, that it was running xp fine before i formatted it, just doesn't add up.

regards
--marty

 

[Rik]

What exactly are the pc's? Are they home builds or are they shop ones?

 

[xavier2k3]

shop builds, both of them originally. PC1 has had a new HD & more ram, PC2, more ram.

regards
--marty

 

[iss]

well the, the only reasonable explanation is that you are a computer jinx.

But, just in case your not. the method I always use to reformat and reinstall is to boot from the XP CD choose to install windows, then delete the existing partition, create a new partition, and format and install windows. if you havnt tried that it is at least worth a shot.

 

[xavier2k3]

I've tried that many a time, trust me. I dont have a clue what to do to be honest. I think ill have to install XP on it using a different PC or something. Now i've just gotta find 1!

regards
--marty

 

[bach0004151]

Missing NTLDR

It will say missing NTLDR because you have no OS install on the Hard drive.

When I have on OS install on my computer I said the sam thing.