NTLDR missing

[perber]

NTLDR missing when I boot up.

I have made a backup of a partition with XP Pro SP2.The backup is made
after reboot with Acronis bootable CD.

Why has Acronis True Image v8.0.903 missed this 3 files:

NTLDR
NTDETECT.COM
BOOT.INI

perber

I have made and restored many images with True Image, including version 8, up through build 937. In all cases TI8 backed-up/restored all files. The only exceptions are the files which windows will automatically re-create, like the swap file.

However, I have a simple installation in which XP is on the first partition of the primary hard drive, also known as "C:".

But, XP (and 2000 and maybe NT) can be installed on any partition. For example, you could have win98 on C:, and 200 od D:, and XP on E:, etc.

However, the three files you are missing will always be installed on C:, even if 2000/XP is installed elsewhere.

If you have such a more complex configuration, imaging and recovering the partition with XP is not enough. You also need to backup/restore those three file to C:. Or, backup/restore all of C:, as well as all of the partition with XP on it.

Note that attempting to use a disk imaging program to move XP from wherever it was installed (say D back to C: is rarely sucessful. The only sure way to do that is to format the hard drive, then do a clean install of XP on C:.

Finally, it may be of value to know that those three files can be placed on a floppy disk, instead of on C:, so long as the BIOS is set to boot from floppy before hard drive. This is not a permanent solution, but it could be used to experiment with the BOOT.INI file in case there is some confusion as to exactly where XP is located in terms of disks and partitions in the BOOT.INI notation, something like:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

Note that "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)" = C:

[Acronis Support]

Hello perber and rharris270,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

I would also like to add the link to the appropriate Microsoft Knowledge Base article.

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov

I have exactly the same problem.

The message is NTLDR is missing.

Configuration is : XP installed to a SCSI HD (work very fine)

The cloning has been made to a Western Digital HD SATA, cloning is working well.

Problem is when trying to boot from the WD HD => this not possible

Question : I would like to know if there is a way to have this NTLDR copied from somewhere else to solve the problem.

regards

[Brian K]

Cause:
1. Computer is booting from a non-bootable source.
2. Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS.
3. Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.
4. Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file.
5. Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32.
6. New hard disk drive being added.
7. Corrupt boot sector / master boot record.
8. Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
9. Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable.


ie Don't take it at face value.

[rdgrimes]

Originally Posted by Brian K

Cause:
1. Computer is booting from a non-bootable source.
2. Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS.
3. Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.
4. Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file.
5. Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32.
6. New hard disk drive being added.
7. Corrupt boot sector / master boot record.
8. Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
9. Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable.


ie Don't take it at face value.

You forgot:
Trying to boot to an OS that does not possess a driver for the HD controller that you restored the image to.

[Brian K]

Originally Posted by rdgrimes

You forgot:
Trying to boot to an OS that does not possess a driver for the HD controller that you restored the image to.

Thanks. That will be number 10.

[tachyon42]

Can get this NTLDR error if:
BootMagic is active
then use Windows disk management to delete a partition, create new partition
then restore the partition with TrueImage.
The result is the wrong partition number in boot.ini
I haven't tested yet but I guess I should have deactivated BootMagic before using Windows disk management.

Boot from the XP CD and after all the file loading is done you have the option to enter recovery console by pushing R.

Once in the recovery console type the following:

copy Drive:\i386\ntldr c:\

copy Drive:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\

Replace Drive in the above with whatever CD/DVD drive you have the XP disk in.

Also notice the space between c:\ and the rest of the line.

[Defenestration]

Thaks for the info rharris270. I have had this problem myself but never got to the bottom of the problem. Now I know.

Acronis - It should be possible to back up these three files when creating an image of a system partition

NTLDR
NTDETECT.COM
BOOT.INI

[Acronis Support]

Hello Defenestration,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Actually, Acronis True Image includes these three files in the image archive in both cases, when you create an image of the entire hard drive and an image of a system partition only. However, the problem might appear even if everything were restored successfully.

Please take a look at the posts above pointing the possible reasons and solutions for the "NTLDR is missing..." problem.

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov

I was able to solve a problem nearly similar to the ones described.

I have an ABIT AN7 MOBO but maybe you can translate these steps to your board. The key is you must have the SATA RAID ROM Enabled for the system to "See" the SATA drive on bootup

I perfomed a TI 9.0 live clone of my IDE boot drive to a new SATA. I then changed my BIOS to boot from the SATA. Upon booting I got the NTLDR missing message and was sure everything was in order. I went googling and found this thread which helped piece together what I missed.

My mistake occurred in the BIOS settings. On the AN7 you must set the proper Hard Drive Boot sequence but you must ALSO Enablethe SATA RAID ROM. Here is the procedure:

- Boot and enter the BIOS

- Select "Advanced BIOS Features"

-- Select "Hard Disk Boot Priority"

--- Move the "Bootable Add-in Device" setting to the top

-- Back in the "Advanced BIOS Features" area select "- Bootable Add-In Device -"

--- Set the device to "Onboard SATA"

You have now told the BIOS you wish to boot from an Add-in device and it is SATA (instead of a PCI slot)

Here's the key!

-- From the top BIOS setting menu select "Integrated Peripherals"

--- Select "Onboard PCI device"

---- Set the "Serial ATA Controller" to 'Enabled'
---- Set the "- SATA RAID ROM" to 'Enabled'

This eliminated the ntldr missing problem and the SATA drive booted perfectly

I hope this information helps you as well - it was a frustrating time