# Solved: "Can't find NTLDR" using XP boot CD



## winbob (Aug 2, 2004)

The exercise began when I replaced the 30GB HD in my old laptop with a new 80GB drive, and used the Bootable Win/XP CD to begin rebuilding the drive. I got the subject 'NTLDR' msg.  

So I put the old 30GB drive back in and rebooted with the same message 

My son insisted that the message meant that the CD/DVD unit was bad.

To rule that out I burned a large file to CD, and tested it in both laptops....works fine.

Then I figured I would rule out the CD media itself as a problem by booting it in the newer HP laptop, and it booted up fine, and ran all the way thru loading setup files.

But still no glory with the old HP laptop. 

So I am at a loss as to where the issue lies?  

Any thoughts to shed some light on this one?


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## usualsuspect (Jul 29, 2002)

Hi bob,

It sounds like it's simply trying to boot from a drive that doesn't possess a NT Loader. I say this because you put the old drive back in - changed the boot priority back? - and then foud the same problem. Nothing has magically corrupted the working drive whilst it was out (unless you have a cat) so something else has changed. 

Are you certain the boot priority is getting changed?


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## MaverickUK (Nov 30, 2006)

Hi,

NTLDR is a Windows OS file (as far as i know) - therefore i presume that your hard drive is corrupt (the contents, not the physical drive). If this is the case, i would suggest you doing a repair install on the hard drive at issue, this should solve all problems - if you want information on how to do this, i posted it in another thread a few minutes ago.

Regards,
Nick.


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## usualsuspect (Jul 29, 2002)

winbob said:


> So I put the old 30GB drive back in and rebooted with the same message


Mav, two HD's (probably) can't have been corrupted.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Were these drive blank when you put them into the laptop? 

Does the laptop even try to start off the Windows XP CD?


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

it's odd that it is happening with both drives. Regardless, try the old fix here:

http://www.tinyempire.com/shortnotes/files/ntldr_missing.htm

I had an instance where it happened on multiple drives and was ultimately caused by a dodgy symantec driver.


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## winbob (Aug 2, 2004)

Guys, thanks for all the responses!

Let me clarify this a bit....The laptop boots perfectly from the HD, although it did have a HD issue previously which has been repaired by CHDSK. NTDLR has NEVER been an issue up to now.

The NTLDR msg ONLY occurs when I try to boot from the WinXP CD. It happens in this machine with the existing 30GB IBM HD or with the brand new 'pristine' 80GB Hitachi HD. I believe the IBM and Hitachi are actually both made by Hitachi...for what that's worth.

So, I'm thinking that the NTLDR issue is with the CD not the HD????? But since the CD boots up fine in my other laptop....I'm at a loss.

FYI, Looking at the contents of the CD shows NTLDR, NTDETECT, BOOTINI in the "Components" directory, not the Root.

So, given this "clarification" what do you think now?


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## MaverickUK (Nov 30, 2006)

Ah, i misread the thing, i thought you said it happened only in one. In this case, it's probally the disc - also, look for scratches (obviousley).


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Stupid question, but do you get the same error if there are no hard drives in the laptop and you boot off the CD?

What model HP is it?


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## winbob (Aug 2, 2004)

T6,

Just tried your experiment...same result. 

Full MSG text is:

*Boot CD-ROM Type: Non-Emulation Booting.
CDBOOT: Couldn't Find NTLDR*

and the CD will Boot fine in the newer Laptop 

Checked the BIOS options, and there are so few that there aren't any that affect anything related other than Boot order. No Joy!


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Does any CD boot in the computer?


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## winbob (Aug 2, 2004)

Well I made a Boot CD from:

http://ebcd.pcministry.com/

and booted it in my newer laptop successfully. Booting it in the older laptop (HP ZT1170) gave the following msgs:

*BootCD-ROM Type: Non-Emulation Booting

ISOLINUX 2.06 2003-08-22 isolinux: Image checksum error, sorry...

Boot failed: press a key to retry...
*
retry yields same result.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

And that's exactly why I asked if any other CD's could boot in the computer.

So now we have determined that at least two CD's that work in other computers don't work in this one. Seems like at least a likely problem with the CD Drive.


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## winbob (Aug 2, 2004)

Well here's a new wrinkle. I found the HP Restore Disks for the old laptop, and booted from them....successfully. 

So I have successfully restored the original system image to the 80GB HD replacing the original 30GB one.

BUT the question is how to get up to current level? The Restore is at SP1. Suggestions or comments on these new events?


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

go to Internet Explorer, tools > windows update, that should take care of that.

And get ready to reinstall drivers and whatnot too.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

One thing I like to do is have SP2 on a CD. Then when you need to do this again, you won't have to take all that time to install it.


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## winbob (Aug 2, 2004)

Thanks to all for the suggestions!

After completing the install of the Restore Disks, I put the XP installation disk in with Windows running and did an upgrade directly from it.

I figured since the base system was not filled with garbage an upgrade would be clean. So that's how I got around the no boot from CD issue.

As a side note, after doing the Restore (which was for a 30GB HD) to the new 80GB HD the Drive's "properties" showed it as being approx 90GB with 45GB used 

So I ran CHKDSK /F and after the Upgrade, I checked again and the stats were correct


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