How to Troubleshoot the "NTLDR Is Missing" Error Message

When you start your Windows XP/2000/NT-based computer, you may receive the following error message:

NTLDR is missing
Press any key to restart

This problem may occur if the basic input/output system (BIOS) on your computer is outdated, or if one or more of the following Windows boot files are missing or damaged:

Ntldr
Ntdetect.com
Boot.ini

To resolve this issue, verify that the BIOS on your computer is current, and then use one or more of the following methods, as appropriate to your situation, to repair the Windows XP/2000/NT startup environment. 

IMPORTANT: its recommended that you fully back up your data on a regular basis. This is the best defense against data loss, and it must be a part of any disaster recovery plan. 

Verify That the BIOS on the Computer Is Current

Make sure that the latest revision for BIOS is installed on the computer. Contact the computer manufacturer to inquire about how to obtain, and then install the latest BIOS update that is available for the computer. 

Method 1: Use a Boot Disk to Start the Computer

1.     Create a Windows XP/2000/NT boot disk that contains the following files:

Ntldr
Ntdetect.com
Boot.ini
Ntbootdd.sys

2.     Modify the Boot.ini file to point to the correct hard disk controller and to the correct volume for your Windows installation.

3.     Insert the boot disk into the computer's floppy disk drive, and then restart the computer.

4.     Copy the Ntldr file, the Ntdetect.com file, and the Boot.ini file from the boot disk to the system partition of the local hard disk.

Method 2: Use the Recovery Console

1.     Use the Windows XP/2000/NT Setup disks to restart the computer, or use the Windows XP/2000/NT CD-ROM to restart the computer.

2.     At the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to repair the Windows XP/2000/NT installation.

3.     Press C to repair the Windows XP/2000/NT installation by using the Recovery Console.

4.     Type the number that corresponds to the Windows installation that you want to repair, and then press ENTER. For example, type 1, and then press ENTER

5.     Type the Administrator password, and then press ENTER.

6.     Type map, and then press ENTER. Note the drive letter that is assigned to the CD-ROM drive that contains the Windows XP/2000/NT CD-ROM.

7.     Type the following commands, pressing ENTER after you type each one, where drive is the drive letter that you typed in step 4 of "Method 2: Use the Recovery Console," of this article:

copy drive:\i386\ntldr c:\

copy drive:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\

If you are prompted to overwrite the file, type y, and then press ENTER.

NOTE: In these commands, there is a space between the ntldr and c:\, and betweenntdetect.com and c:\.

8.     Type the following command, and then press ENTER:

type c:\Boot.ini

A list similar to the following list appears:

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows XP/2000/NT Professional" /fastdetect

                                            

If you receive the following message, the Boot.ini file may be missing or damaged:

The system cannot find the file or directory specified.

9.     If the Boot.ini file is missing or damaged, create a new one. To do so, follow these steps:

a.     Use a text editor, such as Notepad or Edit.com, to create a boot loader file similar to the following boot loader file:

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows XP/2000/NT Professional" /fastdetect

   

b.     Save the file to a floppy disk as Boot.ini.

NOTE: If you used Notepad to create the file, make sure that the .txt extension is not appended to the Boot.ini file name.

c.     Type the following command at the Recovery Console command prompt to copy the Boot.ini file from the floppy disk to the computer:

copy a:\Boot.ini c:\

10.  Type exit, and then press ENTER. The computer restarts.

Method 3: Use the Windows XP/2000/NT CD-ROM

1.     Insert the Windows XP/2000/NT CD-ROM into the computer's CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, and start Windows XP/2000/NT Setup.

2.     On the Welcome to Setup page, press R.

3.     On the Windows XP/2000/NT Repair Options page, press R.

4.     When you are prompted to select one of the repair options, press M.

5.     Press the UP ARROW, press the UP ARROW again, to select Verify Windows XP/2000/NT system files, and then press ENTER to clear the selection.

6.     Press the DOWN ARROW to select Continue (perform selected tasks), and then press ENTER. The following message appears:

You need an Emergency Repair disk for the Windows XP/2000/NT
installation you want to repair.

7.     Do one of the following, as appropriate to your situation:

o    If you have an Emergency Repair Disk, follow these steps:

a.     Press ENTER.

b.     Insert the Emergency Repair Disk into the computer's floppy disk drive, and then press ENTER.

c.     Follow the instructions to repair the installation, and then restart the computer.

-or-

o    If you do not have an Emergency Repair Disk, follow these steps:

 .      Press L. You receive a message similar to the following:

Setup has found Windows XP/2000/NT in the following folder:

drive:\WINNT "Microsoft Windows XP/2000/NT"

a.             Press ENTER.

Setup examines the disks, and then completes the repair process.

If Setup Cannot Locate Windows XP/2000/NT

If you do not have a Windows XP/2000/NT Emergency Repair Disk, and if Setup cannot locate the Windows XP/2000/NT installation, follow these steps:

1. Start Windows XP/2000/NT Setup.
2. On the Setup will install Windows XP/2000/NT on partition page, select Leave the current file system intact (no changes), and then press ENTER.
3. Press ESC to install Windows XP/2000/NT to a new folder.
4. In the Select the folder in which the files should be copied box, type \tempwin, and then press ENTER. 
   
   Setup installs a new copy of Windows XP/2000/NT.
5. Log on to the new copy of Windows XP/2000/NT.
6. Click Start, and then click Run.
7. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
8. At the command prompt, type drive:, where drive is the boot drive of the computer, and then press ENTER. For example, type c:, and then press ENTER.
9. Type attrib -h -r -s Boot.ini, and then press ENTER.
10. Type edit Boot.ini, and then press ENTER.
    
    Edit.com opens a Boot.ini file that is similar to the following file:

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\TEMPWIN

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\TEMPWIN="Microsoft Windows XP/2000/NT Professional" /fastdetect

 

11.  Replace all instances of TEMPWIN with WINNT. The Boot.ini file that appears is similar to the following file:

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows XP/2000/NT Professional" /fastdetect

                                    

12.  Press ALT+F, and then press S.

13.  Press ALT+F, and then press X.

14.  Type attrib +h +r +s Boot.ini, and then press ENTER.

15.  Type exit to quit the command prompt.

16.  Restart the computer.

17.  At the Please select the operating system to start screen, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows XP/2000/NT, and then press ENTER.

18.  Start Windows Explorer, locate the following folders, and then delete them:

Tempwin
All Users.Tempwin

Perform a Parallel Installation of Windows XP/2000/NT

If you cannot resolve the behavior described in the "Symptoms" section of this article by using any of the methods discussed in this article perform a parallel installation of Windows XP/2000/NT, and then use Windows Explorer to copy the data that you want to recover from your original Windows installation.