How To: Fix Windows Boot Time Error “NTLDR Is Missing”

When you try to start computer that runs Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98,Windows Millennium Edition,Windows XP or Windows Vista, you may receive the following error messages:

“NTLDR is missing
Press any key to restart”

“NTLDR is missing
Press Ctrl Alt Del to restart”

“Boot: Couldn’t find NTLDR
Please insert another disk”

When your computer starts, the BIOS(Basic Input Output System)attempts to find the primary hard disk drive’s active partition to read the first sector for the MBR (Master Boot Record), it uses that info to load the rest of the operating system.  For Windows NT4/2k/XP/Vista the NTLDR (New Technology Loader or NT Loader) takes it from there.If you get the “NTLDR is missing,Press any key to restart” or “NTLDR is missing,Press Ctrl Alt Del to restart” or”Boot: Couldn’t find NTLDR,Please insert another disk“,what’s most likely going on is the BIOS either didn’t look for the right drive, didn’t find the right partition, it wasn’t active, didn’t find the MBR, or the MBR didn’t list NTLDR in the right place, or the location of NTLDR changed.

Causes of “NTLDR is missing” boot time error

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

Fixing NTLDR is missing in Windows ME/XP :

• Load Windows ME/XP CD into CD/DVD drive.
• Navigate to Boot or Boot Priority option in BIOS and make sure that your CD/DVD-ROM has top or first priority.
• Boot the computer from Windows setup CD.
• Once you see the “Press Any Key to Enter Setup” message, go ahead and press any key.
• At menu, press “R” to load Recovery Console.
• Select the installation to be fixed.
• The following instructions assume CD/DVD-ROM is labeled as drive F and the hard drive partition the windows installation is on is labeled as drive C. Replace the letters accordingly.
• Type “COPY F:\i386\ntldr C:\” and press ENTER.
• Type “COPY F:\i386\ntdetect.com C:\” and press ENTER.
• Remove CD and type “EXIT” and press ENTER (to reboot your computer).

Fixing NTLDR is missing in Windows Vista :

• Insert the Microsoft Windows Vista installation DVD disc in the DVD drive, and then start the Laptop.
• Press a key when you are prompted and Select language, time, keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
• Select Repair your computer
• Select the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
• In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
• In the Command prompt window type this command and hit ENTER:

bootrec /FixBoot

Windows Vista boot process is different compared to Windows XP.In the case of Windows XP you can easily fix NTLDR missing error by simply copy two files.

I hope this proves helpful.. It saved my A** couple of times...

Enjoy