How To Fix "NTLDR is Missing" Error - Repair NTLDR Error Quickly and Easily

If you're wondering "What is NTLDR" then here it is - NTLDR is an abbreviation for NT Loader - it is a program loaded from the hard drive boot sector that displays the Microsoft Windows NT startup menu and helps Microsoft Windows NT load. So if it goes missing or corrupt for some reason, then that means windows cannot load up. Although the problem is very common and plenty of websites on the net cover the issue, the solution and fix is not so easy. Unless you are willing to resort to the last option (formatting your hard drive) to fix the NTLDR is Missing Error, you will need the help of third party software to successfully recover your system.

When your computer starts, the BIOS attempts to find the primary hard 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 OS. For Windows NT4/2k/XP the NTLDR (New Technology Loader) takes it from there. If you get the "NTLDR is missing, press any key to restart" 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.

Here the most common causes:

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.

Here some possible Solutions:

- Check your floppy and optical (CD/DVD) drives for media. Often times, the "NTLDR is Missing" error will appear if your PC is trying to boot to a non-bootable floppy disk or CD/DVD.

- Check the hard drive and other drive settings in BIOS and ensure they are correct. The BIOS configuration tells the computer how to use a drive so incorrect settings can cause problems, including NTLDR errors. There is usually an Auto setting for hard drive and optical drive configurations in BIOS which is usually a safe bet if you're not sure what to do.

- Create a New boot.ini File or repair it. This will prevent the NTLDR error if the cause of the problem is a boot.ini file that is not configured properly for your Windows XP installation.

- Perform A Repair Installation OIf Windows XP This type of installation should replace any missing or corrupt files

- Perform a clean installation of Windows XP. This type of installation will completely remove Windows XP from your PC and install it again from scratch. While this will almost certainly resolve any NTLDR errors, it is a time consuming process due to the fact that all of your data must be backed up and then later restored.

If you can't gain access to your files to back them up, understand that you will lose them all if you continue with a clean installation of Windows XP.

- You could have Loose Hard Disk Drive Cables. If the above recommendations do not resolve your issues and your computer hard disk drive is using an IDE or EIDE interface. Verify that the computer hard disk drive cable is firmly connected by disconnected and reconnecting the cable.

Still Didn't Fix Your "NTLDR is Missing" error, then it is most likely your NTLDR File is seriously corrupted, damaged or deleted. Grab hold of the Proper NTLDR Recovery Software to recover your NTLDR File and Get this problem fixed within seconds today!

If you are not an advanced computer user then I would have to say the easiest Way to fix the "NTLDR is missing" error is to use Spotmau PowerSuite. All you have to do is load up the program, click a few commands and your computer will be back in action. However, if your computer is using Windows XP and you still have a Windows XP installation CD then you may be able to boot from that and use the Recovery Console to fix NTLDR manually instead (Read Next Section To do This). Anyhow here is how you go about repairing the NTLDR File using the Spotmau PowerSuite by simply clicking a few buttons:

Step 1: Insert the Spotmau PowerSuite CD and start the computer. The main menu will appear.

Step 2: Click 2. Windows Recovery.

Step 3: When the Windows Recovery tool starts, click Windows NT/2000/XP/2003.

Step 4: On the Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 Recovery dialog, click Recover NTLDR and NTDETECT.

Step 5: On the Recover NTLDR and NTDETECT dialog, select your operating system (e.g. Windows XP) and then click Recover.

The tool will repair the file and report "NTLDR and NTDETECT have been recovered successfully."

Once this is done Remove the Spotmau PowerTools CD from the drive and click Restart to reboot the computer.

When you restart your computer it should boot up normally and your PC will be back to normal again. Yep its that simple, no need for making any complicated boot discs of your own or trying any other advanced methods, just simply run the Spotmau Powersuite Software, click a couple of buttons and The "NTLDR is Missing" issue will be resolved within a few minutes!

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Using the Windows Recovery Console:

The Windows 2000 and Windows XP CDs supplied by Microsoft has a tool called the Recovery Console which can be used to repair errors that prevent Windows XP from starting using the command line. OEM versions of Windows XP, including computers that were supplied with Windows XP preinstalled, may not have this utility.

1. Insert the Windows CD and start the computer.

2. When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press R.

3. Type a number corresponding to the Windows installation you wish to repair (usually 1) and press Enter.

4. When prompted, type the administrator password and press Enter.

5. From the command prompt, copy NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM from the i386 folder of the CD to the root folder of the hard drive. In the example commands given below, C: is the hard drive and D: is the CD-ROM drive. You will need to change the drive letters if appropriate:

COPY D:\I386\NTLDR C:\
COPY D:\I386\NTDETECT.COM C:\

6. Remove the Windows XP CD from the drive and restart the computer.

If that doesn't work you can attempt to create your own NTLDR boot disk and try that to get back into windows, although I must warn you that this procedure is only recommended for advanced technical computer users. Only full computer nerds who know exactly what they're doing should attempt this procedure, as it is a fairly complicated and tedious process that will require a lot of trial and error. Also you could further damage your PC as it requires toiling with critical system files. Nonetheless if you wish to give it a try simply conduct a search on Google " How to create your own NTLDR boot Disk" and you should find a bunch of tutorials that will guide you through the process, Nothing is guaranteed but you could it a shot if all else has failed. Just remember If you are not an expert in hardware or software computer issues, you should Seek Professional Support. Unnecessary mishandling of the computer hardware or software could make your computer unusable and cause permanent data loss.