NTLDR is missing

I have a very clean machine...kept up to date, swept of viruses, spyware...last night I log off, then this morning, I have this error.

Keeps looping saying hit Ctl Alt Delete to continue...

Can someone help me get through this?

XP Professional - SP2

I have through the most recent posts here too, and haven't found similar circumstance.

I haven't downloaded anything, nothing...everything was working perfectly. Then I turn on my machine this morning, and I get this error. I really need some help.

I am on my laptop now but need to get the desktop up and running.

Thanks for any help.

Do you have an NTFS boot disk? Have you tried booting from a Windows CD and trying the fix that way?

i have the recovery console up and it asks for my administrator password, and i didnt set one...but then i tried one that would be it, and that didnt work.

i have my dell resource disk which got me booted to the recovery console...then i have my upgrade disks for xp pro...it is an xp pro system...

this is weird since i have done nothing before this happened.

i hit blank into the Type the Administrator password: and it brought me to a C:\WINDOWS> prompt...

Getting to the recover console is a step in the right direction. You can try "fixboot" to see if that helps. If it doesn't, the next step is to replace the NTLDR file from the CD's i386 directory to the root of the C: drive.

I got that error, but by the next reboot, it worked again. Weird stuff.

can you inform me of how to do both? i would be most appreciative.

j

i am at the C:\WINDOWS prompt...and dont have access to a burner to pull files from net to from my laptop here to the ailing desktop...fyi.

Since the CDROM is in the drive, you should be able to see it as D:. So just do a "copy D:\i386\ntldr c:\" from the prompt.

Reboot to the disk (not CD). If it worked, yipee. If not, get back to that console and type "fixboot" at the prompt.

thanks rock...

be right back with one or both...hope it works too...brb

i did it...it copied...then i rebooted after taking cd rom out...and i get

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows root>\system32\hall.dll.
Please re-install a copy of the above file.

This is so strange...my pc is in excellent condition...

I hope you can assist.

Unfortunately, this is all too indicative of a hard disk failure.

For piece of mind, the first thing to do is check all the cables inside the box. Make sure the drive cable hasn't worked itself loose.

The next thing I could recommend is replacing the corrupted files one by one from the CD as they're reported. This is very arduous, however.

Another option is to put in an old harddrive (disconnecting any there now) and install Windows. Put the failed drive back in as a slave and see if you can get anything off of it. Recover what you need, buy a new harddrive, do a fresh install on that, plug the old drive back in and copy over your archived stuff. And throw away the failed drive.

its a new dell, from june or so of 2004....so you think its more a hard drive...i havent heard any persistent humming and such...

i may need to call dell...should i still do the second? fixboot?

Yes, try fixboot if you haven't already. If it's that new, definitely call Dell.

i am going to call dell...thanks for your assistance.

If you have a floppy drive, copy the following files from the root of your hard drive to a floppy. When you boot the floppy, Windows will load from your Windows folder on the hard drive. The files are: ntldr, ntdetect.com, boot.ini. Now you have an emergency boot floppy that will work if the windows folder on the hard drive is OK.

dell went through very little, and they said to have me reformat the drive...

Do you have data on there you need to recover? Or is formatting an option afterall?

sorry for the late post, but dell had no other solution besides reinstall of windows...

i did a check for hal.dll and boot.ini, and there is a fix on microsofts site....my pc is running fine.

You should tell Dell how to fix this problem so they can give more constructive advice the next time someone calls them!

If dell doesn't want to accept the hard drive. Do it youself. What brand is it?

OK.....
this is the error message

Code:

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Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
Please re-install a copy of the above file

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this is the fix

Code:

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Bootcfg /rebuild

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I just went through hell and back again with a Dell Dimension 2400 on WinXP SP2 Homey Edition.
I managed to save the day using above command ;)
FIXBOOT doesn't do diddly :(
I did walk through of FIXMBR, but didn't follow through b/c I know Dell has a proprietary FAT16 partition of ~30MB as 1st partition.

If you are swift - you'll notice an ERROR message FLASH UPON THE SCREEN just prior to the error above...and it has to do with the BOOT.INI file.
So I Pause/Break key the screen to stop it and read (just at the right time, mind you) to see the BOOT.INI error message (can't recall exactly, but something like "No Boot.ini file found")

After booting from Orig Dell XP SP1 CDROM (set BIOS to Boot from CDROM as 1st boot device)
I had previously EXPANDED Hal.dll from XP CDROM
D:\i386\HAL.DL_ C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32
no good - I mean it copied over but that didn't do any good, so I tried FIXBOOT C: ......no go

BTW - guess what - there's no EDIT command from Recovery Console....and the usual DOS like commands don't work either
For ex;
CD\ in a CMD window, while in windows, takes you to ROOT - but
CD \ is necessary from the Recovery Console (XP CDROM - I later found out RC has it's own different command interpretor)
there are many others I can list - but atleast DOSKEY is installed as default ;) (DIR desn't require [/p /o:n] etc to be useful - also recycling through previous commands is a snap)

It's a NIGHTMARE - but can be done

IIRC (and it's a bit foggy now, after awakening from one :p )
Boot from XP CDROM
choose R for Repair
let winblows load all it's crud (which takes 5000 yrs longer than on 98)
type in 1 hit ENTER (make sure NumLock is engaged - it wasn't on this Dell POS :eek:
(obviously when "1" is C:\WINDOWS and your only choice)
then hit ENTER when presented with the ever-loving-$hit-of "Enter Admin Password" (do NOT type anything, just hit the ENTER key)

Now you're at a C:\WINDOWS prompt (hopefully..and if so - you CAN repair this - BTW - What a DUMP!....sorry, just had to digress for a moment :) )

...so BOOTCFG /?..or even BOOTCFG yields the menu options - one is SCAN (who cares) the IMPORTANT one is rebuild

I did NOT have another working PC at my location of incident, and I recalled "HOW" a typical BOOT.INI file should kinda look, but not exactly ...so

I fixed it wth some munging during the process and repaired the BOOT.INI file to pristine state once I got onlne again and found these MS articles (which contain errors BTW)
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;289022

Quote:

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[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

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and http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;291980

Quote:

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The bootcfg /rebuild command scans the hard disks of the computer for Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP installations, and then displays the results. You can add the detected Windows installations.

You may receive a message that is similar to the following message:
Total Identified Windows Installs: 2

[1] C:\Windows
Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All):
Enter Load Identifier: (Custom description for an operating system loading from the Boot menu)
Enter Operating System Load Options: (that is: /fastdetect)

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....all I messed up was the [/fastdetect] crud on the 2nd question ("Enter Operating System Load Options:") presented -- (I inserted [Timeout:30] by mistake, instead of /fastdetect)

- the 1st question ("Enter Load Identifier:") really just asks for what you'd like to see upon boot (ala "WinBlows XP Homey Edition")

....so - switch to C: to see the results (use DIR, and use TYPE BOOT.INI)..that's the other thing -- can't use C:\ - gots to use C: only :(

BUT - in the CMD window (after WINBLOWS is loaded and utilizing wowexec.exe and ntvdm.exe) - all old DOS commands work well

ALL in ALL -- XP .....=== WHAT A DUMP! :D

*edit
BTW - I did a search on SHARKYs for HAL.DLL and BOOT.INI and replied with a link to this response :D

Quote:

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Originally posted by I4one
O
*edit
BTW - I did a search on SHARKYs for HAL.DLL and BOOT.INI and replied with a link to this response :D

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Does Microsoft have a reason as to why this problem occurs?

I really have no idea what MS has to say about it - if anything....

I can speculate somewhat;
This 'seems' to occur, from what few cases I've seen, mostly when there's a "hidden" FAT (or other type) partition located on the HDD, at the beginning of the Drive. That's what Dell's consumer line (2400 Dimension, etc) does. They give an XP CDROM, but it's a Dell OEM and specifically designed to only work on their boxes...while the CDROM likely has a Full XP version on it - it is not a Full Retail ver, nor can I say it's "just-like" other OEM versions (the idea of OEM is to customize the Setup, for both proprietary specific Hardware and Piracy-prevention reasons).

- and while this scheme isn't NEARLY as BAD as a Disk Image only ver of the OS (like Comcrud/HP and many other OEMs do nowadays) - it has it's flaws, and annoyances. One being that the BOOT.INI file points to partition(2) instead of (1) as in;
------------------
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
-------------------
because the small FAT partition resides at (1)
Run Disk Management (or Startup and Recovery Tab) - you can see the FAT partition, but can't really get any good info on it, other than size - the Toolbar changes the options/chooices when you select it - and it doesn't even have a name.

Before I started on my recovery journey - I had viewed the BOOT.INI file though My Computer | Properties | Startup and Recovery ?? oh...I forget ...but you know - where you can EDIT the BOOT.INI file directly
BUT
BOOT.INI did NOT exist - yet the box was booting and rebooting regularly as I was uninstalling typical OEM bloat software, and no error messages or anything upon POST - go figure

So I started monkeying around in there (I think I unticked or ticked the default TiMEOUT boxes crud that's there) after the bloat uninstalls, and that's when I got hit with the "INVALID Boot.ini file" which flashes only for a split second and then - boom - the <windowsroot>\system32\hal.dll error appears and sits there tauntiing you - and daring you to try and fix it -- which I did eventually, BTW(see excursion details above) - without losing any data or anything :D

just remember - MS Mystery = MS Misery :eek:

*just to recap from above;
BOOTCFG /list will list all installed versions of OS (or winblows)
BOOTCFG /? or BOOTCFG or
HELP will list all available BOOTCFG switches/parameters available
and most importantly

BOOTCFG /rebuild will rebuild the Boot.ini file and you can view the contents only using the
TYPE BOOT.INI command, once it's rebuilt

BTW - anyone know how to actually EDIT the BOOT.INI file when in Recovery Console -- the EDIT command seems to be NON-EXISTENT - if you type HELP at any prompt in Recovery Console , you'll see all the available commands - and there's no EDIT command

Quote:

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Originally posted by I4one
BTW - anyone know how to actually EDIT the BOOT.INI file when in Recovery Console -- the EDIT command seems to be NON-EXISTENT - if you type HELP at any prompt in Recovery Console , you'll see all the available commands - and there's no EDIT command

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This is a major oversight and most of the reason why the RC isn't as helpful as it could be. I'm sure you've noticed that even if you have an executable available on disk, you cannot run it.

This is what set off my search a while ago for a boot CD that can see NTFS partitions just like an old DOS environment.