There are several different ways in which the "NTLDR is Missing" error can be presented to the user:
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
The "NTLDR is Missing" error in Windows operating systems is shown immediately after the computer starts to start, when it passes the POST test.
What are the causes of the NTLDR is Missing error?
There are several possible causes for the NTLDR is Missing error, but the most common cause is the inability to boot from your hard drive, optical drive or flash drive, depending on what you are going to boot your computer from. Other reasons is broken or wrong files, bad sectors on the hard drive, an outdated BIOS, or a damaged or loose IDE cable that connects HDD and motherboard. This error applies to the Windows XP operating system, since Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista use BOOTMGR, not NTLDR. Therefore, in the latest, earlier operating systems, a similar error sounds like .
How to fix NTLDR is Missing error?
- Restart your computer as the "NTLDR is Missing" error may be random.
- Turn off unnecessary hard drives, optical drives and flash cards, since NTLDR is Missing often appears when the computer tries to boot from bootable media from Windows (basically this is your hard drive), for example, from any floppy disk, disk or flash drive. If you find that this is the cause of the error, then you should change the boot order in the BIOS to set the Windows hard drive to boot first.
- Check the hard drive and drive settings in the BIOS to make sure they are correct. If you are at a loss with this, it is useful to know that there is an automatic configuration for the BIOS, which, as a rule, works correctly. Apply Auto setting or as they are usually called default settings if you don't know what to do.
- Restoring NTLDR and ntdetect.com files from a Windows XP boot disk. Restoring these two important files from the original Windows XP disc may solve the problem.
- Correct or replace the boot.ini file. This will prevent an NTLDR error if this file is the cause of the problem.
- Write new boot sector to system partition Windows XP.
- Restoring Windows XP Master Boot Record. If the main boot record corrupted, it will generate an error.
- Reinstall all drive cables in the system unit. The NTLDR error is often caused due to the fact that IDE cable departed. It is also recommended to try to replace the IDE cable if you suspect it is defective.
- Update your motherboard BIOS. Sometimes outdated version The BIOS can cause an NTLDR Is Missing error.
- Perform a Windows XP installation repair( repair installation of Windows XP). This will replace any damaged files.
- If everything does not help, then you will have to execute. Although this is a laborious process, it will almost certainly solve all NTLDR problems. In doing so, you may lose your data. Therefore, try to backup or at least pull out your data using a boot disk with a truncated OS on board.
- If the error remains after clean install Windows XP, then you have a problem with the boot hard disk and it needs to be replaced.
These are the steps you need to take to fix the NTLDR Is Missing error. Perhaps not all are listed here. possible ways solutions, therefore I will be glad to see the methods you have tried in the comments.
Almost everyone had a similar error, but not every user of a computer or laptop can fix it. The most popular solution is to format the hard drive and install a clean operating system. This method has two big disadvantages: the loss of all accumulated data and the loss of time. In this article, we will consider simple, but at the same time effective methods.
While loading OC you get a warning:
NTLDR is missing
Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart.
Consider the main causes of the error:
1. A large number of files in the root of the system disk - in Windows folder. Because of this, there is a strong fragmentation of the MFT table of the root folder. If the root MFT table contains a large number of files, it can become so fragmented that an additional allocation index needs to be created. Since the files are listed in alphabetical order in the allocation indexes, the NTLDR file may end up in the second allocation index. This will display an error message.
Basically, the data is not copied to root folder. The indicated problem will appear if any program constantly creates and deletes temporary files.
2. Conflict of loaders of heterogeneous systems (Windows and linux) installed on the same computer.
3. NTLDR Bootloader Ntldr and Ntdetect.com may be removed or corrupted for various reasons due to user actions or software errors.
4. The error message "NTLDR Is Missing" may appear after changing the active partition. For stable performance Windows bootloader it is necessary that system files, which it uses, were located on the active partition.
5. I want to note that the error "NTLDR Is Missing" can be not only software, but also hardware. This is both a hard drive failure and an outdated BIOS version on motherboard(extremely rare, but it happens), connecting another disk with an existing OS to the computer.
6. As well as other occasions that are less popular.
Troubleshooting:
First decision. If you or a good neighbor who has a computer with the same operating system, you can copy the Ntldr and Ntdetect.com files or use the console Windows recovery.
If there is no computer, then you can copy these files using programs: Windows LiveCD, Linux LiveCD, or other programs (for example, such as Acronis Disc Director, etc.) that can work without an operating system, booting from BIOS by setting boot from CD -ROM.
Second solution: In the system file, the boot.ini file (Location: c:\boot.ini - is hidden by default, so you need to configure Windows to show such files.) check that the path to the operating system is correct. To fix it given file, you can also boot using the programs that are written in the first solution.
The structure of the "Boot.ini" file with one operating system on the disk should look like this:
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
Third decision. Each PC user must have a distribution kit with an operating system that is installed on his computer. The method below is rightfully considered the fastest and easiest.
Insert the disk with your operating system (Windows XP in my case) into the drive, and do not forget to set the priorities in the BIOS - CD-ROM. After booting from the disk, press the R key to open the recovery console.
Now we will restore. If one OS is installed on the computer, then the following text will appear:
1: C:\WINDOWS
In which a copy of Windows should you sign in?
Type 1, press Enter.
A message will appear:
Enter administrator password:
If your account password has not been set, just press Enter.
- Now enter the fixmbr command and press the Enter button.
- A notification pops up:
**WARNING**
This computer has a non-standard or invalid master boot record. Using FIXMBR can damage the existing partition table. This will result in the loss of access to all partitions of the current hard drive.
If there are no disk access problems, it is recommended to abort the FIXMBR command.
Are you confirming the writing of the new MBR?
- Enter the letter Y (yes, yes) to confirm and press Enter.
- The message appears again:
A new MBR is made to the physical disk \Device\Harddisk0\Partition0.
The new master boot record has been successfully made.
- After the system prompt appears: C:\WINDOWS>
- Type fixboot and press Enter.
- After that, a message will appear:
Destination partition: C:.
Do you want to write a new boot sector to the C: partition?
- Enter the letter Y (yes, yes) and press Enter.
- A message will appear:
The file system on the boot partition is NTFS (or FAT32).
The FIXBOOT command writes a new boot sector.
The new boot sector has been successfully written.
- The system prompt C:\WINDOWS> will appear
All that needed to be done, now you can exit the recovery console, for this, enter the exit command and press Enter. After that, the computer will reboot.
Do not forget to remove the boot from the CD-ROM in the BIOS by setting the boot from the HDD (hard disk).
The fourth solution is for older computers. Parsing system unit(this is not so scary, you will only need a screwdriver) and replace the cable slot or connect a new cable.
This is what the hard drive cable looks like: 
If you have any questions about the article or have not solved your problem, then go to our computer forum and we will definitely help you.
I want to warn you that before you take any action regarding serious problems with Windows, you need to do backups data.
Errors of this kind are a serious thing and, unfortunately, occur quite often. On the agenda NTLDR Is Missing. To begin with, we will consider the causes of this problem, and then we will solve it.
Why does NTLDR Is Missing appear and how to solve this problem?
The error can be different and may look, for example, like this:
Either like this:
The root of the problem lies in the inability of the operating system to boot using boot files, simply speaking, access to them is lost. This may be due to the fact that they are damaged or removed due to the fault of the user. Therefore, you will not be able to get into Windows, but there are some other reasons.
Option 1
The NTFS root partition contains a large number of various files, from this section the system is booted. If you try to somehow clear these files, then you are unlikely to achieve a positive result.
This can be solved by using special utility from Microsoft - BCUpdate2 . It is freely available on the Internet, you can ask Microsoft technical support.
Now let's get down to business. You will need a boot floppy that you boot from. Launch Command Prompt (Shift+F10) and enter the following command there:
| BCUpdate2.exe C: /f |
To start the program, you need to press the Y button on the keyboard. After completion, the computer can be restarted.
Option 2
If you have installed two operating systems, for example, Windows XP and Windows NT, then in the second one the bootloader has a simpler form, which causes incompatibility with XP. In general, the problem may be if the operating systems are NT and XP.
To solve this problem, you need boot files Ntldr and installation disk with Windows XP. So, we boot from the disk and start the recovery console, for which we simply press the R button. Now we select the partition to be restored, and then we write the command, if it doesn’t help, we write the command.
After that, you can reboot and hope that everything will work.
Option 3
You can restore the boot data in another way, for this you again need to boot from the boot disk, but in MS-DOS mode, as soon as you have done this, you need to copy the Ntldr and Ntdetect.com files to the root of the boot disk folder.
When we move files, a problem may arise. The solution is simple - remove the attributes that block us from moving files. Here's how to do it:
| attrib ntdetect.com -r -s –h
attrib ntldr -r -s –h |
Option 4
It's even simpler, but you need another computer that has a working system. We take out the hard drive from our PC and connect it to a working one. Go to utility "Disk Management" and look at the created partitions and disks. Whether they work normally, then make the first partition of the disk active. Now copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.com files there. You can re-insert the hard drive into your computer. Resetting the BIOS is recommended.
There is no way to use another computer or you do not have one, try installing a second system on your computer and do the above steps from there.
Option 5
You can try running the recovery console again. To begin with, you must have boot disk or flash drive, open the console with the R key, enter the following:
| copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\
copy e:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\ |
We are on system disk copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files. The command specifies the path from where the copying takes place and drive C, the letter e:\ is the drive.
Option 6
When changing the active partition, the same error may appear, you can solve it like this:
- Boot from floppy;
- Launch Command Prompt and enter the command fdisk;
- Confirm the inclusion of support for large disks with the Y key;
- Commands appear where you select an item "Select Active Partition", and then make the necessary section active.
Now we can copy boot files to the active partition.
- Boot from a boot disk, flash drive;
- Press R to open the recovery window;
- We enter the command cd... It is needed to get to the root of the disk. (You may have to enter several times);
- Once you are in the root directory, enter the drive letter, for example, "e:";
- We enter the command cd i386;
- Copy NTLDR to the boot drive - Copy ntldr + boot drive letter;
- Exit with the command exit.
These are all the main and well-known methods for dealing with the NTLDR Is Missing error. Sometimes a banal reconnection of the hard drive, replacing the cable can help. It is possible to update the BIOS, but this is done with caution. The disc may be physically damaged and should be sent in for repair.
The NTLDR is missing error is typical for computers Windows systems. Inexperienced users who encounter such a problem for the first time panic and see a full format of the disk as the only solution. But few people know about the true causes of this error. It can be corrected while retaining all important information on the device.
What does the NTLDR is missing error mean?
During the boot process, when a black screen appears and NTLDR is missing, the user is prompted to press the CTRL + ALT + DELETE key combination to restart the system. If this does not help and Windows does not boot, then you need to identify the cause of the error that occurs and eliminate it.
The operating system will not boot until the error is fixed
"NTLDR" stands for "New Technology Loader", that is, the operating system loader. The resulting error indicates that the Ntldr and Ntdetect.com files, which are responsible for Windows boot, cannot be accessed.
The NTLDR is missing error can occur on any Windows operating system from XP to 10.
Causes of the error and ways to solve the problem
Hardware failure
The most annoying thing is the iron malfunction. In this case, the hard drive or motherboard controller may be broken. The only solution is to replace the broken parts.
Physical failure of the hard drive Connecting an additional hard drive
The user connects a new hard drive with a large amount of memory, designed to store various files and, of course, does not contain an operating system. This changes the priority of the disks, and the new device rises to the first place, from where the computer tries to boot.
In this case, there will be one solution for all operating systems:
- We reboot the computer and start the BIOS using the DELETE key (most often) or F2, or another, depending on the device. All actions here are carried out only using the keyboard, the mouse can be safely removed to the side.
- Go to the "Advanced" or "Boot" section and look for the "Hard Disk Boot Priority" item. In the first place we put the old hard disk, which contains the operating system.
- We save the changes by pressing the F10 key (there will be a hint at the bottom or on the right), and restart the computer.
Priority selection hard drives in BIOS Conflict between two installed operating systems
When using multiple operating systems on the same computer, they may conflict with each other. In this case, we need a boot disk with Windows. We insert it into the drive and wait until the system boots.
For XP version
- When the inscription " Windows installation", press the R key. The recovery console will appear.
- We press the number corresponding to the disk on which the installed operating system is located. Now the command line will work exclusively with this boot partition.
- To fix the conflict, you need to enter only two commands: first - fixboot, and then - fixmbr.
To fix the error, enter the fixboot and fixmbr commands Troubleshooting Windows XP (video)
For Windows 7, 8 and 10
Troubleshooting Windows 7 (video)
System file corruption
The Ntldr and Ntdetect.com system files can be damaged by both the user and the malware.
- In the first case, you need to use command line and follow the instructions from the previous paragraph.
- In the second case, the introduction of the fixmbr command may cause the virus to destroy the partition table. Therefore, before recovery, it will be correct to use the antivirus. You can do this by connecting the disk to another computer or by booting from a special disk from the antivirus software manufacturer.
Any user of the Windows operating system can encounter the NTLDR is missing error. If the problem is not in the hardware, then the instructions in this article will help you recover your data. Good luck!
Some users, while working at a computer, may have encountered a little common, but very unpleasant situation, when the error NTLDR is missing Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart appeared on the screen. A little lower I will talk about the ntldr is missing error and what to do in this case.
If an NTLDR is missing error occurs, a novice user immediately tries to reinstall Windows, but reinstallation may take longer than fixing the situation for more short time. Let's make sure you're on the right page, I'll show you what this error looks like:
Reasons for the error
Before proceeding with the solutions to the NTLDR is missing error, you can read the list of reasons why it can appear on your computer.
- If the computer has multiple systems installed.
- The Ntldr file can be deleted or corrupted due to user carelessness or software bug(s).
- Changing the active partition on the hard drive can also cause this error. To boot Windows, the system files that Windows works with must be on the active section of the hard disk.
- The NTLDR is Missing error can appear not only due to a software error, but the hardware of the computer can also cause it. When such an error appears, you should pay attention to the hardware of the following components: hard drive, hard drive cable problem, outdated BIOS version on the motherboard, another hard drive that has a different Windows system installed.
- Noticed the error also in other cases.
So, we figured out why this error might occur, now let's talk about how to fix ntldr is missing error on your computer.
Tip #1. If you have at hand another computer with the same operating system that is installed on you, then copy the Ntldr and Ntdetect.com files or use the Windows Recovery Console (more on that below).
If there is no computer at hand, but there is a hard drive with the system, then you can copy the NTLDR and Ntdetect.com files using programs: Windows LiveCD, Linux LiveCD, Acronis Disc Director or other programs that can work without an operating system. To boot from such discs, you need to go into BIOS and set boot priority from CD-ROM.
After a reboot, the NTLDR is missing message should disappear.
Tip #2. In the boot.ini file, you need to check the paths to the operating system for correctness. To edit this file, you can boot using the programs I mentioned above.
The structure of the "Boot.ini" file with one operating system looks like this:
timeout=30
default=multi (0) disk (0) rdisk (0) partition (1)\WINDOWS
multi (0) disk (0) rdisk (0) partition (1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
Tip #3. How to fix NTLDR is missing if the above methods did not help? Each advanced user should have a distribution kit with an operating system that is installed on his computer. I think this is the fastest way to get rid of ntldr errors is missing, because it will be necessary to do a minimum of actions, although at first glance everything seems a little incomprehensible. If you don’t know how to set Windows to boot from the drive, then follow the link below and read this information at about the beginning of the article: “.
To do this, insert the Windows disc into the drive , don't forget to put in BIOS boot from CD-ROM. After booting from the disk, press the R key to open the Recovery Console.
Now let's start the recovery. If the computer has one OS installed, the following information will appear:
Which copy of Windows should I sign in to?
Enter 1, click Enter.
A message will appear:
Enter administrator password:
If the administrator no password then just press Enter.
The following message will appear:
**WARNING**
This computer has a non-standard or invalid master boot record. Using FIXMBR can damage the existing partition table. This will result in the loss of access to all partitions of the current hard drive.
If there are no disk access problems, it is recommended to abort the FIXMBR command.
Are you confirming the writing of the new MBR?
Enter a letter Y(yes, yes) and press Enter.
A message will appear:
A new MBR is made to the physical disk \Device\Harddisk0\Partition0.
The new master boot record has been successfully made.
After the system prompt appears: C:\WINDOWS>
Enter fixboot and press Enter.
After that, a message will appear:
Destination partition: C:.
Do you want to write a new boot sector to the C: partition?
Enter a letter Y(yes, yes) and press Enter.
A message will appear:
The file system on the boot partition is NTFS (or FAT32).
The FIXBOOT command writes a new boot sector.
The new boot sector has been successfully written.
The system prompt will appear C:\WINDOWS>
We have done all the necessary operations, now we exit the recovery console. To exit the recovery console, enter the command exit and press Enter. After that, the computer will restart.
The next step in the BIOS is to remove the boot from the CD-ROM by setting the boot from the HDD (hard disk). Now you can pull out the installer Windows disk and check for the presence of the inscription NTLDR is missing.
Method number 4. In some cases, juggling the cable (disconnect and connect) or connecting another cable helps. If the NTLDR is missing message persists, then try connecting another hard drive, and then connect your drive.
From what this error may appear, and what to do with ntldr is missing, you know, it remains to use one of the methods. If you have not encountered such an error, then print this article, because at the most inopportune moment you may find yourself in such a situation.