Computer problems at boot up

Mobius

Can't get enough of FH
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Dec 22, 2003
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Hello chaps.

I have recently started using my computer again as I have rented my own place etc, and actually have somewhere to plug it in, which is nice. Anyway, recently I have had a problem (which I can't remember occuring in the 2 years or so I have had this computer, although it hasn't been turned on in about 8 months, prior to the last few weeks) in which when I turn the computer on, Windows doesn't load and I receive this error message.

NTLDR is missing
Press Ctrl Alt Del to Restart

(Or something to that effect, I'm at work and don't have t'internet at home :()

I fixed it before by borrowing an XP cd from a friend and 'repairing' windows, which seemed to resolve it for a week or two, but now it has started occuring again, and I am completely unable to get into windows whereas in the past a few reboots or a bit of fiddling in the BIOS usually fixed it for a while. The problem usually occurs when I am playing a game. The PC will lock up entirely (alt+tab etc won't work) yet ctrl+alt+del does, and after that I can't get in, anymore.

EPoX EP-9NPA+ Ultra, nForce4 Ultra,ATX Socket-939,S-ATA,GbLAN,Firewire,PCI-Ex16

AMD Athlon 64 3700+ 2.2GHz Socket 939, 1MB, BOXED w/fan

Samsung SpinPoint P120 200GB SATA2 8MB 7200RPM

Maxtor 6L200M0 Diamond Max 10 200GB 7200RPM SATA/150 8MB Cache - OEM

Club3D Radeon X850PRO 256MB GDDR3, 256bi PCI Express, DVI, VGA, VIVO, Retail

---

XP is installed onto the Maxtor drive, if that makes any difference.

Also, is it possible to move your OS onto another HD? I wanted to try moving it over to the Samsung drive because I think the Maxtor is faulty or somewhere, and that's why it freezes then doesn't boot XP.

Thanks
 

Mobius

Can't get enough of FH
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Messages
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I had a fresh windows install on the Samsung drive but I don't want to use that because I'll be missing the drivers for my GFX card etc and with no internet at home it's alot of hassle to sort that stuff out, so I deleted that yet it still shows on the boot screen. There's also an incomplete Windows XP install that shows up on that same screen (if I select to boot from the Samsung, both of these OS's show up) and that one doesn't load up either.

I've never messed about with any other Operating Systems on this comp, just Windows XP.

Basically if I choose to boot from the Maxtor I get the error message, and if I choose the Samsung I'm prompted to choose between one XP that I've deleted, and another that's an incomplete installation...meaning I can't get onto the PC atm until I borrow my friend's XP cd again as mine is currently in a cupboard in Australia. :(
 

GRN

Fledgling Freddie
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
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65
See if this'll help:

Insert and boot from the XP installation CD, choose to repair installation, login and copy 'i386\ntldr' and 'ntdetect.com' from the CD into the root of the boot-drive.

Should work; grabbed it from an IT-board I frequent.
 

Kryten

Old Cow.
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I'm guessing a HDD failure - especially being a Maxtor drive.
As soon as you get it running, get everything backed up.
Grab PowerMax (maxtor's diagnostic utility) and run checks using that. it'll probably be somewhere on Seagate Technology.

My guess would be that like many maxtors, it's suffering from an "electrical/mechanical failure". This is often a developing fault with the firmware, which although is possible to sort yourself, it's normally better just to get the drive changed if it's under warranty. Or of course drives are nice and cheap - if it is failing according to Powermax, grab a new 500gb drive for circa 50 quid.
 

Mobius

Can't get enough of FH
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Thanks guys, will try both of those when I get a chance. I've emailed the tech guys at work here and asked if I can borrow an XP CD, but I'm not confident! Will get my mates at the weekend. Bit frustrating though, as all my porn is on the comp and I quite fancied a wank tonight.

And they say nurses have it tough.
 

Mobius

Can't get enough of FH
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Got home last night and turned the pc on, went into BIOS and set Hard Disk priority so that it booted the Maxtor first, and everything loaded up fine. After a while it froze, and then on the bootscreen where it loads up the SATA drives etc, only the samsung appeared, not the maxtor. So I'm sure the maxtor has died on its arse now, and will buy a new HD. After countless reboots I can usually get the Maxtor to show up again, but it's just not worth the hassle.

Bad timing though, what with the new Pro Evo and Footy Manager demos out this week. :(
 

Kryten

Old Cow.
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d'oh!

Well how old is the maxxy? Still worth checking it with PowerMax anyway, it'll pick it up if the BIOS dont, assuming the cables fine and it still powers up.
With a powermax fault code you can contact Maxtor (or Seagate, now) and get a replacement sent - if you've a credit or debit card they'll happily ship you a new one before you send the old one back.
 

Mobius

Can't get enough of FH
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The Maxtor is in the cupboard now. :p It's been a good servant!

I have put my new hard drive in, and it appears on the BIOS and in Device Manager, but it isn't on 'my computer' - how do you make it appear there? My other hard drive (the Samsung) is visible.

Cheers
 

Kryten

Old Cow.
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Right click "My Computer" and go to Manage
Find and open Disk Management (might be under Storage, can't remember in XP)
Within there you should see the new disk, it might even prompt you automatically to "initialise" the new disk - follow the prompts, format it and hey presto, one usable drive.
 

Mobius

Can't get enough of FH
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Ah, got it. :) Formatting now! Cheers Kryten
 

Bob007

Prince Among Men
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seen this late, so not realy helping you solve an alrdy solved problem, but some info that may help you or someone in future. :)

Windows NT (NT3/4, 2000, xp home and pro, 2003 server) family requires 3 files to be on the first partitian of the first drive. The 1 you pointed to in the bios.

NTLDR.NT Bootstrap Loader.
NTDETECT.COM NT Command Line Interpretuer
BOOT.INI Text file pointing towards operating system files.

First 2 are great to have backed up on your drive so you can restore with ease. I'd recommend both files be taken from server 2003 if posible as they are the latest set and can boot up 2000 and XP, 2000 set won't boot xp or server2k3, xp set won't boot server 2k3. Not alot more you can do with them 2, just make sure they in the right place.

Last file is BOOT.INI this 1 we can play with. Lets take a look.

[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 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\TED="Microsoft Windows 2003 Server" /fastdetect

For the most part, you should never have to touch this, but if you ever do, its best to be armed with the some infomation.

From the above i have 3 operating systems installed, I can tell i have 2 on the first HDD and 1 on the second and that the second is IDE.

Lets break it all down.
Timeout fairly easy, thats time menu is shown, default is 30 secs. can change that to anything. setting it to 1 on multi boot systems can annoy ppl :)
Default is the default operating system, the 1 that will boot if you do nothing for 31 secs. In this 1 its pointing at windows 2000. At the end of the line you see \WINNT this is the folder with operating system files in. If you install windows into as you can see i installed 2003 server into "TED" Doesn't matter where you put it, as long as this file points to it.

Hardware Numbering starts from 0(zero) and counts up. 0 being first device, 1 being second.

Partitian numbering starts from 1(one) 1 being first part on a device, 2 being second part on a device.


multi(0) Used on pure IDE (ide/sata) systems, Can be changed to SCSI(0) on scsi systems, Must ppl can ignore this. Some SCSI systems still use Multi(0) depending on where in the chain the SCSI device is.

disk(0)rdisk(0) these 2 go togeather. Disk is refering to SCSI disks and rdisk is refering to IDE/Sata Disks, Changing rdisk(0) to rdisk(1) would tell boot loader to look on second IDE HDD for operating system files.

partition(1) this directs loader to the partition on the device for operating system files. Starts at 1 instead of 0(zero). Changing this to (2) would make it look on the second partition on the device.

And after Partition is the folder.

scsi(0)disk(12)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
Above would boot disk 13 (remember, devices start from 0(zero)) on a scsi chain and start windows from partition 4(partitions start from 1)

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\THINGY
This would boot operating system files in THINGY on the first partition on the first disk in an IDE/SATA system

Hope this helps someone. Alot more happens after this, memory mode switching and handing over control to operating system files. But i need Tea so this will do for now. :)
 

Mobius

Can't get enough of FH
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Interesting. :) Going to save those files for future reference!

Incidently, does anybody know where I can find drivers for this?

EPoX EP-9NPA+ Ultra, nForce4 Ultra,ATX Socket-939,S-ATA,GbLAN,Firewire,PCI-Ex16

Once again all of my discs are in Australia, and I have searched on google but any link that looks hopeful ends up a dead end or a link to a website full of ads. My onboard sound seems to have disabled itself somehow. :(
 

Kryten

Old Cow.
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Golden rule of computer hardware driver locating.

Take name of company, say Epox

Insert www. before name and .com.tw afterwards

Wait for 10 minutes whilst the over-flashed dodgy site loads :/

Then after fiddling with 20 broken or incorrect links :

EPoX Computer Co., LTD.

The above isn't just relating to Epox by any means - gigabyte, abit, asus - all equally bad and confusing :(
 

Mobius

Can't get enough of FH
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Dec 22, 2003
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HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS?!

Downloading now...at an excrutiatingly slow pace! Hopefully it'll be done when I get back from work. :) Ta again
 

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