How to Troubleshoot the "NTLDR Is Missing" Error Message

When you start your Windows based computer, you may receive the following error message:

NTLDR is missing
Press any key to restart

This problem may occur if the basic input/output system (BIOS) on your computer is outdated, or if one or more of the following Windows boot files are missing or damaged:

Ntldr
Ntdetect.com
Boot.ini

To resolve this issue, verify that the BIOS on your computer is current, and then use one or more of the following methods, as appropriate to your situation, to repair the Windows startup environment.

Verify That the BIOS on the Computer Is Current

Make sure that the latest revision for BIOS is installed on the computer. Contact the computer manufacturer to inquire about how to obtain, and then install the latest BIOS update that is available for the computer.

For information about how to configure and how to verify the correct BIOS settings for the computer, see the computer documentation or contact the manufacturer of the computer. For information about how to contact your computer manufacturer, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

To repair the Windows startup environment, use one or more of the following methods, as appropriate to your situation.

Method 1: Use a Boot Disk to Start the Computer

  1. Create a Windows boot disk that contains the following files:

Ntldr
Ntdetect.com
Boot.ini
Ntbootdd.sys

  1. Modify the Boot.ini file to point to the correct hard disk controller and to the correct volume for your Windows installation. For more information about how to create a boot disk, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  2. Insert the boot disk into the computer's floppy disk drive, and then restart the computer.
  3. Copy the Ntldr file, the Ntdetect.com file, and the Boot.ini file from the boot disk to the system partition of the local hard disk.

Method 2: Use the Recovery Console

  1. Use the Windows Setup disks to restart the computer, or use the Windows CD-ROM to restart the computer.
  2. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to repair the Windows installation.
  3. Press C to repair the Windows installation by using the Recovery Console.
  4. Type the number that corresponds to the Windows installation that you want to repair, and then press ENTER. For example, type 1, and then press ENTER. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  5. Type the Administrator password, and then press ENTER.
  6. Type map, and then press ENTER. Note the drive letter that is assigned to the CD-ROM drive that contains the Windows CD-ROM.
  7. Type the following commands, pressing ENTER after you type each one, where drive is the drive letter that you typed in step 4 of "Method 2: Use the Recovery Console," of this article:

copy drive:\i386\ntldr c:\

copy drive:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\

If you are prompted to overwrite the file, type y, and then press ENTER.

NOTE: In these commands, there is a space between the ntldr and c:\, and between ntdetect.com and c:\.

  1. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:

type c:\Boot.ini

A list similar to the following list appears:

[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 osname Professional" /fastdetect

If you receive the following message, the Boot.ini file may be missing or damaged:

The system cannot find the file or directory specified.

  1. If the Boot.ini file is missing or damaged, create a new one. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Use a text editor, such as Notepad or Edit.com, to create a boot loader file similar to the following boot loader file:

b. [boot loader]

c. timeout=30

d. default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

e.

f. [operating systems]

g. multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows osname Professional" /fastdetect

    1. Save the file to a floppy disk as Boot.ini.

      NOTE: If you used Notepad to create the file, make sure that the .txt extension is not appended to the Boot.ini file name.
    2. Type the following command at the Recovery Console command prompt to copy the Boot.ini file from the floppy disk to the computer:

copy a:\Boot.ini c:\

  1. Type exit, and then press ENTER. The computer restarts.

Method 3: Use the Windows CD-ROM

  1. Insert the Windows CD-ROM into the computer's CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, and start Windows Setup.
  2. On the Welcome to Setup page, press R.
  3. On the Windows Repair Options page, press R.
  4. When you are prompted to select one of the repair options, press M.
  5. Press the UP ARROW, press the UP ARROW again, to select Verify Windows system files, and then press ENTER to clear the selection.
  6. Press the DOWN ARROW to select Continue (perform selected tasks), and then press ENTER. The following message appears:

You need an Emergency Repair disk for the Windows installation you want to repair.

  1. Do one of the following, as appropriate to your situation:
    • If you have an Emergency Repair Disk, follow these steps:
      1. Press ENTER.
      2. Insert the Emergency Repair Disk into the computer's floppy disk drive, and then press ENTER.
      3. Follow the instructions to repair the installation, and then restart the computer.

-or-

    • If you do not have an Emergency Repair Disk, follow these steps:

. Press L. You receive a message similar to the following:

Setup has found Windows in the following folder:

drive:\WINNT "Microsoft Windows "

a. Press ENTER.

Setup examines the disks, and then completes the repair process.

For more information about the emergency repair feature, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

If Setup Cannot Locate Windows

If you do not have a Windows Emergency Repair Disk, and if Setup cannot locate the Windows installation, follow these steps:

  1. Start Windows Setup.
  2. On the Setup will install Windows on partition page, select Leave the current file system intact (no changes), and then press ENTER.
  3. Press ESC to install Windows to a new folder.
  4. In the Select the folder in which the files should be copied box, type \tempwin, and then press ENTER.

    Setup installs a new copy of Windows.
  5. Log on to the new copy of Windows.
  6. Click Start, and then click Run.
  7. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
  8. At the command prompt, type drive:, where drive is the boot drive of the computer, and then press ENTER. For example, type c:, and then press ENTER.
  9. Type attrib -h -r -s Boot.ini, and then press ENTER.
  10. Type edit Boot.ini, and then press ENTER.

    Edit.com opens a Boot.ini file that is similar to the following file:

11. [boot loader]

12. timeout=30

13. default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\TEMPWIN

14. [operating systems]

15. multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\TEMPWIN="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

16.

  1. Replace all instances of TEMPWIN with WINNT. The Boot.ini file that appears is similar to the following file:

18. [boot loader]

19. timeout=30

20. default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

21. [operating systems]

22. multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

  1. Press ALT+F, and then press S.
  2. Press ALT+F, and then press X.
  3. Type attrib +h +r +s Boot.ini, and then press ENTER.
  4. Type exit to quit the command prompt.
  5. Restart the computer.
  6. At the Please select the operating system to start screen, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows, and then press ENTER.
  7. Start Windows Explorer, locate the following folders, and then delete them.