NTLDR is missing in this competer I JUST built

I got these two old computers and stuck them together

I used a HP and a Gateway......


NTLDR is missing in this competer I JUST built

They are both older computers you know....

and my grandpa said that the HP's hard drive was shot and that the Gateways was coming up with an NTLDR error....So I said ahh...I think I can figure it out.....He was going to GIVE me Windows 98(i cant afford any of the others). so he got it all together and stuff....Now I cant get the Windows 98 to install because of this Error

NTLDR is missing
Press any key to continue

I press a key says ia again

How do I fix this guys!!?!!

Please help me out....

Thanks,

-Ryan

Also...he had put this thing together before all we didi was change out the drives....and He said that he had tried putting ME on it but that was when it messed up

Welcome to windrivers Ryan. Did you reformat before trying to load win 98 or are your trying to install over the top of the existing os? NTLDR is the boot loader for the NT based os'es (NT4, 2000, XP). You cannot install 98 over them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hudsonsmith

Welcome to windrivers Ryan. Did you reformat before trying to load win 98 or are your trying to install over the top of the existing os? NTLDR is the boot loader for the NT based os'es (NT4, 2000, XP). You cannot install 98 over them.

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Thanks for the welcome! Nope didnt reformatt......Because I couldnt get to the OS. I was trying to install over the OS (I think ME or 2000) Ok then......What should I do to get it to work again? I dont have a re-formatt disk....And that wouldnt work cuz I dont have an OS that will run right?

Thanks,
Ryan

Go here to get a 98 boot floppy ;
bootdisk.com

and download one for 98 , and extract it a floppy disk .

This happenned to me, the ntdlr was missing and then I restarted and it worked fine, this continued for some time and then finally some new updated came out that updated that file and everything was fine after that, did u happen to install any updated prior to this problem happenning? Or it could be something totally different :)

Ryan, it would help to know what the original os was and what the new os is going to be and whether you can backup and format the drive to get a clean install

I just talked to my grandpa today, He said that the original was Windows 98 and that he was installing ME on it and then my aunt accidently un-plugged it (hit it with her foot *MAD*)

And ME didnt finish and he couldnt ever figure out how to get 98 back on it, now that he gave me this computer I am trying to get 98 back on it. How should I do it? I am fixing to try that bootdisc thing tonight, will that work?

Thanks again

-Ryan

Not possible that it was 98 or me if it had ntldr on there.

In any case, download the bootdisk, reformat, then reboot using the 98 cd and install from there.

Maybe he just thought it was 98 and it was really NT then he tried going to ME. Either way, The boot disc didnt work. I didnt run when I had it in it just went straight to the NTLDR error. Any other ideas? I am thinking about just buying ANOTHER hard drive and when I get some kind of windows on it I will take and re-formatt this one that I have now. Will that work?

Thanks again

-Ryan

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carvinite

Maybe he just thought it was 98 and it was really NT then he tried going to ME. Either way, The boot disc didnt work. I didnt run when I had it in it just went straight to the NTLDR error. Any other ideas? I am thinking about just buying ANOTHER hard drive and when I get some kind of windows on it I will take and re-formatt this one that I have now. Will that work?

Thanks again

-Ryan

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The "boot98.exe" that you downloaded ;
did you d/l it to a floppy
or save it and copy it to floppy
or save it and then run it ?

I downloaded it to my desk top and then clicked it and it wrote to a floppy.

Then I stuck it in my other computer (the messed up one) and it went straight to the NTLDR error

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carvinite

I downloaded it to my desk top and then clicked it and it wrote to a floppy.

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Sorry to ask that , but we aren't there to know what and how somebodys doing things (just so know , not to make you sound dumb or anything)
just wanted to make sure because its funny it didn't work , the one you got was
boot98.exe right ?
Did floppy drive light come on and make any sounds when try'ing to boot it ?
If it didn't floppy drive might be dead or disabled in BIOS .
Can you get in to BIOS ?
and check if floppy is inabled ,
and boot order .

It's fine you asked that man, Im just a dumb kid trying to get his computer running. I'm pretty sure I downloaded the windows98.exe Ill check in a second but I have to go eat for now....ill be back

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carvinite

It's fine you asked that man, Im just a dumb kid trying to get his computer running. I'm pretty sure I downloaded the windows98.exe Ill check in a second but I have to go eat for now....ill be back

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If that floppy disk didn't work then you need to enter your BIOS and tell your BIOS (Boot Order) to scan for a Floppy (1st) then CD-rom (2nd) and HD-0 (3rd). You can switch the Floppy and CD order. Then try the boot disk with your floppy again.

You will need to either push, F1, F2, DEL maybe F10-12 pending on the type of computer you have; Most with DEL. You will have this chance to enter the BIOS the 1st 5-15 seconds after powering on. If this doesn't work, your floppy could either be unplugged or not working.

You can try booting with your Win98 disck and then deleting the current partition from DOS. At DOS prompt type in fdisk and from there delete the partition reboot and fdisk again to creat a new one. Then boot with win98 again and install your OS.....

:redeyes: If you can't get to your DOS prompt... take out your HD and find the biggest magnet you can. Run the magnet all over that drive... That should remove all your current data... :devil: hehehehe
You don't really have to try this last idea, but hey, if you want to try something new here is something to try....

will it most definatley **** up my HD?

will it most definatley **** up my HD beyond use? Because if it wont and I could get 98 on there it would be fine to do that. I have a BIG *** magnet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carvinite

will it most definatley **** up my HD beyond use? Because if it wont and I could get 98 on there it would be fine to do that. I have a BIG *** magnet.

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I'd wait on the magnet thing (I think he was kidding with that).

Have you checked on the other things ?

That floppy you made if you check it should have like about 24 files on it .

there are 22 files. I think tommorow I am gonna out in that other floppy drive and try it out. Also I know how to setup the BIOS and I had it setup to where my Floppy was first

CD/ CD-RW 2nd
DVD drive 3rd
ZIP 4th

That sound ok to you guys?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carvinite

there are 22 files. I think tommorow I am gonna out in that other floppy drive and try it out. Also I know how to setup the BIOS and I had it setup to where my Floppy was first

CD/ CD-RW 2nd
DVD drive 3rd
ZIP 4th

That sound ok to you guys?

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The 24 files is what came out when I tried it awhile ago
(had some problems tho ,LOL, the floppys are getting old and my floppy drive is out of about a '97' pc, need new one)
Ya try another F.drive in it , if you have other one .

and good on the boot order :thumbs:

Oh , you could also try MaxBlast from maxtor to see if will boot from floppy;
http://www.maxtor.com/en/support/dow.../maxblast3.htm

What would be the best possible hard drive to get if this does not work? I am talking brands not memory storage.

There are some hidden system files that you cant see on the floppy, big problem if you just copy and paste them, you miss some very important files.

Everybody has an opinion and personal experience on hard drives, I like western digital hdd, but just got a maxtor 120gb and its great too. But on this forum Fujitsu is taboo ;)

I think I am getting it to work!!!! Yea!!!!

That was false hope right there! I got the 98 boot disk and it started running and it is going fast then all of a sudden this error poped up. Whats wrong and how do I fix guys?



Preparing to start your computer.
This may take several minutes....


Device drive not found: 'MSCD001'
No valid CDROM device drives selected.

To get help, type HELP and press enter

A:\> __


whats wrong? How do I fix it?

Thanks again

-Ryan


PS: You need to make your attatchement size larger, I was going to attatch an image that looks just like my error but it was to big, you only allow 1 byte!!!!!

By 98 boot disk I assume you mean the floppy? If so, check to see if it is loading the dos mode cd rom drivers (check the autoexec.bat and config.sys files). You are probably better off just booting from the 98 cd rom, which loads the drivers automatically.

Windrivers does not host image attachments. If you want to post an image, you need to upload it to your own web space and link to it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carvinite

That was false hope right there! I got the 98 boot disk and it started running and it is going fast then all of a sudden this error poped up. Whats wrong and how do I fix guys?



Preparing to start your computer.
This may take several minutes....


Device drive not found: 'MSCD001'
No valid CDROM device drives selected.

whats wrong? How do I fix it?

Thanks again

-Ryan
!

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Its say'ing no Cd-rom found .
does it show it in BIOS ?
http://www.harddriveupgrade.com/bios...ives_after.jpg
Something like this .

Cd-rom may be bad ,
could check that its connected right and
if you have another :) to try ?

ok...ill look it over, I have another, but its not a CD writer, ill hve to buy a new one :(

any idean why it might not be working, it looks hooked up right.....

also does anyone know where I can get a re-formatt disk for windows 98?

well, doesnt look like it will woirk either way, it wont com on now!!!!!! I am so ****ing pissed off!

98 boot diskette is a "reformatt" disk

What won't come on? The pc? Your cdrom looks like it died, disconnet the grey ribbon cable with the power unplugged. Will it start now?

I got it under control, I formatted my harddrive with the windows 98 CD, but I had to change CD drives :( But no the only problem is that when it restarts after it has copied the files, I DONTKNOW WHAT TO DO!! Anyone know anything that might help me here?

Carvinite - copied what files?

Please post the exact steps you have taken and what the result was...

Eg boot from cd, select setup windows, follow wizard until....