NTLDR is missing in this competer I JUST built

**Carvinite** · August 1st, 2004, 09:42 PM

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

**Carvinite** · August 1st, 2004, 09:47 PM

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

**hudsonsmith** · August 1st, 2004, 10:44 PM

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.

**Carvinite** · August 1st, 2004, 11:33 PM

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.

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

**GrandDad** · August 2nd, 2004, 12:19 AM

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

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

**TechZ** · August 2nd, 2004, 07:07 AM

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

**NooNoo** · August 2nd, 2004, 07:22 AM

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

**Carvinite** · August 2nd, 2004, 03:12 PM

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

**hudsonsmith** · August 2nd, 2004, 03:24 PM

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.

**Carvinite** · August 2nd, 2004, 07:10 PM

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

**GrandDad** · August 2nd, 2004, 07:20 PM

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

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 ?

**Carvinite** · August 2nd, 2004, 07:32 PM

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

**Carvinite** · August 2nd, 2004, 07:37 PM

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

**GrandDad** · August 2nd, 2004, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by Carvinite

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

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 .

**Carvinite** · August 2nd, 2004, 07:58 PM

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