[andyurzzz]

Recently my laptop has come up with this message on start up ''NTLDR is missing, press any key to restart''. It will not let me get past this screen. I have rang Dell who advised me to just restore the computer. Problem I now have is when I boot from the CD Drive to do the restore, it completes the ''loading windows files'' but then stops reading from the disc just before the first language selection screen. My laptop is a Dell Inspiron 1720. It has always had vista installed, that was the OS it came with. Any help you can give will be very much appreciated. I have heard it may be due to a faulty CD drive which will stop the system from booting, but have also heard it is corrupted files which would need to be fixed. Am really confused and hop you can helpme out here! Thanks.

Andy

[Rollin' Rog]

Can you get to the "recovery environment" and try both "startup repair" and if that fails, the various options in the Bootrec.exe utility ?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

Test after each one.

This error message can also be caused by the disk drive itself not being properly connected -- is it seen in the BIOS/setup properties?

If not, try reseating the drive.

[andyurzzz]

The disk drive is shown in BIOS. When it tries to run the installation disc it stops reading the disc just befre the language selection screen, which is just before the repair screen.

[Rollin' Rog]

Can you get to the "repair/recovery environment" through the F8 menu? Normally this would be the option on an OEM machine rather than an installation disk which they don't usually supply these days unless you requested it.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...sked-questions

If it really is just "NTLDR" that's missing there can be ways to copy this, providing you can get the right version to copy, but you would have to boot the disk as a an external drive on another computer, using an IDE to USB converter (you can get them for under 20 bucks).

However it really sounds like there is some damage to the boot configuration on the drive for which bootrec.exe would be appropriate.

You can also try creating a "puppy linux" boot disk on another computer and try booting with that, if the drive can be seen by puppy linux -- you can "mount" it and copy files to or from it.

http://www.puppylinux.com/

[andyurzzz]

Just been on the phone to dell and they have told me this happens if the media direct button is pressed whilst on Windows. They want to charge me £109 to tell me how to fix this. Does anyone know what to do? I have tried pressing the dell media direct button to boot (mentioned on another site it can sometimes load windows) and as mentioned, it will not load any discs from the DVD/CD drive so getting into repair or reinstall is not an option. I have ran a diagnostics test and it showed no problems. Apparently it is because dell media direct is now trying to boot as main system to the wrong partition. Hope this helps

[Rollin' Rog]

I don't understand their description at all -- but if you can get to the command line of the repair/recovery environment try running bootrec.exe

Then try the first 2 command line fixes described here, and reboot after each one to test:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392

I would try the others as well, if necessary.

[andyurzzz]

The installation CD will only boot as far as the coloured vista screen just before the language box appears and pauses indefinately.

[Rollin' Rog]

Since this is a laptop, I would follow vendor's instructions to remove the hard drive, then just reseat it.

You might try the puppy linux boot disk. It doesn't need or use Windows at all,

It won't even care about the hard drive -- but if there is a hardware problem with the drive itself you will not be able to "mount" that drive using Puppy Linux -- and that would be pretty good proof that the problem lies with the drive itself.

If you can mount the drive using Linux -- you may atleast be able to recover personal files.

You ca also buy an IDE to USB converter and try loading the drive as an external drive on another computer for recovery purposes.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812232002

Beyond this you should be talking further to Dell -- as it appears to be a hardware problem -- but they may want you to take further actions to confirm that.

If the system is under warranty you should ask for the problem to be "escalated" and get a more senior representative to talk to.

The fact that your install disk is not loading may do so. I don't know whether your Laptop has a hidden recovery partition -- but if it does they may want to instruct you on how to use that for a full recovery -- although this will probably result in data destruction.


Other than using an install disk -- you may have the "repair my computer" as a preinstalled option on an F8 boot Window. Can you access that?

See the "pre-installed" description here >> http://vistasupport.mvps.org/windows...ir_options.htm

If so, try both "Startup repair" and if that fails -- try opening the command line interface and using bootrec.exe

[andyurzzz]

Still won't let me do anything. Disc will not load and ntldr missing still showing
Posted via Mobile Device

[Rollin' Rog]

The "puppy linux" disk will not load?

Are you sure you burned it correctly? You do not just copy it to burn, you must burn it using your burner's ISO (image burning) interface.

This should not have anything to do with NTLDR at all as it doesn't even require a hard drive to be present.