NTLDR (abbreviation of NT loader) is the boot loader for all releases of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system up to and including Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. NTLDR is typically run from the primary hard disk drive, but it can also run from portable storage devices such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, or floppy disk. NTLDR can also load a non NT-based operating system given the appropriate boot sector in a file.

NTLDR requires, at the minimum, the following two files to be on the system volume:

• NTLDR, which contains the main boot loader itself

• boot.ini, which contains configuration options for a boot menu

How To: Fix "NTLDR is missing"

Cause: There are several reasons for this message to appear....

1. Windows boot loader (NT Loader, NTLDR) cannot be found.

2. you are trying to start computer from non-bootable source.

3. Hard disk is being changed or new hard drive is being added.

4. Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.

Solution:

1. Windows boot loader (NT Loader, NTLDR) cannot be found.

Check the boot drives and make sure

2. you are trying to start computer from non-bootable source.

Check BIOS for boot sequence and make sure that window is installed on the source.

3. Hard disk is being changed or new hard drive is being added.

make sure that the new added hard drive does not contain windows.

4. Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.

Windows 2000 users

If your computer is using Microsoft Windows 2000 and you are encountering the NTLDR error. Create the below boot.ini file on the floppy diskette drive.

[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

Copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files from another computer using the same operating system. Both of these files are located in the root directory of the primary hard disk drive. For example, C:\NTLDR and C:\NTDETECT.COM should be the locations of these files on many computers.

Once these files have been copied to a floppy diskette reboot the computer and copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files to the root directory of the primary hard disk drive. Below is an example of what commonly should be performed from the A:\> drive.

copy ntldr c:
copy ntdetect.com c:

After the above two files have been copied, remove the floppy diskette and reboot the computer.

Windows XP users

1. Insert the Windows XP bootable CD into the computer.

2. When prompted to press any key to boot from the CD, press any key.

3. Once in the Windows XP setup menu press the "R" key to repair Windows.

4. Log into your Windows installation by pressing the "1" key and pressing enter.

5. You will then be prompted for your administrator password, enter that password.

6. Copy the below two files to the root directory of the primary hard disk. In the below example we are copying these files from the CD-ROM drive letter, which in this case is "e." This letter may be different on your computer.
   
   copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\
   copy e:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\

7. Once both of these files have been successfully copied, remove the CD from the computer and reboot.