Re: 'NTLDR' is missing
Hello paintballfreak72, the answer is below but you will need patience, due to your problem. I hope all goes well for you.
NTLDR is Missing.
Related errors:
Below are the full error messages that may be seen when the computer is booting.
NTLDR is Missing
Press any key to restart
Boot: Couldn't find NTLDR
Please insert another disk
NTLDR is missing
Press Ctrl Alt Del to Restart
Cause:
1. Computer is booting from a non-bootable source.
2. Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS.
3. Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.
4. Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file.
5. Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32.
6. New hard disk drive being added.
7. Corrupt boot sector / master boot record.
8. Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
9. Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable.
Solutions:
Computer is booting from a non-bootable source
Many times this error is caused when the computer is attempting to boot from a non-bootable floppy disk or CD-ROM. First verify that no floppy diskette is in the computer, unless you are attempting to boot from a diskette.
If you are attempting to boot from a floppy diskette and are receiving this error message it is likely that the diskette does not have all the necessary files and/or is corrupt.
If you are attempting to install Windows XP or Windows 2000 and are receiving this error message as the computer is booting verify that your computer BIOS has the proper boot settings. For example, if you are attempting to run the install from the CD-ROM make sure the CD-ROM is the first boot device, and not the hard disk drive.
Second, when the computer is booting you should receive the below prompt.
Press any key to boot from the CD
Important: When you see this message press any key such as the Enter key immediately, otherwise it will try booting from the hard drive and likely get the NTLDR error again.
Note: If you are not receiving the above message and your BIOS boot options are set properly it's also possible that your CD-ROM drive may not be booting from the CD-ROM properly. Verify the jumpers are set properly on the CD-ROM drive. Additional information about checking the CD-ROM drive connections can be found on document CH000213.
Additional information: This error has also been known to occur when a memory stick is in a card reader and the computer is attempting to boot from it. If you have any type of card reader or flash reader make sure that no memory stick is inside the computer.
Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS
Verify that your computer hard disk drive is properly setup in the BIOS / CMOS setup. Improper settings can cause this error. Additional information on how to enter the BIOS / CMOS setup can be found in document CH000192.
Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file
Windows 2000 users
Windows XP users
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.
*
Please keep in mind that these files are hidden system files, if you need additional help with viewing hidden files in Windows please see document CH000516.
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 'E'. This letter may be different on your computer.
copy e:i386ntldr c
copy e:i386ntdetect.com c
7. Once both of these files have been successfully copied, remove the CD from the computer and reboot.
Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file
Edit the boot.ini on the root directory of the hard disk drive and verify that it is pointing to the correct location of your Windows Operating System and that the partitions are properly defined. Additional information about the boot.ini can be found on document CH000492.
Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32
If you are getting this error message while you are attempting to upgrade to Windows 2000 or Windows XP from Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME running FAT32 please try the below recommendations.
1. Boot the computer with a Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows ME bootable diskette.
2. At the A> prompt type:
sys c: <press enter>
3. After pressing enter you should receive the 'System Transferred' message. Once this has been completed remove the floppy diskette and reboot the computer.
New hard disk drive being added
If you are attempting to add a new hard disk drive to the computer make sure that drive is a blank drive. Adding a new hard disk drive to a computer that already has Windows installed on it may cause the NTLDR error to occur.
If you are unsure if the new drive is blank or not try booting from a bootable diskette and format the new hard disk drive.
Corrupt boot sector / master boot record
It's possible your computer's hard disk drive may have a corrupt boot sector and/or master boot record. These can be repaired through the Microsoft Windows Recovery console by running the fixboot and fixmbr commands.
Additional information and help in getting into the Microsoft Windows Recovery console can be found on document CH000627.
Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP
If you have tried each of the above recommendations that apply to your situation and you continue to experience this issue it is possible you may have a seriously corrupted version of Microsoft Windows. Therefore we would recommend you reinstall Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
If you are encountering this issue during your setup you may wish to completely erase your computer hard disk drive and all of its existing data and then install Microsoft Windows 2000 / Windows XP. Additional information about erasing the computer and starting over can be found on document CH000186.
Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable
This issue has been known to be caused by a loose or fault IDE/EIDE cable. If the above recommendation does not resolve your issue and your computer hard disk drive is using an IDE or EIDE interface. Verify the computer hard disk drive cable is firmly connected by disconnected and reconnecting the cable.
If the issue continues it is also a possibility that the computer has a faulty cable, try replacing the hard disk drive cable with another cable and/or a new cable.
Please post back if you have anymore problems or questions.
Premium Power Cord for Dell Dimension 8300 8400 9100 9200 Computer. Dell W4827 Dimension 4700 8400 Optiplex GX280 Dual SATA Power Supply 250W. $19.99 $ 19 99. FREE Shipping on eligible orders. Internal Hard Drive Capacity. Under 500 GB. 500 to 999 GB. Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell ( After my hard disk crashed last week, I discovered that my Dimension 8400 has an Intel 82801FR SATA RAID Controller built in. I now have two 160 GB HD. The SATA Operation option in the computer Basic Input Output System (BIOS) is set to RAID Auto/AHCI instead of RAID Auto/ATA.; This issue does not indicate a hardware problem. This is a configuration issue. By default, a Dell Dimension 8400 computer is configured to.
Dell Dimension 8400 Sata Driver For Mac
Seems clear to me
Since you aware that your brother skipped some files during the set up process then it seems faily obvious that the installation did not complete properly, if I were you I would boot this machine from the installation CD again and try a repair of the installation, to do so you can follow the on screen instructions as if you were going to do a full install right as far as accepting the license agreement.
Then you will be presented with a screen showing previous installations of windows, if there are none showing you cannot proceed without doing the full install.
Otherwise select the drive that has windows installed, then press the R key and continue from there.
HOWEVER it is quite unusual for a clean installation to fail in the way you describe, I have seen it before when the installation was carried out with a fake CD, I'm not suggesting anything but check it out.
And this time stick with it throughout the installation or repair.
...
ok, so heres the big problem, i cannot access the installation disk...the disk drive appears on the setup menu, but it wont take...its really weird, i put in another spare hdd in that is pretty old, and the screen will say press any key to boot from cd... but when the brand new hdd is in it wont take. ive tried the sata operation at both 1.5gbps and 3.0gbps. tried the hdd on sata 0, 1, 2 and 3. i dont know...the disk is burned, but it is a backup disk that was created when my uncle first bought the computer. and my vista disk is brand new, like i just opened it a few days ago....
hmmm
i think i may have figured out the problem, the master optical drive didnt seem to function, os unplugged that and set the slave optical drive as master...its doing the fdisk right now :) . ill post back later if anything goes wrong.
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The case might look familiar from the outside, but the new AU$4,757 Dell Dimension 8400 represents the opening shot in Intel's wholesale overhaul of the desktop PC's core technology. Featuring Intel's new 925X Express (a.k.a Alderwood chipset), a 3.4GHz Intel Pentium 4 550 processor, and the first PCI Express graphics card we've seen--the 256MB ATI Radeon X800 XT--the Dimension 8400 is essentially a showcase for the future of the PC. Early adopter gamers and multimedia enthusiasts will be especially thrilled by the new hardware and the fast performance. As for the rest of us, we'll be better off waiting for software that takes full advantage of the new technology.
Editor's note: The test configuration came loaded with premium options such as Pentium 4 Processor 560 3.6GHz which is not available in some countries. Advertised packages in the Asia-Pacific region feature processor speeds up to 3.4GHz. Please check with your local distributor for more information.
Despite the new technologies inside it, very little about the Dell Dimension 8400's case has changed in the three years since it was introduced as the Dimension 8100. The same, rather dull, gray-and-black-plastic exterior opens up like an Oxford English Dictionary, the motherboard and the power supply are attached to one side, the drives on the other. The latching mechanism still irritates us; it requires you to press buttons on both the top and the underside of the case. When you finally pry it open, the case takes up more desk space compared to a standard tower case with a removable side panel.
It's not until you open the Dimension 8400 that you'll be able to see the new features of Intel's 925X Express chipset. Once your eye leaves the processor's huge heat sink, you'll discover one of the prime benefits of the chipset: improved bus architecture. Replacing the decade-old AGP interface for graphics cards, PCI Express (PCIe) features faster data throughput than either standard PCI or AGP slots. The Dimension 8400 comes with one full-length 16X PCIe slot for the graphics card and one smaller 1X PCIe slot for upgrades such as Gigabit Ethernet cards and others, though cards for the 1x port have not yet been released. Eventually PCIe will replace both AGP and PCI altogether, but until more PCIe cards become available, you'll be glad the Dimension 8400 has three old-fashioned PCI slots, one of which was vacant on our review unit. A pair of 512MB DDR2 SDRAM sticks occupies two of the four system-memory slots, which you can upgrade to 4GB of memory, if for some reason you should find this necessary.
Despite the extreme cooling tactics, the interior of the Dimension 8400 is much neater than the Dimension 8300 cases we've seen. The 925X chipset minimises cable clutter by moving to the smaller Serial ATA cables for connecting hard drives, leaving only one IDE channel and its cumbersome ribbon cable for your optical drives. The Dimension 8400 includes two Serial ATA drives but has ports and 3.5-inch drive bays for up to four SATA drives--and a maximum of 1.6 terabytes (TB) of storage space. That's right, we said terabyte. Sadly, Dell also offers no media-card reader to aid interfacing with digital cameras and other devices.
The usual list of legacy ports, plus Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, and six USB 2.0 ports reside on the back panel. A flip-up panel on the front of the system hides an additional pair of USB 2.0 ports and a headphone jack, but they slant downward, making access more difficult than need be if you have the system sitting on the floor. You'll also find a pair of additional USB 2.0 ports on the side of the bundled LCD monitor.
Dell 8400 Drivers
An early adopter's delight, the Dell Dimension 8400 offers the same high-end flexibility as the Dimension 8300 but with a bevy of new components. Thanks to Intel's new 925X Express chipset, Dell is able to incorporate a 3.6GHz Intel Pentium 4 560 processor, a 256MB ATI Radeon X800XT graphics card with the PCI Express interface, and 1GB of 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM, none of which we've ever seen before. As is often the case with new PC technology, the hardware is significantly ahead of the software, so while these new parts have the potential to boost performance, and indeed the Dimension 8400's benchmark scores place it among the fastest PCs we've ever seen, you can expect even to reap greater benefits from the system as more-demanding software apps hit the market.
In the meantime, there's very little that the Dimension 8400 can't handle already. It's a fully featured multimedia PC; the crystal-clear, 17-inch Dell UltraSharp 1703FP LCD monitor and the 5.1 Dell 5650 speakers work especially well together--the volume bar and the center speaker attach conveniently to the bottom edge of the display. Connected to the system's Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 sound card, the speakers produced crisp, nuanced audio on our tests. That Dell included a discrete sound card instead of relying on the 925X's new embedded 7.1-channel Azalea sound chip doesn't exactly speak well of the new audio technology. Keep an eye out for our upcoming analysis of the Azalea sound chip compared to other audio solutions in the coming months.
Our Dimension 8400 featured a 12X Hitachi/LG DVD+RW drive. This drive burns DVD+R discs at a rapid rate, but we should note that it's less versatile than the multiformat drives commonly found on other system that burn to both +R and -R media. (Dell is firmly rooted in the DVD+R camp and sells only +R drives on its systems.) The second optical drive, the 48X Hitachi/LG CD-RW drive, is fast and flexible for both burning and playing CDs. (Editor's note: The DVD+RW drive may vary for different countries. Please check with your local distributor for more information.)
Two 160GB, 7,200rpm hard drives in a Serial ATA RAID 0 array provide roughly 300GB of storage after formatting. This amount might seem like more storage than you'd ever need, but each of the motherboard's four Serial ATA channels can support up to a 400GB hard drive, which means that 300GB represents less than 20 percent of the Dimension 8400's storage potential. You can upgrade to two 400GB drives at the time of purchase, but Dell's online configurator does not allow you to upgrade to three or four hard drives, so any more storage will have to be an aftermarket upgrade. Other configuration options include an ATI TV tuner and the usual array of printers, larger monitors, and other products from Dell's catalog.
The unremarkable optical mouse and keyboard get the job done, although they don't look especially stylish doing it. At least the keyboard's multimedia buttons streamline the Dimension 8400's entertainment functions. Dell's Media Experience suite gives you apps for working with your digital media, such as music and photos. You'll also find Dell's Picture Studio 2.0, which features Paint Shop Pro Album 4.0 and Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8.0, along with Sonic MyDVD for recording to DVD+RW discs. Corel's WordPerfect Office 12.0 productivity suite rounds out the software, all of which work within the framework of the Windows XP Home Edition.
The Dell Dimension 8400 is the first PC we've tested with Intel's new 925X Express chipset. Despite support for faster processors and memory, this next-generation technology does not demonstrate any performance advantage over older hardware with today's applications. Until we see more-robust applications especially designed for Intel's newer CPU architecture, performance won't be that much different from the technology that is already on the market.
The Dimension 8400's benchmark scores placed it among our highest-performing PCs. The Dimension 8400 achieved a SysMark 2004 score of 214, about 13 percent faster than the last Dimension 8300 we reviewed. We can see that neither the DDR2 memory nor the faster 3.6GHz Pentium 4 560 processor give the Dimension 8400 a major performance boost. While the Dimension 8400 is a powerful system, it will need supporting software before the hardware reaches its full potential.
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The Dell also marks the first time we've seen a PCI Express version of the new 256MB ATI Radeon X800XT graphics card. This card marks a brand-new processor for ATI--and a huge performance boost. The most significant result is the 1,600x1,200 Unreal Tournament 2003 test, with a score of 115.1fps.
This performance increase is likely due to the graphics chip technology more than the new PCIe interface. There are no games on the market yet that can truly take advantage of PCIe's increased bandwidth, so we expect that performance gains will be even greater as we see more-demanding software.