# dualboot linux/XP ntldr is missing, cannot boot from XP CD [moved from XP]



## Spectrum (Aug 12, 2003)

Hello. 

I have the following problem. (I'm including as much information as possible, so sorry about the long post.)

I have two hard drives, both IDE. One with Windows XP on it and one with Linux (Fedora Core 8). Both OS'es run fine... or used to. Until now, I have switched between the two OS'es by booting from the two different HDs at startup. But recently I tried to set up a multiboot from the Linux boot loader into Windows. I did something wrong and screwed up the boot sector on my Windows HD, and now Windows can't boot. I get the error message "NTLDR is missing". 

Now, I believe that my Windows installation still lives. When booting in Linux I can see all the partitions and files on the Windows HD. It's just that the boot sector is broken, so Windows won't boot. I believe that if I could just run FIXMBR ("fix master boot record"), I could repair it and make Windows boot again. 

FIXMBR is available from the Windows XP Recovery Console, which is available on the Windows XP installation CD. 

Here's where the real trouble begins: I can't boot from the Windows CD. 

When I try (selecting the CD drive as boot device on startup), it reads the CD fine enough at first. I get a prompt of "press any key to boot from CD", then, doing so, it shows "Inspecting your hardware configuration..." for a short moment. Then the screen goes black. From there, nothing happens. The installation program hangs and never reaches the installation menu. After 20-30 seconds, the CD drive stops spinning. 

I have tested the CD in another computer, and it's not corrupted. I have also tried another CD, but no difference. 

I have two CD/DVD drives and have tried them both. Same behaviour. 

I've done some more experimentation and found that the problem is connected to my hard drives. If I disconnect both HDs, then the comp can enter the Windows installation program just fine. (Of course, then it doesn't have anywhere to install...) But if either 

I've done some testing, and it turns out that it's my hard drives that are causing the trouble. If I unplug both hard drives, the installation program runs fine (although, of course, then it doesn't have anywhere to install), but if I leave either one connected, it hangs forever, either in "Inspecting your hardware configuration..." or with a black screen. 

I read somewhere that you should unplug USB devices before booting the CD, so I tried that, but it didn't help. 

Can anyone help me solve this? How can I either:

1. Fix my boot sector and get Windows to boot _without_ access to Windows itself nor the installation CD. (I have been led to believe that GRUB, the UNIX boot loader, can help, but I don't know how.)
OR
2. Get the Windows XP installation program to run without getting stuck.

Thanks for reading all of my post, and thanks in advance for the help.


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## justpassingby (Mar 11, 2007)

*Re: Trying to fix boot sector, but cannot boot from CD...*

Hi SpectrumDT and welcome to TSF !

Don't know much about Linux but maybe the linux boot sectors are preventing the Windows disk to detect your partitions :4-dontkno

Are you using Grub or Lilo ? Starting with the Linux boot loader, aren't there options to redetect the currently installed OS's and change the boot loader settings ?

I'll move your thread to the linux section where you'll have better help about this.


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## shuuhen (Sep 4, 2004)

Welcome to TSF.



SpectrumDT said:


> Until now, I have switched between the two OS'es by booting from the two different HDs at startup. But recently I tried to set up a multiboot from the Linux boot loader into Windows. I did something wrong and screwed up the boot sector on my Windows HD, and now Windows can't boot. I get the error message "NTLDR is missing".


Could you elaborate on what you mean by multiboot? I am assuming you mean you used BIOS settings to switch between which hard drive would boot, then tried to set up GRUB to let you choose from a menu.


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## Spectrum (Aug 12, 2003)

shuuhen said:


> Welcome to TSF.


Thanks. 



shuuhen said:


> Could you elaborate on what you mean by multiboot? I am assuming you mean you used BIOS settings to switch between which hard drive would boot, then tried to set up GRUB to let you choose from a menu.


Yes, that would be correct. 

By "multiboot" I mean that I have tried to set up GRUB so that it lets me choose to boot into Windows. This is done by chain-loading the Windows boot loader. I believe I have this set up correctly: GRUB chain-loads the Windows boot loader, but the latter is not working correctly, so boot fails. (I get the same error message if I boot directly from my Windows HD or boot into Windows through GRUB from my Linux HD.) You can also check out my thread about the subject on the Fedora Forum. 

UPDATE: It turns out I had missed some replies to my older thread on the Fedora Forum. Following that advice, I was able to get Windows to boot through GRUB. W00t. 

However, I still cannot boot from the Windows HD, only through GRUB. Booting from the Windows HD yields "NTLDR is missing". And I still cannot run the Windows installation program, either. I'm kind of sad about that, since I might very well need to reinstall Windows one day. 

Any help on solving the remaining problems is still appreciated. Thanks.


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## Spectrum (Aug 12, 2003)

Here's an update, if anyone cares. 

I made a thread about this problem at WindowsForum.org. A guy recommended that I set the Windows HD as master and remove the Linux HD. That worked. With those settings I can run the Windows installation program from the CD.  

Also, with assistance from this thread on the Fedora forum, I've set up GRUB so it can chain-load Windows. So now I can boot Windows indirectly through GRUB. 

However, I still can't boot directly from the Windows hard drive. I still get "NTLDR is missing". This _only_ happens when booting from the Windows HD (and regardless of whether it's set as master or slave). If I chain-boot through GRUB, Windows boots and runs fine. 

I tried running FIXMBR from the CD, but this did no difference.

I have enough things working for me now to run Windows and use the Windows CD, but I would still be happy if someone could help me fix the last annoyance. 

Thanks for the help so far. 

EDIT: Hey, wait... have I made two different profiles on this forum? I wonder how that happened. Anyway, SpectrumDT is me.


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## Skie (Mar 15, 2003)

Are you able to boot into Linux?


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## Spectrum (Aug 12, 2003)

Sorry for not replying. I didn't notice this post before today. Yes, I can boot Linux just fine.

If anyone cares, I think I found out what caused the problem where the Windows CD wouldn't run. It was the BIOS settings. If I set the Linux HD as the primary boot disc, then the Windows CD fails, but if I go into the BIOS and set the Windows HD as the first boot disc, then the Windows CD enters the installation program like it's supposed to. (The underlying cause is still a mystery to me, but at least now I know how to fix it, without fiddling around with the hardware.)


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## DragonAX (Jul 18, 2008)

I had this problem... for some reason my fresh fedora 9 install put my drives into grub.conf the wrong way around... I swapped them to the correct (hd0,0) and (hd1,0) and removed the hiddenmenu option and all was peachy!

Looks like you fixed it by swapping the drives instead of correcting grub.conf... same difference


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