new computer issue - Couldn't find NTLDR

kjab3068kjab3068
edited May 2006 in Hardware
Hello everyone, first post here so be nice to me ;P

I've just made a new build using some old and new parts, it is

Epox 8RDA+ (from old comp 1)
Athlon XP1700 (from old comp 1)

2 x 256Mb Crucial (can't remember what speed - DDR266 maybe?)
Seagate Barracuda 80GB
both from old comp 2

and bought new
Radeon 9800 Pro
Maxtor 160Gb ATA

right, it's all set up but the winxp cd wont boot, it just says;

Boot from CD : CDBOOT : Couldn't find NTLDR

I'm not sure what it is, the winxp cd auto loads in a laptop fine, could the cd be scratched tho? I have cleaned it and tried it again but this doesn't work...


any tips/advice would be much appreciated

CHeeers!

n

Right,

Comments

  • McBainMcBain San Clemente, CA New
    edited April 2004
    First off, Welcome.



    Second....from my experience with missing NTLDR, there are two options. I've had them right off the bat with a reformat. Essentially, there are 2 ways to fix it, reformat and reinstall windows on the drive in question. Or run the fixboot command from the windows recovery console located on the WIndows XP setup cd.

    //edit// I didn't read your whole post.

    Make sure your hit a key to boot from a CD, some bios's make you do this.
  • kjab3068kjab3068
    edited April 2004
    hello,

    it's a completely new setup, I am trying to boot the winxp cd then install it onto the new hard drive, unfortunately it's not even letting me into the setup process, and doesn't even give me an option to press a key to boot from the cd...

    any more possibilities?

    cheers

    neil
  • ginipigginipig OH, NOES
    edited April 2004
    Is it an Authentic Windows Installation cd, or a backup?
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited April 2004
    You will most likely have to reinstall because of the motherboard change. Too many different things with a new motherboard.

    Welcome to Short-Media.:)
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited April 2004
    kjab3068 wrote:
    Hello everyone, first post here so be nice to me ;P

    .
    .
    .

    I'm not sure what it is, the winxp cd auto loads in a laptop fine, could the cd be scratched tho? I have cleaned it and tried it again but this doesn't work...


    any tips/advice would be much appreciated

    CHeeers!

    n

    Right,

    Yes, a scratched CD can do this. JUST EXACTLY THIS. Unfortunately-- also, thumbprints will do this... big time. Especially if greasy fingerprints from peanuts or chips. Running water, hold CD under, wipe real gently from center out to edge of CD, rotate CD, repeat, until you have covered all of CD with a towel used very gently. Now take a dry towel and BLOT the CD dry -- BOTH sides. NOW retry.

    BTW, the CD that came with a Laptop is unlikely to load in a desktop. Not meant to. It often recovers XP from the laptop HD in large part. I am saying this "just in case," not accusing of anything wrong. But has happened before....

    John D.
  • FlintstoneFlintstone SE Florida
    edited April 2004
    Unplug the old harddrive from the system, just leave the new hd connected as master on first connector of ide cable. Go into the bios and set the cdrom as the ONLY boot device. Put in the XP cd in cd-rom and re-start the system. It should find the cd, ask you to boot from it, and you should be good to go. After XP is loaded, you can reconnect the old hdd's and format them, pull data from them or whatever. If you want to load XP on the old hdd, then still remove other hdd from system, jumper old hdd as master on first connector of cable, set bios as above and it should be good to go. Of course if you already have a Windows install on that old hdd, it will ask you what you want to do with the old install and I would reccomend to format the whole drive, set up new partitions and install to a new partition, but that is up to you.

    Good Luck,

    Flint :cool2:
  • EddieEddie
    edited May 2006
    kjab3068 wrote:
    Hello everyone, first post here so be nice to me ;P

    I've just made a new build using some old and new parts, it is

    Epox 8RDA+ (from old comp 1)
    Athlon XP1700 (from old comp 1)

    2 x 256Mb Crucial (can't remember what speed - DDR266 maybe?)
    Seagate Barracuda 80GB
    both from old comp 2

    and bought new
    Radeon 9800 Pro
    Maxtor 160Gb ATA

    right, it's all set up but the winxp cd wont boot, it just says;

    Boot from CD : CDBOOT : Couldn't find NTLDR

    I'm not sure what it is, the winxp cd auto loads in a laptop fine, could the cd be scratched tho? I have cleaned it and tried it again but this doesn't work...


    any tips/advice would be much appreciated

    CHeeers!

    n

    Right,

    I had the same problem on my computer. It was a power supply problem.
  • EddieEddie
    edited May 2006
    kjab3068 wrote:
    hello,

    it's a completely new setup, I am trying to boot the winxp cd then install it onto the new hard drive, unfortunately it's not even letting me into the setup process, and doesn't even give me an option to press a key to boot from the cd...

    any more possibilities?

    cheers

    neil


    I had the same problem on my computer. It turned out to be a power supply problem
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