Ntldr is missing

[newtocomputers]

I have a hdd that i want to put windows 7 ultimate on it but i get the message that ntldr is missing. I have a fdisk for windows 98 but it will notwork on windows xp.i don't have a windows 98 operating system.i have a windows xp 0perating system can i run fdisk from my windows xp install disk so i can put windows 7 on it?

 

[taltamir]

when and where are you getting this message? it sounds like you haven't installed windows yet, are you saying you get this message when trying to start the installation? did you tell bios to boot from CD first?

ntldr = NT (file system) loader. it is the thing that loads up windows. Windows puts it on your boot drive and make it point to your OS partition. (which can be on the same drive, or a different drive... to avoid confusing it, unplug any drive except the one you install windows to until you are done installing)

 

[jvroig]

@OP, sorry, your problem isn't quite clear to me. Do you mean that your current harddisk, which has windows xp, can't boot to winxp and just says "ntldr is missing"? So your problem is that you can't recover your files first before wiping the disk with Win7 and installing the new OS? Or are you planning to just upgrade XP to Win7 (if that's even possible)

 

[Cr0nJ0b]

You didn't really give enough information for an informed answer...but that's never stopped me...

If the disk is new or you plan to use the whole disk for W7, then you should just set it up as the second boot device in the system. Boot from the W7 Install disk and when it asks you which drive to use, pick that one. At that time you can delete existing partition (DATA WILL BE LOST!) and build new ones. format and go. Once that's done, you should have W7 running on that disk.

NTLDR error is because there is no OS on the drive yet, but there is likely a remnant of something in the MBR of that drive.

If you want to fdisk the drive and clean it up, I suggest getting a linux live cd like ubuntu or knoppix and booting from that. they have pretty easy to use partitioners like gparted that can wipe and setup your disk...just like fdisk.

 

[newtocomputers]

sorry i didn't fraze it right but i cleaned my windows 7 disk with soft scrub and it must have been a dirty disk.thks.