NTLDR error on second hard drive

[Schrovan_Rip]

Hello all!

I recently formated a 40GB IDE hard drive for windows XP, so it could act as my second hard drive. The BIOS let the drive boot and Windows recognized the drive. I transferred files over, etc. and it worked fine with no hitches. Now the second drive was taking up a connector on my motherboard( I have only two IDE connectors), and I wanted to connect my IDE DVD and CD rom drives back onto the motherboard.

I put the second hard disk on a daisy chain with the master disk and connected the chain to the primary IDE connector. I then took the daisy chain of DVD/CD drives and connnected that chain to the second IDE connector. I hit the power button, the BOIS recognizes all the drives, and then I get hit with an "NTLDR is missing press ctrl alt Del to restart"

I immediately went back to the old configuration including using the same cables, originally the second hard drive had its own cable. I got the same message, I tried different cables and different jumper settings( only for the secondary disk) but the only way it goes away is when I remove the IDE connector from the second hard drive.

I have a feeling either the drive is whack or that I am missing something.

 

[jwclark]

Check jumper settings again. Usually if you just put both on cable select it will work fine. If not make sure that your first HDD is set on master(and should be hooked to the end connector) and the second one is set on slave(hooked to the middle connector) and should be plugged into the primary IDE controller.

 

[badge]

NTLDR error means the boot sector is missing or corrupted. Two things youcan:

1. Google NTLDR is missing and find a solution.
2. Use windows CD and do a 'repair' to restore corrupted or missing boot files.

 

[The_OGS]

Ahhh, Schrovan_Rip you're learning things (the hard way) now aren't you? Heheh...
Personally, I would want the 2 HDs to each be master on their own controllers! Then I would slave an optical drive to each HD.
Two HDs, both on the same controller, might as well be only 1 HD from a performance point of view - granted, you will have increased space.
Anyway, only 1 HD can be 'active' as the System Drive - this is the drive containing the Boot files ie. NTLDR, boot.ini etc. This drive must be configured as Primary Master (otherwise known as 'C:\')
The Windows OS may or may not be on that same HD - if on another HD (or another partition) this becomes the Boot Drive (or Boot Partition) containing the system files.
SO: the System partition holds the boot files;
and the Boot partition holds the System files! Got it?
(Don't ask me - ask Bill :^)
Now when you start your rig, once it locates and recognises the System partition 'C:\' the boot.ini file will then point to the location of the Windows files on your Boot partition, using the following format:
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS (this is just an example.)
You can rearrange your HDs or add/remove them, whatever, but you must always point your boot.ini to the location of your Windows OS files!
Repairing with WinXP CD attempts to go at it from a different direction - it can recreate a System partition including NTLDR and boot.ini if required, and update the statement describing Boot partition location if you have 'moved' it (relocated your OS files).
Hope this helps - it can be a complex topic,
Regards

 

[Schrovan_Rip]

I will try both of your suggestions the_ogs and jwclark. Hopefully nothing goes boom

Badge I don't think my boot sector is missing or corrupted, because wouldn't be impossible to boot up to my OS? Remember I can boot in my OS fine as long as the second drive is not connected to the motherboard. This second drive is a file drive for games and apps. Still you could be right as I am ignorant of the workings of OSes.

 

[badge]

Your boot sector is is corrupted. Use Google.

 

[badge]

I have saved people from wiping out their "company's" hard drive with this fix.

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000465.htm

Windows XP users

Insert the Windows XP bootable CD into the computer.
When prompted to press any key to boot from the CD, press any key.
Once in the Windows XP setup menu press the "R" key to repair Windows.
Log into your Windows installation by pressing the "1" key and pressing enter.
You will then be prompted for your administrator password, enter that password.
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:\i386\ntldr c:\
copy e:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\


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.

 

[Schrovan_Rip]

Yeah, Badge is correct I tried both the_ogs and jwclark suggestions and they didn't work.

Also Badge, I looked at the very web page before I posted here. I started this topic just to make sure that it wasn't some setting or placement that I myself did incorrectly. I wanted to remove human error from the equation.

Thanks for helping me Badge, the_ogs, and jwclark.

Now i just need to find that CD and hopefully I'll be back with success.

 

[badge]

If you run into a problem, you can stick the XP CD in and do a 'repair' from the second repair console and that will repair your Boot file.

 

[The_OGS]

Well, Badge and I are giving you the same advice...
But his is better because it's easier. Manually editing boot.ini files on NTFS volumes can be challenging.
But if you put your OS disk as primary master, and your Storagedisk as secondary master, you should be okay.

I can boot in my OS fine as long as the second drive is not connected to the motherboard. This second drive is a file drive for games and apps.

This could happen if the second drive was 'active' (had been previously made bootable) and was connected to the primary controller.
Also - remember, you may have to setup your HD boot-order from within BIOS when you install a new HD, because in theory the HD on the secondary controller could be listed ahead of the HD on the primary controller...
L8R

 

[Schrovan_Rip]

Partial success! I got a WD 40gig hard drive fat32 drive to format to NTFS so it can act as my second drive, instead of the 40 gig Seagate.

In case your getting confused with all the drives;
Master disk (OS and documents, some apps) 40gigs Seagate -working
Second disk (Original second disk, some game demos) another 40 gig Maxtor.- Giving me the NTLDR error
Second disk (New second disk, Far Cry demo)Western Digital 40gig-Far cry demo works.

I will restart and see if the Second 40 gig Seagate will not give me the NTLDR error.

 

[Schrovan_Rip]

Total success! I got both drives the Maxtor and the WD drive to work, replacing one with the other onto the second IDE channel, with out giving me the NTLDR error!

Now is there a way I can get two slaves with no master on the same IDE channel? I want to see if I can get both drives, the WD and the Maxtor on one channel, with the Master on the primary IDE channel with the CD drive as a slave.

The way my computer is set up right now, is Seagate as master with CD drive as slave on the primary channel; the Maxtor as slave on the second channel with no master disk on the second channel.

 

[The_OGS]

Right - so just run the WD as the master on the secondary controller.
With this setup realized, you will be able to burn best from either the Maxtor or the WD harddisks.
Burning from the Seagate (which shares the controller with the burner) would not be ideal...
The master/slave relationship is determined by the HD jumpers and cabling location is of secondary importance.
Note: WD HDs are a bit different; if jumpered as master (but there is no slave present) the WD will then not be detected.
Only jumper a WD drive as master if it is sharing a controller with a slave - otherwise it should be un-jumpered as a 'single' drive.
Seagate and Maxtor can be jumpered as master if they are single drives though, no problem...
Once you get all 3 HDs up & running, you can move your swapfile from the Boot volume (Seagate) over to the secondary master HD.
This can provide large performance benefit especially if you are low on system memory, ie. only 512MB.
L8R

 

[Schrovan_Rip]

Okay. Thanks for your help guys.