Vist our Ebay Store grab a bargin mention RUA-Simpleuser for 10% off your purchase

Issue

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

Causes

1. Computer is booting from a non-bootable source.
2. Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS.
3. Corrupt NTLDR and 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.
10. Failing to enable USB keyboard support in the BIOS.

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 or CD is in the computer, unless you are attempting to boot from a diskette.

Note: 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 card reader or flash reader make sure that no memory stick is inside the computer. Additionally disconnect all USB drives, cameras, ipods, iphones, etc. from the computer.

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 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.

• Verifying the CD-ROM cables are correctly connected.

Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS

Verify that your computer hard disk drive is properly setup in the CMOS setup. Improper settings can cause this error.

Corrupt NTLDR 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.

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, which in this case is “e.” This letter may be different on your computer.copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\
   copy e:\i386\ntdetect.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.

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 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 or master boot record. These can be repaired through the Microsoft Windows Recovery console by running the fixboot and fixmbr commands.

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.

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 or a new cable.

Many companies are making the leap to wireless networks in the office for both financial savings in overall equipment and sheer convenience for their employees. They also often provide mobile PCs with wireless capabilities to their employees so that they can be productive anytime anywhere, hence enhancing the company’s bottom-line. In this article, I will explain what WiFi is and how it works. I will also discuss what you need to start working wirelessly as well as what you can expect to gain from doing so. Finally, I’ll discuss the precautions you should take when working on the go. What is WiFi? Learn the lingo Wireless, or WiFi, technology is another way of connecting your computer to the network using radio frequency and no network cables. Wireless works similarly to cordless phones; they transmit data from one point to another through radio signals. But wireless technology also requires that you be within the wireless network range area to be able to connect your computer. There are three different types of wireless networks: Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN): WLAN are wireless networks that use radio waves.

The backbone network usually uses cables, with one or more wireless access points connecting the wireless users to the wired network. The range of a WLAN can be anywhere from a single room to an entire campus. Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN): WPANs are short-range networks that use Bluetooth technology. They are commonly used to interconnect compatible devices near a central location, such as a desk. A WPAN has a typical range of about 30 feet. Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWAN): WWANs are created through the use of mobile phone signals typically provided and maintained by specific mobile phone (cellular) service providers. WWANs can provide a way to stay connected even when away from other forms of network access. Also, be aware that additional charges are often associated with the usage of WWANs in some locations.

The only thing you really need to go wireless (in addition to a mobile PC) is a wireless PC Card. Depending on the age of your mobile PC, the card is either built-in or needs to be inserted in the PC Card slot and includes an antenna. In addition, you can also use wireless keyboards and mice, which can provide more freedom and flexibility when you’re working in your office.

It’s always good to research the available hotspots in the area you’re planning on visiting (whether a neighborhood in your city you’re not familiar with or a city on the other coast). You can use Bing to find hotspots when you travel.

As you head out in this brave new world of wirelessly connectivity, you can connect to a wireless network (whether at home, at work, or on the go).

Connect to a wireless network

Windows 7

Windows Vista

Windows XP

If you need to print a document, let’s say a Microsoft Word document, there’s no need to launch Word first. Browse your hard drive for the file that you want to print, right-click its icon, and then click Print. This will automatically send the document to your printer without launching Word.

Windows 7 Print command on the shortcut menu

Windows Vista Print command on the shortcut menu

An example of the Windows XP Print command on the shortcut men

You know what would make a great taskbar? One where you could pin your favorite applications or files so that you could open them quickly from any window at any time. Guess what? You can.

In Windows 7, you can also pin shortcuts for favorite or frequently used files, folders, and websites to the Jump Lists for each of those programs to the taskbar. Learn more about Jump Lists.

Pin a program to the taskbar

To pin a program shortcut to the taskbar, do one of the following:

If the program is already running, right-click the program’s button on the taskbar (or drag the button toward the desktop) to open the program’s Jump List, and then click Pin this program to taskbar.

Or if the program isn’t running, click Start, find the program’s icon, right-click the icon, and then click Pin to Taskbar.

You can also pin a program by dragging the program’s shortcut from the desktop or Start menu to the taskbar.

Another year has past us all by in a blink of an eye now 2012 I haven’t been writing much lately due to being busy with a new venture that I have been setting up in ebay, with the IT industry being slow at the moment I’ve had to move with the times I guess and open a online ebay shop as My online shop isn’t doing anything so by moving it to ebay, I get more traffic through it.

I guess only time will tell if I get any where, the good news is that I may has more time to get this blog up and running again with more tips and tricks.

I have one request though please visit the following

 

Thank you very much also if you buy something from the site mention RUA-Simpleuser.com and you will receive a further 10% Off your purchase

Restoring Old Windows Operating System Post Windows Vista Installation
If certain conditions are met, you can remove the Windows Vista installation and manually restore your previous operating system. To do this, you basically need to open Command Prompt and then rename and replace Windows Vista folders with your old operating system folders.

Steps to Restore Previous Operating System After Windows Vista Installation

Step #1: Ensure that the Windows.Old folder exists and there is enough space on the hard disk.

Open Start menu and select Computer.
Open the View menu, select Details, and then in the Free Space column view the Hard Disk Drives area to note down the amount of storage space available on the disk.
Next, expand the C drive and ensure that the Windows.OLD folder exists on it-remember that if this folder is not there, you will not be able to restore your previous Windows operating system.
Right-click on the Windows.Old folder and determine its size.

To be able to restore the old operating system, the Windows.OLD folder must be smaller that the free space available on the disk. If the size of this folder is twice the size of available free space, it might not be possible to restore the old Windows operating system.

Step #2: Run the Windows Recovery Environment

Restart your PC with Windows Vista disc in the DVD drive.
Press a key when prompted to boot from the disc.
When the Install Windows window is displayed, select language, time, currency, and keyboard input/output method, and then select Next.
Select Repair your computer to open the System Recovery Options window, and then select Command Prompt to display the Command Prompt window.

Step #3: Rename folders belonging to the Windows Vista Operating System

To rename Windows Vista folders, type each of the commands given below and press Enter.

C:\> c:
C:\> ren Windows Windows.Vista.bak
C:\> ren “Program Files” “Program Files.Vista.bak”
C:\> ren “Users” “Users.Vista.bak ”
C:\> ren “Documents and Settings” “Documents and Settings.Vista.bak”

Note: If while renaming the folders, you receive the error displayed below, proceed with the next step.

The system cannot find the file specified.

Step #4: Copy or move the data contained in the Windows.OLD folder

Type the commands given below at command prompt and press Enter.

C:\> move /y c:\windows.old\windows c:\
C:\> move /y “c:\windows.old\program files” c:\

If your old Windows operating system was Windows Server 2003, Windows XP or Windows 2000, then at command prompt, type the command given below and press Enter.

C:\> move /y “c:\windows.old\documents and settings” c:\

If the previous operating system on your computer was another version of Windows Vista, then at command prompt, type the command given below and press Enter.

C:\> move /y c:\windows.old\users c:\

Step #5: Restore the boot sector for the previous Windows operating system

On Windows Server 2003, Windows XP or Windows 2000, type the following at command prompt and press Enter.

C:\> E:\boot\bootsect /nt52 c:

If the previous installation was some other version of Windows Vista, then at command prompt, type the following and press Enter.

C:\> E:\boot\bootsect /nt60 c:

Note: Here, E drive refers to your DVD drive. Replace the drive letter if the DVD drive of your computer is denoted by some other drive letter.

Step #6: Restore the Boot.ini file of the previous Windows on the PC was Windows XP or Windows 2000

At the command prompt, type the commands given below to restore the old Boot.ini file, and then exit Command Prompt and restart your system. After typing each command press Enter.

C:\> c:
C:\> attrib boot.ini.saved -s -h -r
C:\> ren”boot.ini.saved”"boot.ini”
C:\> attrib boot.ini +s +h +r
C:\> exit

Finally, select Restart. Your PC will now boot with your earlier Windows Installation.

Fixing Corrupted User Profiles
User profiles are used to save user preferences and user-specific configuration information on your Windows XP computer. If your old profile becomes corrupt due to certain problems on your PC, then you can fix the problem by creating a new profile and copying all the user data in the old file to the new file.

Create a New User Profile

To create a new user profile on Windows XP Home Edition, perform the following steps:

Log on to the PC with a user that has administrative rights to the system.
Open Start menu and select Control Panel.
In the Control Panel window, select the User Accounts link.
In the Pick a task section, select the Create a new account link.
Type the name of the user and select the Next button.
Depending on the type of rights you want to assign to this new user, select an account type and then select the Create Account button.

To create a new user profile on Windows XP Professional Edition, perform the following steps:

Log on to the PC with a user that has administrative rights to the system.
Open Control Panel and select the User Accounts link.
Open the Advanced tab and then select Advanced.
In the left pane, expand the Users folder, open the Action menu and then select New User.
Enter the name of the new user and select Create.

Steps to Copy User Date from Old Profile to New Profile

To copy user data from the old profile to the new profile, you need to perform the following steps:

Log on the system with a user account that is different from the user accounts from and to which you are going to copy.
Open the Windows Explorer window.
Open Tools menu, select the Folder Options command, and open the View tab.
On the View tab, select the Show hidden files and folders checkbox and clear the Hide protected operating system files check box and then select the OK button.
In the Windows Explorer window locate the folder for the old profile.

Note: If you have installed Windows in the C drive, then this folder would be C:\Documents and Settings\Old_User_Name folder.

Open this folder, select the Ntuser.dat, Ntuser.dat.log, and Ntuser.ini files by pressing the Ctrl key, right-click, and select Copy.
Now, open the folder for the new profile, say C:\Documents and Settings\New_User_Name, right-click in the right pane and select Paste.
Finally Log off and log on as the new user.

Note: This procedure does not copy user data files, emails, and address book to the new profile and this had to be done manually. Therefore, before you delete the old profile remember to copy all important information included within it to the folder of the new profile.

In the 1990s Microsoft introduced the concept of Object Linking and Embedding, or OLE, to provide interaction among various programs that need to share data. OLE provides various functions, like the ability to drag and drop data between two applications. It also allows users to embed components from one file inside another, thus producing compound documents.

In this architecture, which is part of the Component Object Model or COM, OLE Control Extensions (OCX files) are used to provide control features such as handling scroll bar movement and window resizing. OCX is the second generation of this control architecture, with VBX (Visual Basic Extensions) being the first. This said, the OCX model has been superseded by ActiveX, though backward compatibility is maintained in order to support the previous architecture and applications developed under it.

OCX files frequently are nothing more than Dynamic Link Library files (DLLs) with the special .ocx extension. They contain the custom controls available to a given application. The advantage of this architecture is the same as that provided by the DLL model – it allows developers to create shareable code that can be imported into multiple applications

Users of Microsoft Windows may find many instances of files with the .ocx extension scattered around their PCs. In general, these files are benign and should not be deleted since doing so may render the application to which they’re linked inoperable. Obviously it’s possible for a malware application to make use of the .ocx extension, and scenarios may exist in which a legitimate OCX file has been hijacked by malware in order to infiltrate a user’s machine.

As always, you should obtain and run a reliable malware/virus scanner with a current set of definition files if you suspect your machine has been infected or compromised in any way.

Invalid Boot.ini Error
You may encounter invalid Boot.ini error if the Boot.ini file on your Windows XP system is missing, damaged, or contains invalid entries. This file contains the configuration options for the boot menu.

Boot.ini problems usually occur when you upgrade to Windows XP from an older operating system. When the error occurs, the following error message may be displayed on the screen.

Invalid Boot.ini
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

Windows\System32\Hal.dll

In order to resolve this error, you will have to rebuild the Boot.ini file from the Recovery Console.

Let’s now go through the steps to open the Recovery Console and rebuild the Boot.ini file.

1. Insert your Windows XP installation CD-ROM in the CD or DVD drive and restart your PC.
2. On the “Welcome to Setup” screen, press the R key to open Recovery Console.
3. On a dual-boot or multiple-boot PC, select the installation you want to access from the Recovery Console.
4. When prompted, log on using a user account that has administrative rights to the system and press Enter.
5. To view the entries in your Boot.ini file, type bootcfg /list at command prompt and press Enter.
6. Next, type bootcfg /rebuild at command prompt at press Enter.

This command searches the hard disks for Windows NT, 2000 or XP installations, and displays the result on the screen. Now, follow the screen instructions to rebuild the Boot.ini file.

Given below is an example of screen instructions and messages that you may receive and how you need to respond to these instructions.

Note: The following steps are indicative and the messages that you may receive may be different depending on the configuration of your PC.

1. When a message similar to the one listed below is prompted, after the bootcfg /rebuild finishes scanning your hard disks, press Y to select the Yes option.

Total Identified Windows Installs: 1

[1] C:\Windows
Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All)

2. Next, you are prompted to enter the Load Identifier.

This is the name of your operating system, depending on the version of your Windows XP operating system, specify Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and press Enter.

3. Next, you will be prompted to specify OS load options. Here, type /fastdetect and press Enter.

Your Boot.ini file is now rebuilt.

4. Type Exit and press Enter to quit Recovery Console and reboot your PC.
5. When the PC restarts with updated boot list, the “Please select the operating system to start” message is displayed, make your choice continue with the system startup.

Copyright © 2008 WindowsHelp.net All rights reser