NTLDR is missing (You have got to be kidding me)

WHY is this w3v giving me SO MANY PROBLEMS??


I am now back on my peice of crap gateway computer which has been more reliable than this w3v!!!


Anyway, I did nothing. I was on my w3v making a website, nothing out of the normal. I go away to eat, i come back and i guess the computer has gone into hibernation mode.

I tap the power button to turn it back on and i get:

"NTLDR is missing
Press any key to restart"

I press a key.. the message is a cycle.

So, I turn on my old laptop.

I find this via google:

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


I have no clue what is wrong with my computer, i didnt install anything , etc.

It does have xp and im wondering if i do what they say with the windows xp CD is it going to erace my files on my computer?


What is wrong with my machine, it keeps giving me problems. I planned on using this thing for webdesign/composing music. in other words, very important files.

I dont know if i can trust this thing.

Don't get me wrong, when its working it's a great machine. But the problems... geeze.

 

Update- I just turned off the w3v. Unplugged it for a few seconds, plugged it back in, and turned it on.

It started windows just fine.


That was weird.

Any idea what happened??? Any one else experience this?

I'm still kind of iffy about using this. I have all of this internal HD space and now im going to have to go spend more money on an external HD because i dont know if the computer is just going to crash on me or something.

Blah

 

This looks like Windows having one of its migraines. Don't blame the W3. Fortunately, it recovered but has highlighted to you the risk of having all your data sitting behind a fragile front end. I can offer several suggestions about how to improve the safety of your data.

1. Keep your data files on a separate partition from Windows. Most Asus notebooks come with two partitions by default but you may want to shrink C: and increase D:. The Asus recovery software has the options the replace only C: or both C: and D:. So, provided that you have put all your user files on D:, you can use the recovery software. However, despite the best intentions of the user, some software will put user files on C:.

2. Therefore, my next recommendation is to buy an external USB 2.5" HDD. Take out the HDD and put it into the W3 and use the recovery CDs to build two partitions and install Windows(and apply all the subsequent updates and patches). Then put the external HDD back into its carrier and replace your main HDD. (Alternatively, use software such as Acronis MigrateEasy to clone your present HDD).

Then use the external HDD to store copies of your files. However, the real safety net is if/when Windows falls over, you can swap the two HDDs and get yourself running within a few minutes. If a file is corrupted you can copy it over or, if you have to reinstall Windows, you have the opportunity to copy everything you want onto the second HDD.

This approach doesn't provide security between the HDD dying but the MTTF (mean time to failure) of HDDs is typically 100,000 hours. I haven't seen the MTTF for Windows, but we all know that it is much shorter!

John

 

Thanks

I dont really know what im doing so i guess #1 sounds easiest.


i think it was you who told me to do that earlier

the thing is i tried. but all ofthat "my music" "my documents" etc stuff is on C


Sooo I copied it and pasted it into the D drive

and it still said "my music" etc

BUT the file view was way different.

in C when i clicked "my pictures" for instance..it displays a folder and on the folder is a preview of the pictures which is way cool

when i copied the files into D all it had was the folders with no preview. so i ended up deleted it and just leaving it in C

however when this happened to my computer i was wishing i just left it in D.


Maybe I am tired so im not understanding option 2 so i'll have to re-read it tomorrow.

 

Oh nevermind I just re read your reply and i think iunderstand

you are just saying basically that with the external hard drive i can copy the files from my lappy to that so if the need ever be, i can swap my internal with the external and be A-OK (because the external would have been mimicing the internal all along)


I dont know though..I'll have to look at the prices of those. It kind of sounds like a waste of money but in the long run if something ever happened it would be good

but i kind of think its better to just do that whole D drive thing (because i have 80 gig internal hard drive space and id rather just make use of that instead of having to buy another for external..)

eventually i -do- want a smaller external HDD for very very important files.



But about my previous post the whole preview thing with my files..any fix for that?

 

TweakUI in the Microsoft PowerToys collection at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx will allow you to change many Windows defaults including the locations of the special folders. You can move the contents but this utility will change Windows to remember the new locations.

John

 

I saw simliar issue over a period of time on few machines. What I understood is, your HDD is going to die soon. Had exact same problem with my last toshiba. Sometimes it started fine after tha error. Finally it was dead. It is not problem with XP, rather your HDD. Basically sectors in MBR area on your HDD is bad or it has errors.

So, better take backups, and if possible get it replaced under warranty before it dies completely, or wait for it to die.

 

The HDD SMART data can be monitored using Active SMART from http://www.ariolic.com/activesmart/ which will try to forewarn you of pending HDD death. However, this (and other) software are confused by the raw read error rate reporting from Seagate HDDs.

John

 

Yes do make sure you back up ALL your data.

 

geezz..i often face a lot of problems on my desk because of this...
reinstalling windows won't help your problem..

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320397/en-us microsoft aritcle on error

i wound check you hard disk as chinna_n said

if you tell brand disk we can point you to disk little for your brand hard disk