Laptop HD upgrade, NTLDR is Missing!!
Stephen
The existing 30GB HD gave me a scare the other day when the machine
started and wanted to scan the drive for errors. It had previously
shutdown normally. The scan showed 32K of bad sectors, so I thought it
time to replace it. The original drive was a Hitachi Travelstar, but I
could get an identical new one, so I got a Hitachi Travelstar 60GB
drive instead.
A sector-by-sector copy was taken using Ghost 8.5, and this was put
onto the new drive. When mounted in a USB casing the new drive
functions fine, and all the files in the new drive are accessible.
However the laptop will not boot from it.
I have tried running the Windows Console, and repairing the W2K
installation, I have tried copying NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files from
the original drive. I have checked the BOOT.INI file, and can't spot
anything untoward there.
I have found various techniques on the net, that require the use of a
laptop drive which I don't have. So those techniques are not available
to me. As far as I can tell the Ghost copying process has copied the
NTLDR and NDETECT.COM files and yet it still says the file is missing.
I can only assume at this stage that the MBR and/or the BOOT.INI file
are pointing to the wrong place, but I am unsure how to verify whether
or not this is the case and how to correct them is they are wrong.
I have access to:
USB drive case, for 2.5" ATA drives.
The laptop, which has a DVD-ROM drive, but no floppy drive.
A PC, also with a DVD+/-RW drive, but no floppy drive.
What am I likely doing wrong?
How can I more fully diagnose what is actually happening?
Cheers
Michael C.
It sounds like you have the old drive still installed internally, and
are trying to boot from USB. If this is the case then windows, seeing
two "C:" drives will re-letter one of them, this may happen if you
booted windows with both drives installed any time after you imaged
the drive.
What I would do is redo the sector-by-sector copy, replace the
internal disk with the usb disk and reboot, at which time you may or
may not need fixboot and/or fixmbr from the recovery console. DO NOT
boot windows with both drives installed.
This assumes you are still able to boot and the disk is not completely
fubar.
For diagnostic/repair purposes you could try a minimal installation in
unpartitioned space, which should allow you to see what drive letters
are being used and possibly correct them (you can't change the drive
letter of the boot or system drive.)
Searching the MS Knowledge Base may be helpful as well.
HTH,
Michael C.
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