Error message on boot: NTLDR is missing. Set to

First I have to assume that you are running Windows XP. This solution should work for other versions of Windows.
The "NTLDR is missing" error displays very shortly after the computer is first started, immediately after the Power On Self Test (POST) is complete. Windows XP has only initially begun to load when the NTLDR error message appears.
Causes of NTLDR Errors
There are a number of possible causes for NTLDR errors, including the most common "NTLDR is missing" error message.
The most common reason for this error is when your PC is trying to boot from a hard drive or flash drive that is not properly configured to be booted from; in other words, it's trying to boot from a non-bootable source. This also would apply to media on an optical drive or floppy drive that you're trying to boot from.
Other possible causes include corrupt and misconfigured files, hard drive and operating system upgrade issues, corrupt hard drive sectors, an outdated BIOS, and damaged or loose IDE cables.
How to Fix NTLDR Errors
1.Restart the PC. The NTLDR error could be a fluke.

2.Check your floppy and optical (CD/DVD/BD) drives for media and disconnect any external drives. Often times, the "NTLDR is Missing" error will appear if your PC is trying to boot to a non-bootable floppy disk, CD/DVD/BD, or external hard drive or flash drive.
Note: If you find that this is the cause of your problem and it's happening a lot, you might want to consider changing the boot order in BIOS so the hard drive with Windows installed is listed first.

3.Check the hard drive and other drive settings in BIOS and ensure they are correct. The BIOS configuration tells the computer how to use a drive so incorrect settings can cause problems, including NTLDR errors.
Note: There is usually an Auto setting for hard drive and optical drive configurations in BIOS which is usually a safe bet if you're not sure what to do.

4. Restore the NTLDR and ntdetect.com files from the Windows XP CD. Restoring these two important system files from the original Windows XP CD may do the trick.

5. Repair or replace the boot.ini file. This will prevent the NTLDR error if the cause of the problem is a boot.ini file that is not configured properly for your Windows XP installation.

6. Write a new partition boot sector to the Windows XP system partition. If the partition boot sector has become corrupt or isn't properly configured, you may receive the "NTLDR is Missing" error.

7. Repair the Windows XP master boot record. NTLDR error messages may also appear if the master boot record is corrupt.

8. Reseat all internal data and power cables. NTLDR error messages could be caused by loose or malfunctioning IDE cables.
Try replacing the IDE cable cable if you suspect it might be faulty.

9. Update your motherboard's BIOS. Occasionally, an outdated BIOS version can cause the "NTLDR is Missing" error.

10. Perform a repair installation of Windows XP. This type of installation should replace any missing or corrupt files. Continue troubleshooting if this does not resolve the issue.

11. Perform a clean installation of Windows XP. This type of installation will completely remove Windows XP from your PC and install it again from scratch. While this will almost certainly resolve any NTLDR errors, it is a time consuming process due to the fact that all of your data must be backed up and then later restored.
If you can't gain access to your files to back them up, understand that you will lose them all if you continue with a clean installation of Windows XP.

12. Replace the hard drive and then perform a new installation of Windows XP. If all else has failed, including the clean installation from the last step, you're most likely facing a hardware issue with your hard drive.
NTLDR Errors Apply To
This issue applies to the Windows XP operating system, including Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition.
Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista utilize BOOTMGR, not NTLDR.
Still Having NTLDR Issues?
See Get More Help for information about contacting me on social networks or via email, posting on tech support forums, and more. Be sure to let me know what steps, if any, you've already taken to fix the "NTLDR is missing" issue.

How to Fix NTLDR Errors

1. Restart the PC. The NTLDR error could be a fluke.
2. Check your floppy and optical (CD/DVD/BD) drives for media and disconnect any external drives. Often times, the "NTLDR is Missing" error will appear if your PC is trying to boot to a non-bootable floppy disk, CD/DVD/BD, or external hard drive or flash drive.
   
   Note: If you find that this is the cause of your problem and it's happening a lot, you might want to consider changing the boot order in BIOS so the hard drive with Windows installed is listed first.
3. Check the hard drive and other drive settings in BIOS and ensure they are correct. The BIOS configuration tells the computer how to use a drive so incorrect settings can cause problems, including NTLDR errors.
   
   Note: There is usually an Auto setting for hard drive and optical drive configurations in BIOS which is usually a safe bet if you're not sure what to do.
4. Restore the NTLDR and ntdetect.com files from the Windows XP CD. Restoring these two important system files from the original Windows XP CD may do the trick.
5. Repair or replace the boot.ini file. This will prevent the NTLDR error if the cause of the problem is a boot.ini file that is not configured properly for your Windows XP installation.
6. Write a new partition boot sector to the Windows XP system partition. If the partition boot sector has become corrupt or isn't properly configured, you may receive the "NTLDR is Missing" error.
7. Repair the Windows XP master boot record. NTLDR error messages may also appear if the master boot record is corrupt.
8. Reseat all internal data and power cables. NTLDR error messages could be caused by loose or malfunctioning IDE cables.
   
   Try replacing the IDE cable cable if you suspect it might be faulty.
9. Update your motherboard's BIOS. Occasionally, an outdated BIOS version can cause the "NTLDR is Missing" error.
10. Perform a repair installation of Windows XP. This type of installation should replace any missing or corrupt files. Continue troubleshooting if this does not resolve the issue.
11. Perform a clean installation of Windows XP. This type of installation will completely remove Windows XP from your PC and install it again from scratch. While this will almost certainly resolve any NTLDR errors, it is a time consuming process due to the fact that all of your data must be backed up and then later restored.
    
    If you can't gain access to your files to back them up, understand that you will

USB cd-rom's are pretty inexpensive. Here's a page of examples:

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-External-CD-Drives/zgbs/electronics/1292121011

Or you could put a Hirens boot disk on a USB thumb drive and run it. There are articles how to repair that error message. Do a Google search for "NTLDR Missing".

Fixes for NTLDR Errors

1. Restart the PC. The NTLDR error could be a fluke.
   
   
2. Check your floppy and optical (CD/DVD/BD) drives for media and disconnect any external drives. Often times, the "NTLDR is Missing" error will appear if your PC is trying to boot to a non-bootable floppy disk, CD/DVD/BD, or external hard drive or flash drive.
   
   Note: If you find that this is the cause of your problem and it's happening a lot, you might want to consider changing the boot order in BIOS so the hard drive with Windows installed is listed first.
   
   
3. Check the hard drive and other drive settings in BIOS and ensure they are correct. The BIOS configuration tells the computer how to use a drive so incorrect settings can cause problems, including NTLDR errors.
   
   Note: There is usually an Auto setting for hard drive and optical drive configurations in BIOS which is usually a safe bet if you're not sure what to do.
   
   
4. Restore the NTLDR and ntdetect.com files from the Windows XP CD. Restoring these two important system files from the original Windows XP CD may do the trick.
   
   
5. Repair or replace the boot.ini file. This will prevent the NTLDR error if the cause of the problem is a boot.ini file that is not configured properly for your Windows XP installation.
   
   
6. Write a new partition boot sector to the Windows XP system partition. If the partition boot sector has become corrupt or isn't properly configured, you may receive the "NTLDR is Missing" error.
   
   
7. Repair the Windows XP master boot record. NTLDR error messages may also appear if the master boot record is corrupt.
   
   
8. Reseat all internal data and power cables. NTLDR error messages could be caused by loose or malfunctioning IDE cables.
   
   Try replacing the IDE cable cable if you suspect it might be faulty.
   
   
9. Update your motherboard's BIOS. Occasionally, an outdated BIOS version can cause the "NTLDR is Missing" error.
   
   
10. Perform a repair installation of Windows XP. This type of installation should replace any missing or corrupt files. Continue troubleshooting if this does not resolve the issue.
    
    
11. Perform a clean installation of Windows XP. This type of installation will completely remove Windows XP from your PC and install it again from scratch. While this will almost certainly resolve any NTLDR errors, it is a time consuming process due to the fact that all of your data must be backed up and then later restored.
    
    If you can't gain access to your files to back them up, understand that you will lose them all if you continue with a clean installation of Windows XP.
    
    
12. Replace the hard drive and then perform a new installation of Windows XP. If all else has failed, including the clean installation from the last step, you're most likely facing a hardware issue with your hard drive.

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 usingFAT32.
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.

How To: Fix "NTLDR is missing"

Applies to: Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP

Symptoms

When you start your computer, you receive the error message "NTLDR is missing. Press any key to restart."

Cause

The error message "NTLDR is missing" means that the Windows boot loader (NT Loader, NTLDR) cannot be found. This oftenoccurs when the computer tries to boot from a drive other than the one Windows is installed on, due to a change in the driveconfiguration or because you left a bootable disk in a removable drive. But it may also be because the NTLDR file has beencorrupted or deleted.

SolutionCheck the boot drives

First, check the boot drives to make sure that the computer is not trying to boot from a different drive to the one thatcontains Windows.

• Check that there are no CDs or DVDs in the CD/DVD drives.
• Check that no removable drives are plugged in to the USB ports.
• Check the boot order in the BIOS Setup to ensure that the computer boots from the drive containing Windows before any other bootable devices.

If this does not resolve the problem, you will have to repair the NT boot loader.

Fix NTLDR

The easiest way to fix the "NTLDR is missing" error is to use Spotmau PowerSuite.However, if your computer is using Windows XP and you have a Windows XP installation CD you may be able to boot from this anduse the Recovery Console to fix NTLDR manually instead.

Use Spotmau PowerSuiteInsert the Spotmau PowerSuite CD and start the computer. The main menu will appear.

• Click 2. Windows Recovery.

• When the Windows Recovery tool starts, click Windows NT/2000/XP/2003.

• On the Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 Recovery dialog, click Recover NTLDR and NTDETECT.

• On the Recover NTLDR and NTDETECT dialog, select your operating system (e.g. Windows XP) and then click Recover.

The tool will repair the file and report "NTLDR and NTDETECT have been recovered successfully."

• Remove the Spotmau PowerTools CD from the drive and click Restart to reboot the computer.

Here link of the program Spotmau PowerSuite 2010 + Serial Download
Here link of the program Spotmau PowerSuite 2010 v5.1.1.4846 Download

Please Rate Me

If you get the "NTLDR is Missing" error, follow these instructions:

1. Load Windows XP CD into CD drive.
2. Make sure BIOS is set to boot to CD drive.
3. Boot the computer from CD.
4. At menu, press "R" to load Recovery Console.
5. Select the installation to be fixed.
*The following instructions assume CD-ROM is labeled as drive D and the hard drive partition the windows installation is on is labeled as drive C. Replace the letters accordingly.
6. Type "COPY D:\i386\ntldr C:\" and press ENTER.
7. Type "COPY D:\i386\ntdetect.com C:\" and press ENTER.
8. Remove CD and type "EXIT" and press ENTER (to reboot your computer).

If you are attempting to install Windows XP 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.
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.

Fixes for NTLDR Errors

1. Restart the PC. The NTLDR error could be a fluke.
   
   
2. Check your floppy and optical (CD/DVD) drives for media. Often times, the "NTLDR is Missing" error will appear if your PC is trying to boot to a non-bootable floppy disk or CD/DVD.
   
   Note: If you find that this is the cause of your problem and it's happening a lot, you might want to consider changing the boot order in BIOS so the hard drive is listed first.
   
   
3. Check the hard drive and other drive settings in BIOS and ensure they are correct. The BIOS configuration tells the computer how to use a drive so incorrect settings can cause problems, including NTLDR errors. There is usually an Auto setting for hard drive and optical drive configurations in BIOS which is usually a safe bet if you're not sure what to do.
   
   
4. Restore the NTLDR and ntdetect.com files from the Windows XP CD. Restoring these two important system files from the original Windows XP CD may do the trick.
   
   
5. Repair or replace the boot.ini file. This will prevent the NTLDR error if the cause of the problem is a boot.ini file that is not configured properly for your Windows XP installation.
   
   
6. Write a new partition boot sector to the Windows XP system partition. If the partition boot sector has become corrupt or isn't properly configured, you may receive the "NTLDR is Missing" error.
   
   
7. Repair the Windows XP master boot record. NTLDR error messages may also appear if the master boot record is corrupt.
   
   
8. Open your computer's case and ensure that the cable that connects the hard drive to the motherboard is firmly in place. If this does not resolve the issue, try replacing the cable. NTLDR error messages could be caused by loose or malfunctioning IDE cables.
   
   
9. Update your motherboard's BIOS. Occasionally, an outdated BIOS version can cause the "NTLDR is Missing" error.
   
   
10. Perform a repair installation of Windows XP. This type of installation should replace any missing or corrupt files. Continue troubleshooting if this does not resolve the issue.
    
    
11. Perform a clean installation of Windows XP. This type of installation will completely remove Windows XP from your PC and install it again from scratch. While this will almost certainly resolve any NTLDR errors, it is a time consuming process due to the fact that all of your data must be backed up and then later restored.
    
    If you can't gain access to your files to back them up, understand that you will lose them all if you continue with a clean installation of Windows XP.
    
    
12. Finally, if all else has failed, including the clean installation from the last step, you're most likely facing a hardware issue with your hard drive. Replace the hard drive and then perform a new installation of Windows XP.