Computer problems

[Generic Eric]

The other pc just went to hell displaying a "ntloader not found" message.

No blue screen of death or anything, just that and a "press control - alt - delete to restart"  message.

Does anyone have any immediate suggestions for recovering the data?  That message just tells me that it can't boot right?  My data should still be coverable shouldn't it?

Thanks

[arcadegamenut]

Maybe one of these can help:

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

[Pi]

Chances are that boot went to hell, but the rest of the data is still there. Install another hard drive, install a new system in that new hard drive (without touching the first) and then check if you see the data in the old drive and can simply copy it. Then it's up to you to see if you still trust the old drive or what.

Before attempting to fix the boot of the old disk, I'd do a complete backup.

If you can't see any data, use a good recovering tool, I'm sure some people here can give you good advice on those.

[SOAPboy]

Chances are that boot went to hell, but the rest of the data is still there. Install another hard drive, install a new system in that new hard drive (without touching the first) and then check if you see the data in the old drive and can simply copy it. Then it's up to you to see if you still trust the old drive or what.

Before attempting to fix the boot of the old disk, I'd do a complete backup.

If you can't see any data, use a good recovering tool, I'm sure some people here can give you good advice on those.

Or pop in the windows disk and use the recovery console.........

[TMS]

Almost def your boot sector is effed. If you can boot from a floppy or bootdisk to dos or the recovery console and try to access your hard disk. If you can see it (c:\ ) then try a chkdsk /f from the console. It may fix may not. If not reload the OS from the recovery or OS disk DO NOT format just reload windows it will tell you that an installation already exists and prompt for a windows or winnt directory. Install it to WINNT1 or WINDOWS1 depending on your OS version. That will leave all your data intacta nd just reload the OS files

[Harry Potter]

And after you've reinstalled/repaired, ghost the boot partition.
It'll save you heaps of time if you need to reinstall.

[Generic Eric]

The auto recovery doesn't seem to be an option...I don't have a recovery disk to begin with and XP asked for a floppy disk; I don't have a floppy drive.  Its an emachine.

Anyway...I took the drive out and put it in this PC.

So I will be able to backup everything I need to.

[SOAPboy]

FixBoot in recovery console......

[DrewKaree]

What .ini file were you tinkering with that caused this?

[HaRuMaN]

What .ini file were you tinkering with that caused this?

It was the MAME.ini...   

[DrewKaree]

What .ini file were you tinkering with that caused this?

It was the MAME.ini...   

Well, that certainly wasn't the answer I was expecting!  I've had the same issue happen to me several times, and usually it's from tinkering with one of the .ini files for startup due to various reasons (wanting to customize something, wanting to remove or eliminate something or an option, etc), but I've NEVER had a problem with tinkering with the MAME .ini file and being unable to boot.

Hopefully someone else here will have some insight as to what's in there that COULD cause it.  My only guess is that you have MAME set up as a shell, and tinkering with the MAME .ini screwed up your boot sequence and what it was looking for, otherwise I don't have the faintest idea what you coulda messed with. 

IIRC, I was always able to hook it into another connector and fix the .ini file, but I can't remember - been a while since I horked something in this manner.

[PCtech]

Chances are that boot went to hell, but the rest of the data is still there.

I agree, sounds like boot sector fried...shouldn't have to have a floppy to go to recovery console if you have an original Windows disk (2000/XP).

Depending on how PC savy you are, might be easier to borrow another PC (friends PC, old PC, etc).
1) Remove the hard drive from your e-machine.
2) Get 2nd (borrowed PC) and remove the data cable and power cable from the CD-rom drive, and attach them to your e-machine hard drive.(Hopefully your hard drive is IDE, otherwise cables won't fit)
3) Now you should be able to boot to the "borrowed" machine's hard drive, and the d: drive should no be your e-machine's drive.
4) Backup all data possible off your old drive.
5) reverse step 2 (remove your drive, and re-connect the CD-rom drive from "borrowed PC)
6) Re-install your hard drive back into your e-machine and re-install XP (clean install).
7) Find a way to copy your backup data from the "borrowed" PC to your e-machine (USB drive, burn CD/DVD, null-modem cable, router, etc)

This should work (Unless you original drive is completely toast), if not, you have a nice doorstop, and maybe the start of a new spinner for a mame machine.

I've used this method many times with about 95% success (some data may be corrupt, but prob not)

Good luck, let me know if you have any questions.

[USSEnterprise]

If your HDD has crashed, there is something you can do to make it work sometimes: Throw it in the freezer. Not kidding. Try it

[SOAPboy]

If your HDD has crashed, there is something you can do to make it work sometimes: Throw it in the freezer. Not kidding. Try it

NTLoader isnt fixable by the magic freezer trick..

Drive is fine, its missing its boot files..

[USSEnterprise]

If your HDD has crashed, there is something you can do to make it work sometimes: Throw it in the freezer. Not kidding. Try it

NTLoader isnt fixable by the magic freezer trick..

Drive is fine, its missing its boot files..

You know this for a fact? Disk may have crashed and lost data.

[Pi]

You know this for a fact? Disk may have crashed and lost data.

The freezer trick only works for hard drives where the hardware was damaged. By using a cooled down drive, you might have enough time to boot with it and recover some data.

However, the disk might have lost more data than the boot, as USSEnterprise points. If you get the MFT damaged, you will not be able to access any file. However, some of the data might still be recoverable with one of those recovery tools. Not so long ago a friend lost a drive's MFT and was able to recover all the valuable data.

[SOAPboy]

If your HDD has crashed, there is something you can do to make it work sometimes: Throw it in the freezer. Not kidding. Try it

NTLoader isnt fixable by the magic freezer trick..

Drive is fine, its missing its boot files..

You know this for a fact? Disk may have crashed and lost data.

The error, says Ntloader is missing..

Ntloader is a boot file..

If the drive was dead, it would tell you theres no system disk..

[USSEnterprise]

It sounds like there's also a possibility that just the MBR is there and nothing else. If the MBR is still there, but all data gone, it will still say" NTLoader not found"

[SOAPboy]

It sounds like there's also a possibility that just the MBR is there and nothing else. If the MBR is still there, but all data gone, it will still say" NTLoader not found"

Then the drive isnt "dead"

....

[PCtech]

Could be dying a slow death though....slave into another PC and backup before all hope is lost..

Good luck

[missioncontrol]

ummm, you didn't by chance hit the any key did you?

[Harry Potter]

[Harry Potter]