Jump to content

The Questions Thread - The answers to life's problems...


Thomas Draco

Recommended Posts

... Or not.

Thought this would be a good idea, that way when we have certain questions, we all can turn to each other.

First question: I'm trying to make a Windows XP bootable CD using the Service Pack 3 ISO that I downloaded from Microsoft in order to access the Repair option. So far, I've been unsucessful. Can anyone help me with this? I need it to fix my computer who's Windows Activation File was corrupted, so now I can't login normally. Assistance would be greatly apperciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... Or not.

Thought this would be a good idea, that way when we have certain questions, we all can turn to each other.

First question: I'm trying to make a Windows XP bootable CD using the Service Pack 3 ISO that I downloaded from Microsoft in order to access the Repair option. So far, I've been unsucessful. Can anyone help me with this? I need it to fix my computer who's Windows Activation File was corrupted, so now I can't login normally. Assistance would be greatly apperciated.

If you're trying to burn the .iso file to a disk, and if you're using Windows atm, you might want to try Infrarecorder, link is at the bottom of this message, burn a image through that.

http://infrarecorder.org/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Make sure you burn as an image. Just dropping an ISO into a data CD will not write the CD as imaged, but rather a copy of the ISO file on the disc. You can't boot that.

If your CD burning software can't do images, or you can't figure it out, you can use active@ ISO Burner. All it does is burn ISOs to disc. http://www.active-undelete.com/products.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, I dont think it applies here, but there are many programs that you can just mount an image to a virtual drive and they run from there.

I use Daimon Tools.

But if you really need the image on a CD, try Alcohol120%, too. I think that's what it's called.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Make sure you burn an "image"

Isn't the ISO file the image? AND yes, Mr. K, I downloaded the ISO directy from Microsoft's website.

I made a bootable using the Undelete program that DZComposer linked to, and it made a CD. But, when it boots, it says the LDTLR, or something like that, is missing. What do?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't the ISO file the image? AND yes, Mr. K, I downloaded the ISO directy from Microsoft's website.

I made a bootable using the Undelete program that DZComposer linked to, and it made a CD. But, when it boots, it says the LDTLR, or something like that, is missing. What do?

Yes, .iso is the image

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I still have the NTLDR (that spelling is correct now) problem. Does anyone know what that means?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are getting an "NTLDR is missing" error off of the CD? This is about the worst error you can get in Windows. NTLDR is short for Windows NT Loader. It's a bootloader. UNIX equivalents would be GRUB and LILO. Basically this is the program that boots the kernel and related system programs. It is usually a symptom of media read issues on a CD.

Hmm... I would go to the place you downloaded the ISO from and see if they have an MD5 checksum for the file. Use This Program to hash the file you downloaded and see if the resulting number is the same. If not, you have a bad download. To do this, just simply drag the ISO file over the program's .exe file. If there is no checksum on the site, just re-download the file.

If you don't want to deal with checksums, you can always just simply re-download (you'd have to do this anyway if the checksum doesn't match, but if it does you don't).

Also inspect the CD you used and make sure it is clean and unscratched. CD-Rs are easier to damage than etched CDs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are getting an "NTLDR is missing" error off of the CD? This is about the worst error you can get in Windows. NTLDR is short for Windows NT Loader. It's a bootloader. UNIX equivalents would be GRUB and LILO. Basically this is the program that boots the kernel and related system programs. It is usually a symptom of media read issues on a CD.

Hmm... I would go to the place you downloaded the ISO from and see if they have an MD5 checksum for the file. Use This Program to hash the file you downloaded and see if the resulting number is the same. If not, you have a bad download. To do this, just simply drag the ISO file over the program's .exe file. If there is no checksum on the site, just re-download the file.

If you don't want to deal with checksums, you can always just simply re-download (you'd have to do this anyway if the checksum doesn't match, but if it does you don't).

Also inspect the CD you used and make sure it is clean and unscratched. CD-Rs are easier to damage than etched CDs.

Linux FTW :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

You are getting an "NTLDR is missing" error off of the CD? This is about the worst error you can get in Windows. NTLDR is short for Windows NT Loader. It's a bootloader. UNIX equivalents would be GRUB and LILO. Basically this is the program that boots the kernel and related system programs. It is usually a symptom of media read issues on a CD.

Hmm... I would go to the place you downloaded the ISO from and see if they have an MD5 checksum for the file. Use This Program to hash the file you downloaded and see if the resulting number is the same. If not, you have a bad download. To do this, just simply drag the ISO file over the program's .exe file. If there is no checksum on the site, just re-download the file.

If you don't want to deal with checksums, you can always just simply re-download (you'd have to do this anyway if the checksum doesn't match, but if it does you don't).

Also inspect the CD you used and make sure it is clean and unscratched. CD-Rs are easier to damage than etched CDs.

Yeah, sorry for bumping this after so long, but I finally got back on this and I got new CD-RWs and I'm currently re-downloading the Service Pack 3 ISO from here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2fcde6ce-b5fb-4488-8c50-fe22559d164e

Oh, and I tried it with my pre-existing ISO I downloaded, and it still got the same NTLDR error.

So, I hope this works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's an upgrade CD to install SP3 onto an existing XP installation. I doubt it is intended to be bootable, much less contain the recovery console.

You will need a full install disc.

This page has a utility that claims to make a recovery console CD: http://tips.vlaurie.com/2006/05/recovery-console-for-those-without-an-xp-disk/

Alternatively, you can run BartPE's image maker on an XP machine and use that: http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#start

If all else fails, you can go old-school and make a set of XP setup floppies: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q310994

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's an upgrade CD to install SP3 onto an existing XP installation. I doubt it is intended to be bootable, much less contain the recovery console.

You will need a full install disc.

This page has a utility that claims to make a recovery console CD: http://tips.vlaurie.com/2006/05/recovery-console-for-those-without-an-xp-disk/

I just tried this one, and it had some success as it got to the Windows Setup screen, but once Setup got done, a blue error screen came up. You know, the one that goes like "If this is your 1st time seeing this screen, just restart, if it isn't, de-virus your hard drive...". I tried booting up normally afterwards, but it came with that NTLDR is missing message again...

Alternatively, you can run BartPE's image maker on an XP machine and use that: http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#start

Problem is #1, the only other machine I've got is a Vista machine, and #2 it says in step 4 that I need a Windows XP CD to do it, which I don't have.

If all else fails, you can go old-school and make a set of XP setup floppies: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q310994

If all else fails... Looks like I'm buying some floppies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wait... You're getting the NTLDR error off of a hard drive boot?

If so, recovery console may not help, unless by some grace of God chkdsk recovers the file. I would also be leery of the hard drive, as this started out as an activation file corruption, and now NTLDR is corrupt. Not good.

You may need to contact the manufacturer of the computer or Microsoft and see if you can get a Windows XP disc, as a Windows re-install may be in your future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wait... You're getting the NTLDR error off of a hard drive boot?

If so, recovery console may not help, unless by some grace of God chkdsk recovers the file.

You may need to contact the manufacturer of the computer or Microsoft and see if you can get a Windows XP disc, as a Windows re-install may be in your future.

M$ said I would have to repay for my OS to be reinstalled, it only worked for 3 days :S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...