NTLDR is missing

[Funkstar]

Agent - I'll see how I can take out the hard disk.

To be honest, if you have to ask, then it might not be a good idea.

[Agent]

Also if its a IDE based one, you'll need an adaptor before you can plug it into a normal PC.
If its SATA it'll work like a normal disk

[jp7]

Thank you Digit.

I copied NTLDR, ntdetect.com from my desktop and boot.ini from fixntldr.zip (as shown on the website you pointed me to) onto a blank CD. I copied the files and then burnt them.

I set the BIOS in the faulty laptop to start from CD. I get "No bootable devices -- strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility". Hitting F1 takes me back to the same message...

I must be doing something wrong, but can't quite figure out what.

Funkstar/Agent: I took out the hard disk and will take it to a shop tomorrow to get the right external enclosure (it's an IDE; it doesn't have waffer like connections, but rather socket like ones).

Thanks for your continued help to get this resolved....

[directhex]

I must be doing something wrong, but can't quite figure out what.

Files on a CD are not enough for a CD to be bootable. Remember what I said about boot sectors?

[Blastuk]

2 choices,

1. get an xp disk and run recovery console and repair your mbr

2. download a linux live cd and boot that then copy your files off the disk with either
a. network
b. burn to cd/dvds
c. external drive/usb etc

edit: quick google found this
http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso
from http://forums.pcpitstop.com/index.php?showtopic=150212

[digit]

Thank you Digit.

I copied NTLDR, ntdetect.com from my desktop and boot.ini from fixntldr.zip (as shown on the website you pointed me to) onto a blank CD. I copied the files and then burnt them.

I must be doing something wrong, but can't quite figure out what.

If you still want to try and rescue your windows installation via the method I suggested,

The file you want from that website is: fixntldriso.zip http://tinyempire.com/notes/files/fixntldriso.zip

That contains an ISO file. I suggest you download ISO recorder. I personally use this all the time myself as it gets the job done of burning ISO images done quickly and easily. http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

Right click the ISO file and click burn ISO file. You should then be away and have a bootable CD.

Also this is still a solution:

2 choices,

1. get an xp disk and run recovery console and repair your mbr

http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso -- Burn this with ISO recorder
from http://forums.pcpitstop.com/index.php?showtopic=150212

I like the sound of that recovery console ISO.

[jp7]

I took the laptop's hard disk and put it in an external casing, connected to my desktop with a usb cable. I tried to access files and directories on it, but couldn't. They were corrupted.
I tried to restore these using free software available at http://www.brothersoft.com/xp-recove...oad-41097.html but access to the drive was still denied. File scavenger from www.quetek.com/prod02.htm (not free) ended up doing the trick. Easy, clear and reliable, albeit slow.

I restored the laptop to factory settings. The whole procedure went without hickups. I reinstalled all necessary software and the machine runs well. My wife who uses the laptop hadn't made copies of her mail in Outlook (exporting .pst files) so she ended up losing old e-mail messages. But everything else was recouped.

I wanted to thank you all for your help and patience.

...I will now try to get my old Shuttle X box to work properly again (and will be posting in the relevant threads over the next few days).