Windows XP no longer boots, shows "NTDLR IS MISSING" at startup. HELP!!!

[tperea]

Here is my system info:
Pentium 4 running at 2.0 gighertz
512 megs memory
Memorex 4X DVD burner and Emprex 4X DVD burner

I had been running Windows ME on a 40 gig hard drive for over a year. Decided to get a bigger hard drive and load Windows XP Pro, but wanted to keep all my original settings, emails, etc...
So I used a program called PC Relocator. It saved my WinME settings to DVD-RW, then I did a fresh load of Windows XP on the new Maxtor 200 GIG hard drive. After WinXP was loaded, I ran the PC Relocator program and it ported everthing over. System ran great for two days, then on the third morning it would not boot up at all. Gave the message "No Operating System Found".
I tried all kinds of things, even tried to re-load WinXP on the Maxtor drive but could not do it ( figured it was a bad hard drive and returned it for replacement.)
OK, so I load Windows XP on the new Maxtor 200 GIG drive and do the relocation of my setting again. System works great for over a week. Then again, will not start up one morning. Now giving me the error "NTLDR is missing".
WHAT IS GOING ON??? Is it the relocation process???? Is Maxtor a bad hard drive???? Am I an idiot??? ( don't answer that pleas
Any help would be appreciated
P.S. I already tried loading the NTLDR files from the WinXP CD, didn't work. Thanks.

[HeadBand]

I dont know much about that program but it appears to be your master boot record got screwed up with it.
Do you have the Win ME cd's??
if so try and load that on the 200 gig harddrive then run the restrore program then upgrade to win xp( i think you can upgrade with a full install cd)

but dont worry maxtor is a very reputable brand of hdd

[brandon184]

Have you tried a system restore?

[tperea]

Brandon184, What kind of "system restore" do you mean????


Headband, That sounds like a pretty good idea. I really wanted to figure out how to get the missing NTLDR figured out and get the unit working as it was. But it doesn't seem like anything will do the trick.
Luckily, I just loaded an old 2 gig hard drive with Windows XP Pro and then put the 200gig drive as a slave. Was able to see all files and folders and transfer all items that had been saved the past week ( images and such). Funny thing is, the NTLDR file is there where is should be. I copied the NTLDR from the 2 gig drive with WinXP to the 200gig drive, but it still did not work on bootup.
I think what I may do is build a new system around the 200gig drive and DVD burner and a fresh load of WinXP, and just use that system for burning. I'll leave my system with old drive and Windows ME for my Ebay auctions and business ( been working like a champ the past year). Hey, that way my wife won't be mad like when I was burning all day and she couldn't use the computer

[Bill in SD, CA]

Welcome to TechIMO!!

Use System Restore to Undo Changes if Problems Occur

However, if you can't get into the OS that's not going to help you.

Did you try booting from the XP CD and do a repair?

Bill

[tperea]

I tried booting from the XP CD, but the repair did not work. I tried copying the NTLDR files and other things, but to no avail.

[Pexster]

This seems relevant to the situation --

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314057

[tperea]

Ok, here's a new twist. I just finished building a new unit just for DVD burning. Put together a Celeron 2.5GHZ, 128ram, ATI video, and the 200gig Maxtor drive that has been giving me trouble with the missing NTLDR. Was going to do a fresh load of Windows XP Pro, but for the heck of it I just tried to see if it would boot from the 200gig drive as it was, and it DID!!The drive has been working fine as is, and the system even seems stable even though it was originally set up on a different motherboard/CPU. There must be something in my original system that was causing the problems, but it just seems strange that it would work for several days and then give the NTLDR error ( and never work again).
Possible reasons:
1. My original case had a 300watt power supply and the new system has a 350watt supply ( don't know if that could be it )??
2. Bios conflict with my original system??
3. Conflict with the way all the IDE units are set up in my old unit, but that still doesn't explain why it worked for awhile and then stopped.
?????