How to Troubleshoot the "NTLDR Is Missing" Error Message

Use the Recovery Console

1. Use the Windows XP Setup disks to restart the computer, or use the Windows 2000 CD-ROM to restart the computer.
2. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to repair the Windows XP installation.
3. Press C to repair the Windows 2000 installation by using the Recovery Console.
4. Type the number that corresponds to the Windows installation that you want to repair, and then press ENTER. For example, type 1, and then press ENTER.
5. Type the Administrator password, and then press ENTER.
6. Type map, and then press ENTER. Note the drive letter that is assigned to the CD-ROM drive that contains the Windows XP CD-ROM.
7. Type the following commands, pressing ENTER after you type each one, where drive is the drive letter that you typed in step 4 of "Method 2: Use the Recovery Console," of this article:
   copy drive:\i386\ntldr c:\
   
   copy drive:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\
   If you are prompted to overwrite the file, type y, and then press ENTER.
   
   NOTE: In these commands, there is a space between the ntldr and c:\, and between ntdetect.com and c:\.
8. restart your computer.

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windows\system32\config\system file missing or corrupt

Boot into the Windows Recovery Console using a bootable XP installation CD, or create a bootable XP Recovery Console CD. 

This is not the same as any recovery disks that might have come a store bought system.  If you are not sure what kind of bootable CD you have, make a bootable XP Recovery Console CD and  be sure.

After booting into the Recovery Console, you should be in this folder:

C:\WINDOWS

For each of your hard disk partitions, you should then run:

chkdsk /r

For example, from the Recovery Console prompt, enter:

chkdsk c: /r

Let chkdsk finish and correct any problems it might find.  It may take a long time to complete or appear to be 'stuck'.  Be patient.  If the HDD light is still flashing, it is doing something.  Keep an eye on the percentage amount to be sure it is still making progress.  It may even appear to go backwards sometimes.

The chkdsk /r needs to complete without any errors, so you may need to run it multiple times until it does.

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