Please help ntldr is missing

[akumageorges]

About a month ago, my laptop (with vista as OS) started acting up, giving me error messages such as “windows\system32\boot\winload.exe missing or corrupt” as well as “windows\system32\stsem missing”. I tried everything I could in vain, and I decided to go ahead and format my hard drive, through another computer using an enclosure kit since I couldn’t even get into safe mode or any other mode without getting the error screen right away. I seemed that the problem was getting worst as I restarted my computer.
As I mentioned above, I formatted my disc, thus lost all data, hoping to be able to install a clean version of VISTA. I reinstall my hard drive in the laptop, and just to make a quick test, I started the computer without the VISTA DVD in and I got the error “NTLDR is missing Press CTRL+Alt+Del to restart”, and wondering what that was about, I looked it up on the internet, and most people seemed to say that error message was a typical windows XP type of error. But I never had XP on this computer. So I didn’t do anything about and put the VISTA DVD in the drive and restarted the computer. I got the message “press any key to boot from CD or DVD…” When I didn’t push any button, I got the error message “NTLDR is missing Press CTRL+Alt+Del to restart”, and then I restarted it and pushed a key to boot it from the VISTA DVD. I then got the “windows is loading files” screen. Once it was done loading files, it went straight to the error screen “Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause …windows\system32\boot\winload.exe missing or corrupt … status 0x0000001…”.
At this point I really don’t know what to do, and I’m totally confused, since my hard drive is totally empty and I still get those error messages.

I got a tip from somebody telling me the reason i get that message is the fact i formatted the disc using and XP machine,implying that XP leaves codes specific to XP in the drive,thus the error message. But i don't have access to any other Vista machine, Does anybody know to get a clean format from XP?

Please help

[GTS]

It sounds like you probably have a bad hard drive or other hardware
problem. The original symptoms may well have been due to a failing drive.
This should have been checked before trying to reformat and reinstall Vista.
When you formatted the drive did you run a full format or a quick format?
Were any bad sectors reported?
It would be advisable to check the drive either by downloading the drive
manufacturers utility to make a bootable media or connecting it to another
computer. It wouldn't hurt to also run a RAM test.

[akumageorges]

I did do a full formatting just today using a vista computer,but when i put the HDD back into my machine,the new error message i got is: BOOTMGR is missing, type ctrl+Alt+delete to restart.
And when i restart,booting from my vista DVD to install a clean copy it shows the "windows loading files" screen then crashes again giving me the old message "winload,exe missing or corrupt"
Now i'm just way confused,the HDD is totaly empty,but my computer keeps looking for files that don't exist and give error messages.
I've started to wonder if there is some kind of memory system built in the BIOS(sorry guys i'm not really into computer so i don't know much about BIOS and stuff like that)
If anybody can come up with some answer,goodness,i'd greatly appreciate it.
(by the way.is thate a command that helps complete reset a computer(BIOS)?)

yes i did format the HDD using another vista machine. And i thought my computer would see it as a brand new(empty) HDD and just go ahead and install VISTA but it's not the case.
The problem with formatting during the Install is that my computer won't even let me get to the point were the install starts. It goes staright to the error message "winload.exe missing or corrupt"

When i set the HDD as first to boot from,i get the "bootmgr missing" message,
When i set to boot from DVD first, after the windows loading files window,it goes straight into the "winload.exe missing" error screen

I don't really understand this whole thing but my computer acts as if i have some other hard drive(cause i shouldn't be getting the winload error message in an empty HDD,right?)
I'm wondering,is there a way to reset the BIOS(i'm too sure exactly what this is) in such way that it doesn't pop up old error messages(you know a way to erase its internal memory) i got when i actually had something in the HDD?

I don't believe my vista install DVD is faulty cause before i totaly erased everything from my HDD,i was able to run the DVD up to the blue screen giving options to repair,start with command promt... but when i chose repair or the cmd options,the repair option would crash right away,and the command prompt one would crash after i entered a few code to check or rebuild the missing registries.
I'm so confused about this,i've never seen anything like this before,my computer literally can't do anything,and i've even thought about taking it apart and reset it by removing the little battery that help keep some memory or whatever that's called.

I have tried to install it as i've done before with my other computers,but right after the "windows loading files" screen,the computer gives me the error message "winload.exe missing or corrupt" and that's why i get so confused,cause i assume it shouldn't be looking for that anymore since the HDD has been formatted,but sure enough it gives me that error message.
Do you think taking the computer apart and removing the

As i stated before when i boot form the windows DVD,it gives me the black screen with the ssage at the bottom"windows loading files as the cursor loads" as soon as it's done loading it goes staright into the error screen "winload.exe missing or corrupt" giving me the options of restarting by typing pushing the "esc" button or F8. When i choose F8 it send me to the screen with options "safe mode","safe mode with cmd prompt",safe mode with network...,start with last good setting...

I guess i'll try to make a short youtube video of this problem showing all the different things i've been doing,and maybe this will help better explain what i'm experiencing.
I'll post that link later on tonight

That's what has e totally confused. The CPU should see it as a new HDD,but sure enough it gives me the "winload missing error" message. I guess i'll try formatting it again tonight

[andy]

If you formatted the drive on a Windows XP computer, the boot sector
that's written on the drive will be for Windows XP. So if you try to
boot the computer from that drive, Windows XP ntldr will be executed.
Since there is no operating system installed, ntldr will be missing.

Sounds like you have hardware problems. Try doing a system memory test
(memtest86+ utility).

Normally, formatting of the drive is performed during installation of
the operating system. So, if you're installing Vista, do the
formatting during Vista setup.

[Michael]

I experienced this with my XP machine after every format. What I found was
the BIOS was trying to boot to something other than a CD or hard drive. I
think it was trying to boot to a USB port (can't remember-was a long time
ago). Try to get into your BIOS and check the boot order and select your CD
drive first, then your active hard drive.

[Michael]

Huh??? You need to explain this. Are you saying you formatted a drive with
Vista on another machine, then you took the drive and installed it in your
machine? If that's the case the OS won't boot because all the hardware is
different.

[Michael]

You need to include what you're replying to. You're posting to a Usenet
newsgroup and all I'm seeing is your current post. As I previously stated,
you need to get into your BIOS and check the boot order. To do this you
need to start pressing, either, Delete, F10, F8 or F2 when you boot to
access the BIOS screen. Different manufacturers use different keys. If you
reply to this make sure you include this and any other response. As I said,
we're posting from "microsoft.public.windows.vista.general", not techarena.

[Michael]

I believe on the right side of your BIOS screen there's an option to reset to defaults. Something is seriously screwerd up. Is it possible your Windows disk is scratched or damaged in any way? When you initially boot to the DVD you should be given the option to install and to choose the partition on which to install. If your disk gets that far, delete the existing partiton, then create a new partition. Do a full format, then try to install. Other than that, I'm out of suggestions. Can you get your hands on Vista_Repair/Vista_Recovery_Disc? If so, boot to that and try a repair.

[Charlie Tame]

You said you formatted in a different (but Vista) machine, is it
possible your DVD player has a fault or that it simply "Doesn't like"
your DVD - this happens sometimes.

Could you maybe copy the DVD using the other machine and then try the
copy in this affected machine. I've had 2 DVD players act up this way
recently... ended up replacing both.

You can get DVD cleaners from most video stores but that didn't work for me.

Before you give up try the Vista repair disk.

[John John - MVP]

You don't want to repair the operating system or use the Command Prompt
options, there is no operating sytem to repair! You need to select the
proper option to *INSTALL* the operating system.

There is nothing on the disk and there is nothing in the memory that has
to do with Vista or any other operating systems! What you are seeing
about "bootmgr missing" is perfectly normal even if the disk is empty!

You have to understand how a hard disk is organized and how the first
sector on the disk (the Master Boot Record, or MBR) is executed when the
computer attempts to boot the disk and how the MBR then attempts to pass
the boot sequence to the boot sector of the active partition, this is
where the "bootmgr missing" error comes from, the boot sector on the
active partition is looking for this file and because it isn't there it
trows up the error. The disk was formated so there is nothing on it
*other* than the MBR and the partition structure which includes the boot
sector. Unless the disk is brand new or unless it was zeroed out there
is *always* an MBR on the first sector and if there is an active
partition on the disk there is *always* a boot sector. Earlier you were
getting the ntldr is missing because the boot sector was prepared
(formated) by Windows XP, now you are seeing the "bootmgr missing" error
because the disk was prepared by Vista, these error messages are normal
and expected.

[keepout@yahoo.com.invalid]

You have mentioned that this is way beyond your know how. So this might be
relevant..

You said you formatted the drive. There's normally no reason to format drives
today. Resizing, and creating partitions yes..

I'll assume you have a 300 gigabyte main drive..and you have a vista install
disk. size is irrelevant, other than the need for enough space to installthe
system.

Fire things up, go DIRECTLY to setup in the BIOS, and have it boot fromthe CD.
reboot if necessary.
Now when the install disk says hello, go the partitioning section of the setup.
You just may have screwed the HD. Now create an 80gig C:\partition. or
partition the whole drive. You don't really need more than 80 gigs for the OS,
But if you do, having the entire drive as 1 partition would be better than
needing more system space later.
The setup will ask you quick or full format. I'll assume the drive isn't
totally screwed. Select quick format.

After this, it may want another reboot. Now install Vista to the partition that
you just created. C:\windows
That should pretty much do it.

Ok, if it fails with quick format, chances are you did scramble something
trying to format the drive. Repeat the above, but use full format insteadof
quick, and go take a nap. This will take awhile, possibly hours.
now do your install.

Once the OS is working go back into setup, and have it boot from C:\ instead of
the CD.

[John John - MVP]

It won't hurt anything to try it. At the same time check the battery or
replace it with a new one to eliminate a dead battery as a possible
cause of the problem.

Is your hard drive properly detected in the BIOS?

[Michael]

If your drive was formatted correctly you shouldn't see any of these
options. It should be clean. Apparently the DVD is detecting a Windows
install.

Keep in touch. This is a weird one I've never heard of. Good luck.

[akumageorges]

Hi guys,as promised earlier today,here is teh youtube link of the video,please let me know what you think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiQcnRK4f5M

[Leroy]

Try the following:

1) In your BIOS, disable "Plug and Play Operating System"

2) Clean your Vista disc with a mild solution and soft cloth - make
sure no scratches exist.

3) Make sure no devices are connected to any USB port