computer wont start

admiralofthefleet

my computer wont start, firstly the problem started last night, the computer suddenly re-started, all seemed fine til i got to the welcome screen, i entered the password and thats where the problem starts, the desktop loads for 1 second and then it goes into re-start, i tried scanning for viruses, ect.. in safe mode and tried system restore, all to no avail. i then tried system recovery, that worked but now i cant get past the boot screen, i get a message 'ntldr is compressed, please press ctrl+alt+del to re-start, i do this but still cant get past this page, have formatted the hard drive to no avail.
any help would be appreciated.

Ruu_Old

Found this solution on another forum.

An NTLDR is compressed error is pretty easy to fix(much better then NTLDR is missing errors!).

First you need to boot to the recovery console.

To boot to the recovery console follow these steps:
1. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer. Click(or press any key) to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted.
2. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
3. When prompted type "1" or if you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you must access from the Recovery Console.
4. When you are prompted, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
5. Now you should be at the comman prompt and ready to repair the ntldr file!

Now all you need to do is enter the following commands(in order) and each command on a new line just like you see them here:
Code:

cd \
attrib -c ntldr
exit

admiralofthefleet

thanks ruu but xp came pre-installed so i havent got the disc, but the manufacturers are sending me one in the post, so i can do what you said, cheers ruu

admiralofthefleet

got the recovery disc today and followed the instructions but still have the ntldr is compressed message, the computer has its own recovery software built in so i cant access the recovery console mentioned in ruu's post, is there any other way to access it,
thanks

ViDuchie

If you get the NTLDR file is missing or corrupt after a rebuild then you have bigger problems than just a software issue!!

Anti

ViDuchie wrote:

If you get the NTLDR file is missing or corrupt after a rebuild then you have bigger problems than just a software issue!!

Where did he mention a rebuild?

SeanW

If no other recovery methods work, consider reinstalling Windows.

If the Windows installation program crashes or otherwise fails (without an otherwise explainable reason), then you have a serious hardware problem. In that case, its most likely the RAM.

stevejazzx

You should be able to overwrite the ntl.dll file in the recovery console using a proper ntl.dll copied from xp. I did it once....

ViDuchie

As far as I know and remember the non destructive XP repair should replace all the essential system files. If it's not working then it's most likely hardware, like mentioned above it can be the RAM. Try the program Memtestx86 burned onto a bootable CD to check the RAM. Very handy programe to have.

It's also possible to corrupt these ntldr files with sudden shutdowns (power failure) also. I've seen this problem with everything from Memory/HDD/Motherboard failures. It can be a real pain in the ass to fix. Not as bad as a random blue screen failure tho

You could use the recovery console to copy the file back across ( it is compressed on the CD but should decompress automatically ) I've found in the past that as soon as you do replace it with a good file the system will hault at the next bad file.

If all is lost and you just want to recover data stick the HDD in an external caddy, retrieve the data on another comp and complete a full system install again. Might be the quickest way and will save you many hours of piddling about trying to resolve the problem.

ViDuchie

And as steve said you could just take the good file from another computer. I think this is easier than the recovery console. Dont hold your breath tho'