NTLDR is missing, is there any way to get my data off?

Borden · 22 Apr 2006 at 17:10

Hi all,

Was just browsing the net today when my pc froze and rebooted saying that the NTLDR was missing. It's missing on my 200GB seagate storage drive so i can still boot into windows with my raptor and the seagate unplugged.

Is there any way of getting my data back, the only thing i really want to retrieve is my music collection as everything else i can replace easily but my music will take hours to rip it back onto the pc

Windows doesn't boot with the seagate plugged in and also doesn't detect it if i plug it in after it's started booting (is that a risky thing to do

)

Any help will be great.

BTW This morning i'd been having problems with that drive so i assume that it's dying

Borden · 22 Apr 2006 at 17:59

ultim said:
try follow the tutorial from here...

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=185301251

Thanks for the link, the only problem is that the missing file isn't on the windows hard drive but is on a separate one which makes it a lot more difficult

Thanks for the reply

Borden · 22 Apr 2006 at 18:05

Phnom_Penh said:
USB it?

Do you mean put it in an external enclosure and connect it via usb?

Borden · 22 Apr 2006 at 18:16

Phnom_Penh said:
Yep, it won't be detected by the motherboard after booting if you use IDE, but it should work ok with usb.

Sounds like a good idea but i'd probably leave that as my last option as i don't want to have to spend extra.

Spike_UK said:
you might be able to use something like BartPE to get into a Semi Windows Envorinment, then copy all your needed data into a USB device (or move across the network).

Sounds like it could work, i'm reading up about it right now

Borden · 22 Apr 2006 at 18:40

emailiscrap said:
Can't you slave it in another computer?

The only other pc that i have with SATA is a dirty Dell one which i could never get my hdd to work on when i tried it before.

EDIT: It's not just a windows problem because the mobo detects that the NTLDR is missing, even with the windows drive unplugged.

Borden · 22 Apr 2006 at 18:52

emailiscrap said:
Hmm... If it's spinning up, and is detected in the bios, I can't think why it wouldn't work as a secondary drive in another pc. Very odd.
Depending on how much of a hurry you're in, the usb->ide cables off ebay work very well and are only about a tenner.

I'm using SATA

Anyway, i've found some SATA to USB converter cables which might be worth a shot if this BartPE thing doesn't work.

Borden · 22 Apr 2006 at 19:40

bledd. said:
plug it into another pc and see if it works

tbhtbh

AFAIK it won't work tbqfh

Tried it before and it didn't work

Borden · 23 Apr 2006 at 08:17

bledd. said:
try using File Scavenger 3

I'll give it a go but if it does find my data then i'll have to buy it to recover my files as the free trial only allows the recovery of files up to 64kb

Etaqua said:
Live Linux distros (Knoppix, for example).

You can leave both hard drives in, since it only has problems booting into Windows.

Boot off the CD, copy all the files onto a USB/other media. Sorted.

I thought that Linux would be a solution but seeing as i'm a Linux n00b i booted into Damn Small Linux yesterday and didn't have a clue where to find the drives. Do i need extra drivers for sata with Linux?

Thanks for all your help so far guys

Borden · 23 Apr 2006 at 10:48

Etaqua said:
I'm a Linux noob as well, however, IIRC, your hard drive with the data on will be /mount/hda2, or /hda2.

I'll update this in a minute if this is wrong, just going to check this out for myself.

Where would i type that in?

Thanks

Borden · 23 Apr 2006 at 14:45

Thanks for the replies, i've managed to get access to the hard drvie using BartPE and i'm just copying the information now. After having my first Linux experience though, i'm sure i'll be using it again in the future

Thanks for all your help

Borden · 23 Apr 2006 at 15:54

dmpoole said:
I've had this happen several times.
Put the drive as a slave on another PC and just boot in.
For some strange reason when you put the drive back it works

Just noticed its LINUX, I've only ever been able to do it with XP.

I've had it happen before but the difference this time was that it wasn't the windows drive that the file went missing on, it was my storage drive.

I'll keep that in mind for the future

Borden · 23 Apr 2006 at 17:54

crashuk said:
place a blank floppy in drive A , format the disk. Navigate to the root folder of the system (in most cases this will be C:\ or cd) copy files to the floppy disk.

Boot.ini
NTLDR
Ntdetect.com

No need now, i've got it sorted already

Thanks for your input though