NTLDR missing

[Indy500]

I've tried the usual methods (using the recovery console via the windows cd, replacing files manually etc) and cant fix this problem.

System specs:

Athlon 750
2x256MB PC2100
40GB Samsung SATA2 hard disk (set to SATA1 mode) connected to onboard VT8237 southbridge SATA port
MSI MS6775 motherboard (KT6M-ILS, VIA KT600)
Elsa Geforce 3 64MB
Pioneer 12x DVD-ROM
Sony 10x CD-RW
Windows XP Pro SP2

The PC was working fine yesterday

The BIOS recognises the hard drive and other drives fine, and is up-to-date.

 

[Indy500]

Take your c:\drive and put it in somebody elses PC as a slave.
Boot in to XP and see if you can read it.
If the files look as though they are all there, remove the drive and put it back in your machine and now see if it boots.

I'll have to do it tomorrow, the PC isnt mine and the owner wants to sleep. I'll post back then and see if any of the above fixes the problem.

 

[Indy500]

Problem solved. Had to put the drive into this machine and manually copy the missing files. Turns out NTLDR, boot.ini, ntdetect.com, basically every key system file on the root directory had vanished