Win 2K install reboots, starts over during setup - now says ntldr missing

  • Thread starter Thread starter Frogabog
  • Start date Start date
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Frogabog

I installed an 80g hard drive after the original 13g
failed. It wouldn't recognize any of the HD so I bought a
controller card (Promise) but that didn't work either. So
I flashed the BIOS and viola it found the HD slick as can
be. Thought my problems were over. Not so. During
various phases of windows setup it reboots. I have re-
formatted the HD 3 times trying to make sure it's a very
clean install. Once it rebooted at 100% of the HD format
and then said I didn't have a formatted HD. There was a
point where I got through setup and to the final phase
after entering the registration numbers and then it
reboots during the second task in the last phase of the
install (can't remember what it is, right before it
deletes temporary files). At one point it would go right
back to setup installing devices, then asking my name,
enter the numbers and again reboots during the last few
tasks. Now it reboots during the first phase of the
initial setup. Says NTLDR is missing. Like it has part
of the install completed but not all.

I do not have the Promise card installed anymore. Will
this help?

And, why when I start over, format the HD again does it do
this? It has always installed without problems, on any
machine I've done it on.

Any ideas?
 
You didn't mention the current drive controller (possibly SCSI, or ultra
DMA, or ATA100, or raid, or serial ATA), but you may need to boot the
Windows 2000 setup disks or CD-Rom and *F6* very early and very important
(at setup is inspecting your system) in the setup to prevent drive
controller detection, and select S to specify additional drivers. Then later
you'll be prompted to insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver
for your drive's controller in drive "A"

If you wait and then S to specify additional drivers, then it may be too
late as Windows 2000 Setup at this point may have already assigned the
resources your drive's controller is wanting to use.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| I installed an 80g hard drive after the original 13g
| failed. It wouldn't recognize any of the HD so I bought a
| controller card (Promise) but that didn't work either. So
| I flashed the BIOS and viola it found the HD slick as can
| be. Thought my problems were over. Not so. During
| various phases of windows setup it reboots. I have re-
| formatted the HD 3 times trying to make sure it's a very
| clean install. Once it rebooted at 100% of the HD format
| and then said I didn't have a formatted HD. There was a
| point where I got through setup and to the final phase
| after entering the registration numbers and then it
| reboots during the second task in the last phase of the
| install (can't remember what it is, right before it
| deletes temporary files). At one point it would go right
| back to setup installing devices, then asking my name,
| enter the numbers and again reboots during the last few
| tasks. Now it reboots during the first phase of the
| initial setup. Says NTLDR is missing. Like it has part
| of the install completed but not all.
|
| I do not have the Promise card installed anymore. Will
| this help?
|
| And, why when I start over, format the HD again does it do
| this? It has always installed without problems, on any
| machine I've done it on.
|
| Any ideas?
 
Are you referring to the Promise controller card? It is
not installed. Otherwise, I am unsure which controller
it's got and I don't have any driver disks for it.

I should install the promise card then? I saw this
response and thought it might solve the problem before but
had the same questions I do now about the Promise card.
The MB is and Asus 450mhz, PII.

thx
 
| Are you referring to the Promise controller card?
* No the current drive controller.

It is
| not installed. Otherwise, I am unsure which controller
| it's got and I don't have any driver disks for it.
* Check the assus web site.

| I should install the promise card then?
* Yes you can do that and follow these steps. You'll want to boot the
Windows 2000 setup disks or CD-Rom. The set of four install disks can be
created from your Windows 2000 CD-Rom; change to the \bootdisk directory on
the CD-Rom and execute makeboot.exe (from dos) or makebt32.exe (from 32 bit)
and follow the prompts.

Then *F6* very early and very important (at setup is inspecting your system)
in the setup to prevent drive controller detection, and select S to specify
additional drivers. Then later you'll be prompted to insert the manufacturer
supplied Windows 2000 driver for your promise controller in drive "A"

If you wait and then S to specify additional drivers, then it may be too
late as Windows 2000 Setup at this point may have already assigned the
resources your drive's controller is wanting to use.

When you get to the point, delete the existing NTFS and or other partitions
found. After you delete the partition(s) abort the install, then again
restart the pc booting the CD-Rom or setup disks to avoid unexpected drive
letter assignments with your new install.


I saw this
| response and thought it might solve the problem before but
| had the same questions I do now about the Promise card.
| The MB is and Asus 450mhz, PII.
* Not enough detail on the controller or MB for me to look up.


--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
 
Dave said:
* No the current drive controller.

It is
* Check the assus web site.

* Yes you can do that and follow these steps. You'll want to boot the
Windows 2000 setup disks or CD-Rom. The set of four install disks can
be created from your Windows 2000 CD-Rom; change to the \bootdisk
directory on the CD-Rom and execute makeboot.exe (from dos) or
makebt32.exe (from 32 bit) and follow the prompts.

Then *F6* very early and very important (at setup is inspecting your
system) in the setup to prevent drive controller detection, and
select S to specify additional drivers. Then later you'll be prompted
to insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver for your
promise controller in drive "A"

If you wait and then S to specify additional drivers, then it may be
too late as Windows 2000 Setup at this point may have already
assigned the resources your drive's controller is wanting to use.

When you get to the point, delete the existing NTFS and or other
partitions found. After you delete the partition(s) abort the
install, then again restart the pc booting the CD-Rom or setup disks
to avoid unexpected drive letter assignments with your new install.


I saw this
* Not enough detail on the controller or MB for me to look up.
Click to expand...

Did they make a 450MHz PII? Sure it's not a P-III? Either way, the board is
likely to be a 440BX based motherboard using the 82371AB (PIIX4) IDE set.
The problem is likely to be either a BIOS limitation on the motherboard, for
which a suitable update could be hard to come by, or bad ram.

Use the Promise card (and hence it's BIOS) and do what Dave said regarding
F6 to use the Promise drivers on installation.
Best of luck.
 
It is
| not installed. Otherwise, I am unsure which controller
| it's got and I don't have any driver disks for it.
* Check the assus web site.
Click to expand...

OK - thank you. I will try that.
I saw this
| response and thought it might solve the problem before but
| had the same questions I do now about the Promise card.
| The MB is and Asus 450mhz, PII.
* Not enough detail on the controller or MB for me to look up.
Click to expand...

sorry, it's ASUS P2B-F. The bios I flashed with Dr. Dos
upon ASUS tech support's suggestion - is latest version

thanks for your help - will try these things.

Kori
 
-----Original Message-----
You didn't mention the current drive controller (possibly SCSI, or ultra
DMA,
Click to expand...

It is Ultra DMA 33. Searched around about this, read a
few articles but no driver. do you know where to download
it?
 
From the controller or MB manufacturer's web site. Else stick the promise
controller back in and use that driver.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

| It is Ultra DMA 33. Searched around about this, read a
| few articles but no driver. do you know where to download
| it?
|
|
 
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