"NTLDR is missing after" (Windows) after installing Ubuntu

[Thomas Kaiser]

Craig Hagerman wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I decided recently to switch over to Ubuntu (32bit) from the Debian
> Amd64 system I have been using for the past 3 years. I backed up
> important files, wiped the Debian partition installed Dapper Drake
> yesterday. So far almost everything is OK, however I have a problem
> with grub. I have always been a lilo man, myself, but I have often
> heard that grub is superior so I thought I would give it a try and let
> Ubuntu install grub. The problem is that I can now no longer boot into
> Windows. Instead I get an error message saying "NTLDR is missing". But
> it IS still there where it was before (/dev/hda1)
> 
> The disk is set up like this:
> 
> /dev/hda1     64MB      Windows boot partition
> /dev/hda5     40GB       Windows XP
> /dev/hda6     20GB      Ubuntu 32
> /dev/hda7     45GB      data
> /dev/hda8     10GB       Ubuntu 64
> /dev/hda9       2GB             swap
> 
> (I used the second 64bit Ubuntu to try it out for a few months before
> deciding to go with the 32 bit one)
> 
> I have never used grub and am floundering to understand it right now.
> I guess that when I did the install grub blew away the former MBR
> (right?). I had the Windows boot files (boot.ini, NTLDR etc) on the
> little partition at /dev/hda1. This WAS detected by grub and I now
> have a grub file (/boot/grub/menu.1st) that looks like this:
> 
> title           Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386
> root            (hd0,5)
> kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hda6 ro quiet splash
> initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
> savedefault
> boot
> 
> title           Microsoft Windows XP Professional
> root          (hd0,0)
> savedefault
> makeactive
> chainloader     +1
> 
> title           Ubuntu 6.06 on /dev/hda8
> root            (hd0,7)
> kernel          /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda8
> initrd          /boot/initrd.img
> savedefault
> boot
> 
> I am a bit confused how I am supposed to recover the ability to
> dual-boot. Do I boot up the Windows rescue CD, allow it to repair the
> MBR, then boot with the Ubuntu CD and alter the grub menu? Any help
> would be appreciated
> 
> Craig
> 

Hello Craig

I don't have a solution to your problem. Just some ideas for discussion.

Your GRUB entry for Windoz looks good to me. This entry will execute the 
  code in the partition boot sector and from there you get the message 
"NTLDR is missing".

If you do
sudo dd if=/dev/hda1 of=boot bs=512 count=1
and look at the file boot with a hex editor you should see "NTLDR is 
missing". But why does this boot code not find NTLDR anymore after 
installing Ubuntu?

Anyway, you can fix this partition boot code with the Windoz recovery 
cd. Just type "fixboot" (or similar) after you enter the recovery 
console. This might help. "fixboot" does not touch the MBR (I think), so 
nothing to loose.

Or may be in Lilo, you did boot right away to /dev/hda5?

You can try:
root	(hd0,4)
for the Windoz partition. Then you boot from /dev/hda5.

Regards, Thomas

-- 
http://www.kaiser-linux.li