Hi there, I've got a sort of puzzle here. Researched a lot about it, found thread with similar problem at http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/120487.html , with good possible solutions at http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000465.htm , but my problem remains: 2x SATA system disks as RAID1 (disk is partitioned as C and D) + 1x IDE disk on primary bus (as disk E) + 1x IDE disk (as F) with DVD-ROM (as K) on secondary bus. I try some new applications and as I restarted my comp, it did not boot, getting message NTLDR IS MISSING. I found that if IDE primary bus E disk is present, the system refuses to boot, plus if I run recovery console from boot CD, I SEE "E" DISK AS BOOTING DISK RUNNING AS "C" AND MY SYSTEM SATA DISK SWITCHED TO "E". Something in the system files or registry is referring to E disk as boot disk when it is present, gives it C letter and tries to look system on it, giving the NTLDR IS MISSING message, so Windows does not boot from SATA disk. My system is virus free, no spyware, no nothing. Running several checks + firewall all the time. After thorough research, I have done and checked and repaired all this: 1. SATA C disk is primary active 2. BIOS settings are OK 3. boot.ini is fixed and properly set with correct boot ID# 4. IDE E disk is formatted 5. all jumpers OK 6. IDE cable replaced for brand new one 7. SATA Raid driver OK 8. all system files at root directory on C are present and SEEM to be fine to me 9. I processed BOOTCFG (and fixed everything), also FIXBOOT and FIXMBR. 10. I did even a repair installation of Windows, which usually fixes most problems, but no success. BUT: this happens ONLY when E disk is connected to PRIMARY IDE bus -OR- alone on the SECONDARY IDE bus without other IDE devices on the primary IDE (=primary IDE left empty). Placing E disk on IDE secondary bus -AND- F disk + DVD drive on primary IDE bus, system works fine, booting and I see ALL my disks. This makes me back working, but the question remains. What caused it? I really don't like the questions like that without answers! Any ideas? dolfort

Big question, this may be your best way. NTLDR IS MISSING http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=NTLDR+IS+MISSING&btnG=Search&meta=

5. all jumpers OK I don't think so. Check again and make sure none of the drives is set for Cable Select. Today seems like a good day to chew through the restraints.

How to use System files to create a boot disk to guard against being unable to start Windows XP

Johnw: first two pages of google search for the item returned pages I've checked already. thx anyway. seawatch: good idea, but all jumpers good. SATA disks do not have any, do they? IDE drive making conflicts with SATA has master jumper position. Chuck2: checked before, but the point is that I actually CAN boot the system, I just need to switch conflicting drive E from primary to secondary bus. Now when the conflicting E drive is switched to secondary IDE, I can load Windows and go to Disk Management, I see my SATA drive as DISK 2 and two other IDE disks as DISK 0 and DISK 1, the conflicting E drive being 0 DISK. ==== Which means, something prefers to the primary partition on IDE primary bus (which is exactly drive E), not to primary partition on SATA, leaving SATA drive system behind and not booting from it even though it is present. ==== my boot.ini says: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS and if I put E disk to primary IDE, BIOS tries to boot from it only, not from SATA drive. so if I just simply rewrite it to multi(0)disk(2)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS then everything would be alright and I assume I could boot even with the "bad" drive on the primary IDE, not secondary. But I'd prefer making my system SATA drive back to DISK 0 as it was before, clean and tidy. System drive is system drive, you know.. I'll try to have some closer look to BIOS settings again. many thanks for trying to help! dolfort

Did you check the boot order in the bios? Perhaps its set to ide which is why it boots over the sata. rewriting the boot.ini doesn't matter since booting order is already established via the bios. You would also have the ide be c: which would mess up 1000's of registry pointers Give a person a fish, they eat for a day. Suggest they internet search and they learn a skill for a lifetime.

Info for understanding boot.ini-- The Purpose of the Boot.ini File in Windows XP HOW TO: Edit the Boot.ini File in Windows XP