This is a heads up to members.
Just to share with you.
The value of buying and using a PC backup program. And to do full backup from time to time. (incremental backup not much use in my opinion)
I used Acronis 11. You can choose other software. Previously I used Cyberlink but switched to Acronis for simpler interface.
Yesterday afternoon, I ignorantly deleted the file named "ntldr" (no extension) from my C:\ root directory. (I did not remember deleted from which directory - until after I rescued the PC and checked where this thing was residing)
Somehow, Windows does not protect this file from accidental erasure or make it a hidden file.
The next time I tried to turn on the PC this morning, the PC refused to boot.
It says
"ntldr missing"
Trying to recover using the original Windows XP CD was useless.
It made you try to key in Administrator Password, etc....
Make you go round in circles......
Resinstalling the XP does not work. The next time restart the PC, it just loops from start to Windows start up screen non-stop and never proceed beyond.
How did I cure it?
Luckily got Acronis 11 Backup and made an Acronis Boot Rescue disk.
And Luckily I backed up the C: and D: drives (full backup) as recently as 15 Nov 09.
Phew!
So this is how to restore from Acronis.
Connect up the USB cabling to the PC and the portable hard disk that I back up drive C to.
Then put in the Acronis Boot Rescue CD into the drive A:
Turn on the PC.
Choose from the menu, Restore.
Then follow the menu to restore from the portable hard disk.
It is shown as E: (in my system)
Just do a full backup of C:
After that, remove the portable hard disk and the Acronis Boot Rescue disk from drive A:
Restart the PC.
It will log on beautifully, as though nothing happened as from 15 Nov 09.
Did not lose much in 6 days. Not from drive C: anyway.
Drive D: is unscathed.
Finally, don't erase ntldr.
Just to share with you.
The value of buying and using a PC backup program. And to do full backup from time to time. (incremental backup not much use in my opinion)
I used Acronis 11. You can choose other software. Previously I used Cyberlink but switched to Acronis for simpler interface.
Yesterday afternoon, I ignorantly deleted the file named "ntldr" (no extension) from my C:\ root directory. (I did not remember deleted from which directory - until after I rescued the PC and checked where this thing was residing)
Somehow, Windows does not protect this file from accidental erasure or make it a hidden file.
The next time I tried to turn on the PC this morning, the PC refused to boot.
It says
"ntldr missing"
Trying to recover using the original Windows XP CD was useless.
It made you try to key in Administrator Password, etc....
Make you go round in circles......
Resinstalling the XP does not work. The next time restart the PC, it just loops from start to Windows start up screen non-stop and never proceed beyond.
How did I cure it?
Luckily got Acronis 11 Backup and made an Acronis Boot Rescue disk.
And Luckily I backed up the C: and D: drives (full backup) as recently as 15 Nov 09.
Phew!
So this is how to restore from Acronis.
Connect up the USB cabling to the PC and the portable hard disk that I back up drive C to.
Then put in the Acronis Boot Rescue CD into the drive A:
Turn on the PC.
Choose from the menu, Restore.
Then follow the menu to restore from the portable hard disk.
It is shown as E: (in my system)
Just do a full backup of C:
After that, remove the portable hard disk and the Acronis Boot Rescue disk from drive A:
Restart the PC.
It will log on beautifully, as though nothing happened as from 15 Nov 09.
Did not lose much in 6 days. Not from drive C: anyway.
Drive D: is unscathed.
Finally, don't erase ntldr.
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