The NTLDR file is the boot loader for Windows NT and later systems. It loads the files and programs that are required to boot the computer system into ready-to-run state. The configuration options for the boot menu are stored in the boot.ini file while NTLDR enables you to select the desired operating system. However, sometimes the system fails to boot. It can happen because of various corruption reasons such as virus infections, human errors, power outages, etc. You should take appropriate corrective measures to rectify the problem. If you are not able to restore the data, then you should use a third-party data recovery software to do the needful.

Consider a scenario wherein you are unable to start your Windows 2000 system. An error message is getting displayed, that is:

"NTLDR is missing Press any key to restart"

Cause: The possible causes of this aforementioned error message are: • The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) settings are not updated. • One of the following system boot files are missing or corrupted: ◦ Ntldr ◦ Ntdetect.com ◦ Boot.ini

Resolution: To resolve this error message, you should perform the following methods: • Verify that the BIOS on the system are updated: • Repair the Windows Repair Environment: To repair the Windows Repair Environment, you should perform the following steps: ◦ Insert the Windows CD into the system as the default boot up media. ◦ Enter Windows Recovery Console. ◦ At the command prompt, type the following commands: copy X:\i386\ntldr C:\ copy X:\i386\ntdetect.com C:\ ◦ Press Y when prompted to overwrite any existing file. ◦ Restart the system. • Reinstall the operating system: You should reformat the hard disks and reinstall the operating system. However, before doing this you should try to backup the data by any which way or else you will lose the data.

The aforementioned methods would be able to resolve the issue. However, if you still are not able to start your computer then you should use a third-party data recovery software to recover the inaccessible data. Such data recovery tools are read-only in nature that do not overwrite the original data while scanning the system.