NTDETECT failed

Depending on the file type used...
Get copy of NTDETECT from another machine
Boot machine in any mode possible
Copy NTDETECT file to root
reboot machine.

Dont try this until a real expert has agreed that the NTDETECT file is generic

@asxtc, file type is fat32,
I cannot even boot from any of the option that the "f8" menu give me.. all return with the ntdetect failed... so in this optic I do not have access to the files system to copy anything in it.

If I simply reinstall, will it erase all my previous data?
Sure I would like to rescue it but if I cant...

I have another pc who serving for testing purpose. What I will do is install 2000 on it, get a boot disk and try to boot back my pc with this boot disk. Then I will follow the instruction to rename ntdetect file and everything, i've read this post here.

Completely deseperate... I really cant afford to loose this data...

Anyway during the mean time if there is other solution there are more than welcome.

if missing files is the only issue, then try this:

Boot from the 2000 CD, get into the Recovery Console, and type the following commands:

FIXMBR C:
FIXBOOT C:
COPY x:\I386\NTLDR C:\
COPY x:\I386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
Reboot

x denotes the letter of your CD Drive

Or

Differences Between Manual and Fast Repair in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;238359


or

http://www.jsiinc.com/subh/tip3900/rh3920.htm

"3920 » How do I perform an in-place upgrade of Windows 2000?

If a repair does NOT cause your computer to operate normally, you may wish to try an in-place upgrade, a last resort before reinstalling. The in-place upgrade takes the same time as a reinstall.

To perform an in-place upgrade:

1. Boot the CD-ROM (or boot disks).

2. Press Enter to install a copy of Windows 2000.

3. Accept the License Agreement.

4. If setup does NOT detect a your installation, an in-place upgrade is NOT possible.

5. When prompted to repair the existing installation, press R. Setup will perform an in-place upgrade"
-------------------

http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBJ/tip4500/rh4508.htm

"4508 » What does a Windows 2000 in-place upgrade change and not change?

I described performing an in-place upgrade in tip 3920 » How do I perform an in-place upgrade of Windows 2000?

When you perform an in-place upgrade:

1. Service Packs, hotfixes, and IE upgrades are rolled back.

2. Default registry values are restored.

3. Default permissions are reapplied.

4. COM and WFP are reregistered.

5. Plug and Play devices and the HAL are re-enumerated.

6. Drive letters are changed based upon the current drive and partitions. See Q2324048 - How Windows 2000 Assigns, Reserves, and Stores Drive Letters.

The following is NOT changed:

1. Installed components and programs.

2. Passwords.

3. Third-party registry entries.

4. The computer's role.

NOTE: If you upgraded your computer from Windows NT 4.0, profiles were stored at %SystemRoot%\Profiles. The in-place upgrade creates a \Documents and Settings folder and changes the registry profile to point to it. To fix the problem, use the Registry Editor to navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList. For each user, there will be a SID sub-key and a Value Name of ProfileImagePath. Change the string value to point to %SystemRoot%\Profiles\<UserName>."

CrazyOne,
  Thanks, this give me some kind of hope. I went in the beginning of this problem into the recovery console but did not know a single thing about what to type!!

Am going to do this right away and come back to give you the result.

Thanks

Thats what I mean by a real expert..

Lets hope it works. I am not sure what happened that caused the problem so lets hope that the problem can be fixed. :>)

Ok first, dont you guy's get stop by the 30pts.. as I said that was all I had left. If there is a way to turn some expert points into some question points I will do so and beleave me the one who help me getting this straight I will not be cheap on points... Man this is not even a point question.. .I would pay for it to be solve!


@CrazyOne, your first solution, the fixmbr and all did not work. Well maybe it work for some part but now when I reboot I have NTLDR is missing....
If you have an issue with this at this point well go ahead.

During time I am starting into your next post.

Thanks
 

Did you run this

COPY CDDriveLetter:\I386\NTLDR C:\

@CrazyOne, yes I did, and it told me that 1 file copy... so I assume that it worked..

Ok the in-place upgrade wont work. neither the repar manual or fast...

for the repair I need a boot disk. But like I said I aint got one.
Is there a way I can make one by the recovery console? I will then try to do the repair again.

As for the installation, windows detect my drive but says is not partitioned or corrupt... and if I want to install I have to format it. Hell no!!!

Man o man.. I really dont know. here is exactly what I did starting from the beginning.

I have 2 hdd. (c and d) c = windows and all tha program files... d = only extra storage.

Both of my disk are into slide-rack. (so I could remove them and replace them when I want).

I've remove my d: drive and replace it with a non formatted hd to format it. I boot and everything was ok. Of course when I clicked on D: a message told me that it was not accessible. That is because it was not formatted.
Went into dos and did the following.
format d: /fs:fat32  
all went fine. When finish formatting this drive (who was for another pc) I've simply put back my old d: drive in place and reboot. That is when the problem ntdetect occurs.

I really dont know what could have make this done. Once again Am scared as crazy that every thing is corrupt...

Anyway, i would really need to create a boot disk for the recovery console if this is possible.
At last resort I was thinking downloading one for somewhere but I cannot even do this.. remember, I am on my wife's  Mac(yuk..) right now. Would no compatibility.

Thanks

No the repair is just asking for the Emergency Repair Disk which can only be created while in Windows.

You should still be able to get to the Recovery Console and if so do this

chkdsk /r

To start the Recovery Console, use any of the following methods:
Start your computer with the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks, or with the Windows 2000 CD-ROM. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press F10, or press R to repair, and then C to start the Recovery Console.

Ok am going to try chkdsk /r and tell you the result.
But only to state that I do not have the normal Welcome to Setup screen when I boot with the cd. I have blue screen setup just like if its the fisrt time I install windows...

I've just re-did the fixmbr and copy both files ntldr,ntdetect and it did not work. Presently I copied them directly to c: should I tried to copy them into c:\winnt?

Thanks

Well... chkdsk /r says that the volume contains some unrecoverable data...

Also, if I do like If I want to do a new installation, when come the time to select witch partition to install windows I see both disk, but my c: drive is now only in FAT format and should be in FAT32...

I think that there is not alot of solution I can do...
maybe if I install windows on my d: drive i will then be able once windows will be up and running again to recover some data from my old c:

but still hope a bit.

@CrazyOne,
  man your help is way beyond what I could ask. Thanks alot. I will all consider those possibilities.

I am now on http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=318728 witch is how to recover from a ntldr is missing issue. I've also found severals articles who might give me some clues. I really need to get this up again.

Once again, dont worry for the points. Am very aware that this is way more than what i've give but repeat that this was all I had left. Like I said i'll check if I can change some expert points to some question points and will give you the appropriate points for your precious help.

Ok, maybe this could tell you something, Now am on the recovery console and I did map. Beleave it or not my c: drive is now showing to be in FAT16 format...what tha f...

So this is where i am now. I know I could install it on my D drive and try to recover after but I will still try to recover before doing this for a simple reason, my D drive was used for extra storage and also as a backup of some important data on my c: drive... If I reinstall on d: I will then lose all of this without even knowing if I will then be able to recover the old c: drive... follow me? So for now, at least I know that in the worst case I still have my d:...

What I am suggesting is way to get to what you need to get to and back those thing up to CD or a zip drive or a spare hard disk. Then when you have done then Install Win2000 on C and reformat D.

>>>Like I said i'll check if I can change some expert points to some question points

Well I can save you the trouble. The answer is no. So don't worry about it.

Ok CrazyOne. Than I will remember your help and give more points when I will have some.

Ok here's the situation. Am back on my pc again. I've switch my drive(well only cables) and reinstall a new copy of windows on my d: drive, well now it's c: drive. Of course i've lost what was on my d: but the most important things is my old c:.

So everything went fine. When all of this finish, first direction was to click on my new d: drive(witch was my c: before and that corrupt..) to see if I could recover all my stuff. But big surprise as there is only 3 little nifty files on it!! ntdetect, boot.ini and the %^# ntldr file...
???? Cant see nothing else and property show me exactly like if my drive was nearly empty...

So now my next step is to go get some recovery tools that you pointed out with and PRAY that all my stuff is still there even if windows do not see them...

Will let you know about that.

To be continue...

Ok

Ok CrazyOne,
Here's what I did.
I switch my cable so my D: would become C: and vice-versa.
I've install win2000 pro on c:(witch was my old d: and had to format so lost what's was on my d: drive..)
Once windows instlled I've run getdataback on d: drive(who was my old c:...) to recover all my stuff. Well beleave it or not i've recover everything and further more i've recover things that was on this drive there is a couple of format ago!!...
Ok. Now everything I wanted to be recover is non c:
I've switch back my cable's again so to have it back like before.
Install windows2000 pro, drag all my stuff on d: on my c: drive(this is all the stuff i've recover).
Everythig is ok.
Now what am gonna do is run getdataback on my d: drive to see if am able to recover the stuff that was there before i've switch cable and install win2000 on it(d: drive).

So basically. I've recover almost everything.
Just dont understand what happend...
Anyway, CrazyOne I hold you one. A big one man.
I have your name and wont forget your help.
Thanks again.
Greetings

Phew I am just glad you were able to recover the files you needed. :>)

Ya man... me too!!!! Am the first to shout out loud to whom ever whant's to hear it that they should perform some backup... hum... maybe I'd be better look to myself before speaking!!

CrazyOne, I've post some points to you. More to come.

Thanks again for you help

Regards