How to resolve “Missing Boot.ini file” error ?
Posted by admin on August 1st, 2010In Windows XP, the NTLDR file determines which partition is used to boot the system. To do this, NTLDR uses the Boot.ini file, which is a hidden file that detects and displays the list of operating systems during the boot process. This Boot.ini file can get corrupt, at times, which invariably stops the system from starting. In such case, you should rebuild the Boot.ini to address the problem. If you are unable to do something good in this regard, then using a third-party hard drive recovery software remains a good option to recover hard drive.
Consider a real-life example, in which you are unable to start your Windows XP system. Either of the following error messages is displayed:
“Invalid Boot.ini” or
“Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
Windows\System32\Hal.dll”
Cause:
Such behavior at startup are experienced when the Boot.ini file is either missing, corrupt, or has improper entries.
Resolution:
To overcome such startup problem, you should try to create a fresh instance of the Boot.ini file. To do this, please execute the following steps:
- Modify the BIOS settings to boot the system with a CD-ROM.
- Place the Windows XP CD in the CD-ROM drive and, then restart the computer.
- Press any key to boot the system with the CD when the ‘Press any key to boot from CD’ screen is displayed.
- Enter the Recovery Console by pressing the R key.
- Enter bootcfg/list in the command prompt and press the Enter key. The existing Boot.ini settings will be displayed.
- Now, enter bootcfg /rebuild and press the Enter key to scan hard disk and rebuild the Boot.ini file.
- Then, perform the instructions as they are displayed on the screen.
- Enter Exit to restart the system. The system should start without any problems now.
There have been some cases when such resolution does not fully rectify the issue. So, you would not be able to start the computer thereby making all the valuable data inaccessible. Therefore, to recover all such data you should employ the services of a third-party Windows hard drive recovery software. Some of these tools are equipped with a Boot CD, which is very useful when the system is unable to start, like in this case.
One such hard drive recovery software is Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery, which recovers lost, deleted, or formatted data even from inaccessible hard drives. Specially designed for FAT, NTFS, and exFAT file systems, this hard drive recovery utility is able to restore a huge variety of distinct file types. Well equipped to perform email recovery from MS Outlook and Outlook Express, this Windows hard drive recovery software is compatible with Windows 7, Vista, Server 2003, XP, and 2000.