ntldr file missing

[codyw725]

Ok so here's a quick run down.

I have VMware converter 3.0.3 installed on a windows XP computer on my network.  I have another computer on my network running windows XP and is acting as my symantec ghost and endpoint protection server.  I want to virtualize the symantec computer so I can more easily back it up in case of failure.  When I run vmware converter everything goes just fine, goes to 100% and says complete.  However when I try and launch that converted image in Vmware Server console 1.0.10 it says ntldr file is missing.  If I boot from a windows XP CD and attempt to go into the recovery console to repair the drive it tells me that there is no hard drive installed?  The hard drive installed on the physical box I am converting to a virtual machine is a Samsung HD161GJ 3.5" SATA drive.  Any help would be appreciated.

[a_p_]

Moved to the Converter forum to get a better attention.

André

[continuum]

ntldr missing maybe harmless - maybe the VM has an unbootable floppy image assigned with the scsi-driver for example ...

anyway - please attach the vmx-file and tell us if the size of the newly created vmdk looks reasonable

[codyw725]

Thanks for the responses.  My VMDK's have been split into 2GB chunks and they total up to what I'd expect.  Here is the contents of my VMX file:

config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version  = "4"
memsize = "2036"
MemAllowAutoScaleDown = "FALSE"
MemTrimRate = "-1"
displayName = "ghostfinal"
guestOS = "winXPPro"
numvcpus = "2"
tools.remindInstall = "TRUE"
sound.present = "TRUE"
sound.filename = "-1"
sound.autodetect = "TRUE"
usb.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
ethernet0.connectionType = "bridged"
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.fileName = "ghostfinal.vmdk"
ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.autodetect = "TRUE"
ide0:0.filename = "auto detect"
ide0:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom"
scsi0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0.virtualDev = "buslogic"
buslogic.noDriver = "FALSE"

[bulletprooffool]

Connect the vmdk to another VM and check the boot.ini is valid.

Also, it is possible that your origninal machine had some sort of recovery partition that is now missing - so you need to set the new drive as active.

Try this (with the vmdk back on the original VM)

1. Boot to any WinPe disk
2. F8
3. Diskpart
4. list Disk
5. sel disk 0
6. active
7. exit
8. Reboot and retry boot

[codyw725]

Bulletproof-

I'm not sure what you are asking me to do with the VMDK file.   As far as the partitions go, there is the system/active partition on the source machine and then there is an unknown 40MB partition on there as well and I selected both of them when I converted it.  I've tried it both with and without that 40MB unknown partition and it still does the same thing.  I haven't tried the WinPE disk yet, but my issue is that even when I boot a windows XP cd and try to start recovery console it says there is no drive so will that same thing happen with winpe?  Plus the server is at a remote location so I'll have to load the CD through the VMware interface ISO image option

[bulletprooffool]

Try converting without the 40GB disk.

Once you have the new image, find a WinPE boot disk and mount the CD on your VM - then boot from the CD.

when you get a DOS prompt, follow the instructions mentioned before.

[codyw725]

I've tried both with and without the 40MB partition and it still gives me the NTLDR file is missing.  I will download WinPE CD today when I get the chance and try it and let you know what I find.  Thanks

[bulletprooffool]

If you do no thave a WinPE disk, shut the VM down - then from a different VM, go edit settings - > Add Hard Disk . .and follow the wizard to add a disk (making sure you add an existing disk)

You'll need to specifiy the vmdk file that points to the faulty disk.

Once you have got the disk added to a new VM, you could follow the same process as before (except of course that you'd need to specify the disk number for the disk you are adding)

When complete, you'd then remove the disk form that VM (not delete) and re-attach to the faulty VM and start it up

You may also need to edit the boot.ini file if you had an additional partition before (though hopefull you'll be OK)

[codyw725]

What exactly do you mean when you say "Once you have got the disk added to a new VM, you could follow the same process as before."  I'm not sure what process you are talking about?

[codyw725]

Alright so heres what I've done.  I've added the VMDK of the VMware image that is not working to a working VMWARE image.  I've booted that image up and I'm not under My Computer.  I see the C: drive listed of the working VMWARE image and I also see the E: which is the VMDK file of the non working vmware image.  Now I'm stuck on what I should be doing?  When I search both the C: and E: drives for a boot.ini file I dont get any in the search results?  I'm lost at what to do next.  *BUMP*

[TMAROTEN]

Boot.ini is an hidden file. First change the view to show hidden files.

[codyw725]

I've already done that.  Selected to show hidden files and I still do not see a boot.ini file anywhere.  Even on my non virtualized PC's I do not see a boot.ini file.  Only way I can view the boot.ini file is to click start, run, msconfig and the boot.ini tab there, but I still can't find the actual file.

[codyw725]

Nevermind, forgot to uncheck the Hide protected system files too,  Sorry.  Heres the boot.ini file

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

[codyw725]

Once I added the non working VMDK to an already working vmware image and started it up, all I did was verify that the boot.ini file was there and that was it.  Once I powered off that virtual machine I just powered on the non working VMDK file and it works just fine!  Thank you so much for your help! :smileyhappy: