Missing NTLDR Fault in Windows: How to Fix it

Windows is the most used operating system in the world on a computer, but that does not mean that it is free of unexpected failures with which to put our hands to our heads. In this case we are going to focus on an unexpected error that happens when we try to start up our Windows 10 computer normally. Suddenly, the “NTLDR is missing” error appears, which means that our operating system has suffered some unexpected mismatch. Today we are going to look at possible solutions to this problem.

What is the NTLDR file and what is it for

The NTLDR file is responsible for booting all versions of the Windows NT operating system, and is usually found in the main directory of the active partition of the boot drive. For this reason, when our computer tries to access the operating system and is unable to do so, a warning appears on the screen indicating “NTLDR is missing”, so the boot loading process stops and cannot continue because of this error.

NTLDR is missing

This error when starting our computer with Windows 10 can be indicated in several ways and they all represent the same problem:

  • NTLDR is missing. Press any key to restart
  • NTLDR is missing. Press Ctrl Alt Del to restart
  • Boot: NTLDR could not be found. Please insert another disc

The most frequent reason why this error may appear to us is because our computer is trying to boot with a hard disk, DVD or USB key that is not really configured to be able to boot. It can also be caused by a virus that has corrupted the files, getting into the Windows 10 boot record and damaging it. Therefore, we will see what are the possible solutions.

Steps to fix the problem NTLDR is missing

Disconnect external elements

The first thing we must do is, with the computer turned off, disconnect all external drives and remove removable media such as the DVD drive, memory cards and USB devices. As we said before, the problem of “NTLDR is missing” is usually caused by a problem in the BIOS that tries to boot the computer from a drive that is not configured to boot, so it is necessary to prevent it from trying to load from any of them.

Check boot disk in BIOS

Next, we must access the BIOS and check that the system is going to try to boot from the drive where the Windows operating system is installed. To access the BIOS we must turn on the computer while holding down the F2 or Delete key, depending on each brand. Once inside, we will click on the Boot tab, at the top and it will take us to the configuration part of the startup of our computer.

seleccionar unidad de arranque bios

Here we will check that the drive where the operating system is installed (for example, Hard disk c 🙂 is in “Boot Option # 1” or similar at boot time. Once checked, we exit the BIOS, turn off the computer and reconnect the external drives that we had previously removed. We try to start the computer and check if we can boot normally, otherwise we will proceed to update the BIOS.

Acceder bios del ordenador

Update BIOS

The NTLDR Missing error may be due to the BIOS of our computer being out of date , so we should visit the manufacturer’s website to ensure that we have the last option installed. If there is a new version, we must download it from another computer. This file must be a ZIP file that we must unpack and save on a FAT32 formatted USB flash drive.

Next, we will turn the computer back on and enter the BIOS with the USB stick inserted. Now we will go to the “Advanced” option and we will see an option called “Start Easy Flash” or similar as it depends on the manufacturer model. From here, a wizard will allow us to find the file that we have downloaded, select it, accept the process and the update will start. Finally, if everything went well, the computer will restart and we will have the new version of the BIOS that can solve the problem and start the computer normally.

Reinstall Windows or change hard drive

If the BIOS update does not help us to solve the problem and the error NTLDR is missing appears, we must choose to reinstall Windows 10 again on our computer from 0, so we will lose all the saved data in case we did not have no backup made. If the error still appears after reinstalling it, it may be due to a hardware problem with our hard drive. Therefore, we will have to replace the hard drive and reinstall Windows 10.