Knowledge Base

Ntdetect Fails When Computer Starts

Article ID: 242112

Article Last Modified on 3/1/2007

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q242112

SYMPTOMS

When you start a computer running Windows, the boot process may not succeed, and you may receive the following error message:

NTDetect Failed

This behavior can occur if the Ntdetect.com file is missing or damaged.

To resolve this issue in Windows NT 4.0, use the Emergency Repair Disk (ERD) to restore the boot files:

Use Windows NT 4.0 Setup Disk 1 to start the computer.
When you are prompted, insert Windows NT 4.0 Setup Disk 2.
When the Windows NT Server Setup screen appears, press R to begin the repair process.
Use the arrow keys to select Inspect Startup Environment from the repair options, press ENTER, and then cancel the selection of all other repair options.
Select Continue, press ENTER, and then follow the instructions to detect mass-storage devices.
When you are prompted, insert the ERD.
When you are prompted, insert the Windows NT Server 4.0 CD-ROM.
When the repair process is completed, remove the ERD from the floppy disk drive, and then press ENTER to restart the computer.

To resolve this issue in Windows 2000:

Start the computer from the Windows 2000 CD-ROM.
At the "Welcome to Setup" menu select R for repair.
Select Manual Repair.
Select only Startup Environment from the repair options.
When prompted, insert the Emergency Repair Disk (ERD). If you do not have an ERD you can proceed without one.
When the repair process is completed, remove the ERD from the floppy disk drive, and then press ENTER to restart the computer.

For additional information about using an ERD, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

103280 Using an Emergency Repair Disk Created by Windows NT

129037 Windows NT 3.5x and 4.0 Emergency Repair Process Screens

Additional query words: nt 4.0 fail emergency repair

Keywords: kbprb KB242112