Member Avatar for Robert Ian

Hi All.

I have a compaq evo n600c notebook in which I recently installed a new 149 GB hard drive; the new hard drive required a bios with 48-bit lba capability and since this became available in 2003 and my bios dates to 31/12/2003 I believed my bios would handle the new hard drive. Unfortunately, the bios gives an "NTLDR is missing" message when the computer tries to boot from the hard drive and this would seem to be due to reading the drive geometry incorrectly - 240 heads instead of 255 - so for the moment I am booting from a boot CD for Windows 2000 Pro; once Windows takes over there is no problem with the drive. Unfortunately, without a newer bios - a friend of mine has Dell laptop of comparable age with a 2005 bios that boots my hard drive with no difficulty - the only resolution to my problem would seem to be to wipe the disk and do a clean install of Windows XP, so allowing the BIOS to set the disk parameters from scratch: it will still read the head number incorrectly, but as long as it boots the drive it does not matter as Windows can read the disk. Is there another compatible compaq bios that I could use instead that would solve the problem? My current bios is Compaq 686DF v2.49 12/31/2003. Evidently no BIOS update is available for my notebook.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

Dani AI

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This looks like the classic BIOS/geometry vs. OS drivers mismatch rather than a damaged Windows install. The BIOS hands control to NTLDR very early and if the firmware either lacks full 48‑bit LBA support or translates CHS/LBA incorrectly, the boot loader can fail even though Windows (once its own drivers are loaded) can see the drive. Microsoft documents the “NTLDR is missing” bootstrap symptoms and recommends checking BIOS/boot files; community writeups explain the 137GB/28‑bit→48‑bit boundary and why older BIOSes can behave this way. (learn.microsoft.com)

Practical, safe steps (ranked):

  • Check for an official Compaq/HP BIOS update first. If HP/Compaq has none for the exact model, do not flash firmware from another model — that risks bricking the machine.
  • If a BIOS update is not available, make the Windows system partition sit entirely inside the BIOS addressable region (the common workaround). Back up the disk, boot a partition tool (GParted/Acronis/EaseUS), create a primary partition at the start of the disk sized below the BIOS limit (under the 137GB boundary), and either reinstall Windows there or clone the existing system to that partition. After that, ensure the partition is marked active and the boot files (NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM, BOOT.INI) are present — Microsoft/boot guides show how to copy/repair those files from recovery media. (forums.tomshardware.com)

Other options and cautions:

  • Vendor tools or overlays (Ontrack/Maxtor, WD Data Lifeguard / “Update MBR” / DDO) were historically used to work around old BIOS limits; they can help on desktops but are fiddly and have risks for laptops. Use them only if you understand the tool and have a complete backup. (dell.com)

Quick checklist before you proceed: full image backup; confirm Windows has the proper SP/48‑bit LBA support if you change registry bits (do this only with SP1+ guidance); avoid non‑matching BIOS images; and test the partition-sizing trick (as suggested) on the drive — making a small OS partition near the front is often the least risky fix. If unclear, capture the BIOS drive report (how it reports heads/sectors/cylinders) and post it — that detail helps pick the safest path. (smallvoid.com)

Member Avatar for caperjack

using the winxp cd ,try partitioning the drive into 3 x50 gb ,see what happens

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