XP Problem: NTLDR is missing

[realwx]

I'm having a lot of problems. Apparently my mom's computer has been having problems; the Norton anti-virus stopped working and the computer developed hundreds of viruses due to an ethernet screw-up in the computer. We tried to send it to somebody, waited 5 months until today, got it back with no success, and when I boot it up, it says "NTLDR is missing, Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart" and I do, while inserting the WinXP Professional disk. It can't find the disk, all it says is "NTLDR is missing". I can't wipe it immediately because my mom has her 400 songs she wants to backup and I don't have any floppies.

[GX1_Man]

Is the computer set to boot from the CDROM prior to the hard drive?

[Mac]

Find another XP computer, FULL format one floppy in the XP computer and copy the (hidden) ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini files to the floppy.

Put it in the problem computer and start up.

Doesn't this computer have a CD or DVD burner?

BOOT.INI Examples...

Control panel, System, Advanced, Startup and Recovery Settings, Edit ... the boot.ini file (or edit a copy of the boot.ini file if it is for use in another computer) so it looks like...

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

OR...

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect

If you have installed the Recovery Console on your boot drive there will be an additional line...

C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons