Help with "NTLDR is missing"

[lcoughey]

Originally Posted by oldtech

I guess my question is - Why are you all helping an obvious end user?

End users pay my bills.

[FoolishTech]

Originally Posted by oldtech

I guess my question is - Why are you all helping an obvious end user?

That he is, but I looked at the intro thread and it seems he is trying to break into the biz...

Originally Posted by dhuss

At this point I'm just trying to help out a friend so I don't have a "regular diagnostic process".

Unfortunately this isn't the best forum to learn how to repair computers from scratch, and it definitely isn't for people who aren't PC technicians by trade. This forum is more for people who at least have a basis or background in that area.

That being said... I understand you are trying to get started, so my best advice is to READ the forums, and start by looking up info and working on that diagnostic process that you don't have yet.

Regardless of your diagnostic process, you need one, period. Why would you try to fix a problem, without knowing what the problem actually is?! Just performing a format/reload of Windows on your friend's computer was not fixing anything nor doing him any favors.

While some people on here will argue that you should perform full diagnostics on every component of the system that it is possible to run a diagnostic on regardless of what the problem is, I will say that without arguing that point, you should have at least run a hard drive diagnostic INITIALLY when you first had the computer, based on the type of problem you may have had; you DEFINITELY should run one on it now. AFTER you back up any important data, which should be your top priority at this point.

Full diagnostics can include a lot of areas, the bare minimum are HDD and RAM tests, sometimes CPU and even GPU stress tests, maybe even a PSU voltage/load check, definitely visually checking the caps on the motherboard in a desktop system, making sure all fans are operational and checking for excessive heat on various components especially when under stress testing, etc. etc.

Once you get that out of the way, you can start worrying about software issues. Many (even somewhat experienced techs) will assume an issue is software related and post here for answers when they haven't even run related diagnostics, much less full diagnostics. So just for future reference, this is a big no-no.

[dhuss]

Originally Posted by FoolishTech

Once you get that out of the way, you can start worrying about software issues. Many (even somewhat experienced techs) will assume an issue is software related and post here for answers when they haven't even run related diagnostics, much less full diagnostics. So just for future reference, this is a big no-no.

You're absolutely right. I should have run basic diagnostics before posting the question to the forums.

Thanks for the diagnostic procedure recommendations as well as the software recommendations.
I'm going to run those diagnostics as see if the problem might be a hardware related issue.