Jump to content

NTLDR

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NTLDR was the program that loaded Windows NT based operating systems until Windows Vista where it was replaced with BOOTMGR.[1][2] It is run from the C: drive but can also run off of a USB flash drive or DVD-ROM. It can also load non Windows based operating systems such as Ubuntu.

NTLDR needs two files on the C: drive so it can work:

  • ntldr, the program that does the actual loading
  • NTDETECT.COM, needed for loading NT-based operating systems


Another important file is a the boot.ini which contains the settings for booting.

References[change | change source]

  1. "NTLDR - Tech-FAQ". 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  2. Russinovich, Mark E.; Solomon, David A. (2005). Microsoft Windows internals : Microsoft Windows server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000. Internet Archive. Redmond, WA : Microsoft Press. ISBN 978-0-7356-1917-3.