DOCUMENT:Q92384 20-JUL-1993 [W_NT] TITLE :Q&A: Miscellaneous Information PRODUCT :Windows NT PROD/VER:3.10 OPER/SYS:WINDOWS KEYWORDS: -------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Summary: This article contains the Technical Information section, including the following topics: - Couldn't Find NTLDR - How the LibPath Environment Variable Works - File Compression Programs and Drivers - Using Fault Tolerance Mirroring in Windows NT - ANSI.SYS Support - Removal of NTFS - CHKDSK /F on an NTFS Drive - MS-DOS Device Drivers in CONFIG.SYS - Replacing Boot Sector Without Reinstalling - Microsoft Visual C++ More Information: Couldn't Find NTLDR ------------------- Question: When I select Windows NT from Boot Loader it comes up with the following error: BOOT: Couldn't find NTLDR Please insert another disk Answer: In order for Boot Loader to start NTLDR must be in the root of the C Drive. If this file is missing you will get this error message. To fix this simply copy the NTLDR from the CD or the Floppies to the root of the C drive. If you are copying from the CD ROM, you will find NTLDR in the I386 directory and can copy it by going to the CD ROM Drive and entering: copy \i386\ntldr c:\ Or, if you have a floppy installation set, you can find NTLDR as NTLDR.$ on disk 2. To expand this file and copy it to the correct location, type the following: expand ntldr.$ c:\ntldr. How the LibPath Environment Variable Works ------------------------------------------ Question: I used to use the LIBPATH environment variable to search for DLL files. The environment variable is no longer available under Windows NT. What do I use as a replacement? Answer: There is no Win32 or NT LIBPATH environment variable or Registry entry under Windows NT. DLLs are found just like executable files (EXE files) on the path. File Compression Programs and Drivers ------------------------------------- Question: Is Windows NT compatible with my hard disk compression driver? Answer: As indicated in the release notes, you cannot place Windows NT on a partition with Stacker, DoubleSpace (Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0) or any other compression or partitioning software. In general, Windows NT will not be able to access data on a disk that requires a driver in the CONFIG.SYS file for MS-DOS unless a similar driver has been installed for Windows NT. Using fault Tolerance Mirroring in Windows NT --------------------------------------------- Question: Why am I unable to choose the Establish Mirror or Stripe Set With Parity options under Disk Manager for Microsoft Windows NT? Answer: Only Windows NT Advanced Server supports the hard disk fault tolerance options of mirroring (which includes duplexing) and striping with parity. ANSI.SYS Support ---------------- Question: Does Windows NT support the use of ANSI.SYS? Answer: Windows NT does support the use of ANSI.SYS for backward compatibility with MS-DOS-based applications which require it. However, when you start a Command Prompt, you are not running ANSI.SYS, so escape sequences do not function. 1. Add the following line to your CONFIG.NT file in your %SYSTEMROOT%\ SYSTEM32 directory: device=%systemroot%\system32\ansi.sys 2. Start a command prompt. 3. Run COMMAND.COM from MS-DOS 5.0. Note: This must be the version that comes with MS-DOS 5.0. If you just type COMMAND, the system starts another CMD.EXE from Windows NT. Check the version with the VER command. It should be "MS-DOS 5.00," not "Windows NT Version 3.10." Also, remember to include extra environment space if you are going to use the PROMPT variable. You should now be able to send ANSI escape sequences. To test this, try the following example: prompt $e[J This should clear the screen. Note: When you type EXIT at the command prompt, only COMMAND.COM is exited; you need to type EXIT a second time to close the Windows NT command prompt. Removal of NTFS --------------- Question: How do I remove my NTFS partition from my C Drive? Answer: The CONVERT utility cannot change an NTFS-formatted drive to a drive formatted by another file system. It is necessary to reformat an NTFS drive in order to change the file system. If Windows NT is not installed on the NTFS partition you are trying to remove, use the FORMAT command from a Windows NT command prompt to change the file system, or use the Disk Administrator to remove the partition directly. Windows NT does not permit you to format the drive that it is installed on. To reformat a drive containing Windows NT: 1. Start Windows NT Setup. 2. Choose Custom Installation. 3. If Setup suggests a path in which to install Windows NT, press N to select a new location. 4. When Setup asks you to select the partition where you would like to install Windows NT, choose the NTFS drive you want to reformat and press P to delete the partition. 5. Either continue from here using the setup program to recreate and format the partition or exit Setup and use the FDISK and FORMAT commands to complete then process. CHKDSK /F on an NTFS Drive -------------------------- Question: Why won't Windows NT let me run CHKDSK /F on NTFS formatted drives? Answer: There are two reasons for this: 1. If you see the message Cannot lock the current drive. make another drive current. For example, if you are trying to run CHKDSK /F on the D drive, make C current by typing "C:" and ENTER before issuing the CHKDSK command. 2. If you see the message Cannot lock the drive for single user. it indicates that there are open files on the drive you are attempting to check. If Windows NT is not installed to the drive in question, simply be sure that all applications that might have files open on the drive are closed. If you have a page file on the drive, that too must be moved by using the Virtual Memory application in Control Panel. You should then be able to run CHKDSK with the /F option. If Windows NT is installed to the NTFS drive for which you are trying to run CHKDSK /F, then it will not be possible to fix errors without restarting Windows NT. When CHKDSK /F is unable to execute, it prompts the user with a message similar to the following: Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system reboots? (Y/N) If you choose Y, CHKDSK /F is executed the next time Windows NT is started. MS-DOS Device Drivers in CONFIG.SYS ----------------------------------- Question: How do I load device drivers in CONFIG.SYS for my MS-DOS applications? Are there drivers that I will not be able to load? Answer: You can only use device drivers in CONFIG.SYS that touch parts of the system that are emulated by the Windows NT VDM (Virtual DOS Machine) code. This is why ANSI.SYS works (because the display is an emulated device) but ASPI drivers don't (since the hardware is not emulated.) If you have some software that requires a device driver, it is likely that the vendors who produced it need to write a VDD (Virtual Device Driver) for that driver, and possibly a Windows NT Device Driver to support that VDD. The information required to write these drivers can be found in the Windows NT DDK. Replacing Boot Sector Without Reinstalling ------------------------------------------ Question: How do I replace my Windows NT boot sector without reinstalling Windows NT? Answer: Obtain a copy of MKSECT.ZIP from Library 1 of the WINNT forum on CompuServe and follow the directions included in the file. Microsoft Visual C++ -------------------- Question: Why do I get the following error when I run the Microsoft Visual C++ compiler Windows NT? MMD.386 virtual device driver not loaded. Answer: Visual C++ requires a driver in the SYSTEM.INI file which is specific to Windows 3.1. You can not use the compiler in this fashion under Windows NT. Please refer to the MSLANG forum for more information. Additional reference words: 3.10 FastTips ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. 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