"NTLDR not found" when trying to boot Linux (Mandriva PowerPack 2007) from NTLDR
 

I have followed this guide: enterprise.linux.com/article.pl?sid=05/02/16/1919205
to load Linux from NTLDR, with the following bootpart command: (6 is my linux drive according to bootpart, and I installed GRUB to that drive)
However, when I try to boot into Linux, I get "NTLDR not found".
How can I fix this?

I know this won't fix your problem, but if there is one thing Linux does well is be nice to your MBR. Loading in this way is very "old fashion".

I think you need to post your drives and their boot order plus the partition you have mandivia installed to.
How did you install grub and where?
For you to be able to load from the windows bootloader you need to install grub to the partition your install is on (the root partition) NOT the MBR.
A live/rescue cd will allow you to work on and/or inspect your install.

Boot order:
1. Floppy
2. CD
3. Hard Drives (1. hdd 2. sda)
4. Removable Devices.

mount name letter other
hdd:
/mnt/win_c hdd1 M
/mnt/win_d hdd2 C System
/mnt/win_e hdd3 V
/mnt/win_f hdd4 F Windows
sda:
/ sda2 Mandriva, GRUB
/mnt/win_c2 sda5 X
swap sda6
/home sda7

(As you can see,) I installed GRUB and Mandriva on the the same partition.

I know it's old fashion, but I somehow feel more comfortable with NTLDR (besides, It's supposed to work!).

Here is: http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux...w2k-HOWTO.html
another howto on doing what your attempting to do.
I haven't done this in some time now because I don't run windows anymore but it does work if set up correctly.
What exactly is giving you that "NTDLR not found" message? Sounds like it could be a improper edit someplace.
Re-looking at that line I quoted here-there's a typo there, and I copied and pasted from your orginal post. It should be NTLDR not NTDLR. Check the files you edited for a typo.

Does this mean I have to make a separate /boot partition (the rest of the guide seems to be the same)? What does it matter?

First (when I choose to load Linux), Bootpart displays its "about" information, then a blank line, then "NTLDR not found.
Press any key to continue..." (and when I press a key, nothing happens)

I've checked the only file I edited, boot.ini, about a zillion times now.

I have summarised the method of using NTLDR booting Linux in Task E4 in the last link of my signature.

In order to NTLDR to boot a Linux you also need to copy the first 512 bytes of Grub from its root partition and made it availbale in the "C" drive.

This is because MS systems do not support Linux and are not willing to read a Linux partition to load its boot loader. Therefore you must copy Linux boot loader first 512 bytes into the "C" drive so that NTLDR can pass the control. I believe your error was due to NTLDR fails to continue as its control could not be passed to Linux's Grub.

Putting Grub inside the root partition is the correct way to arrange the Linux to be chainloaded by another system. There is no necessity to use a separate partition for /boot. Every partition has a boot sector in the beginning and Grub will be placed there if it is destined for root partition and not the MBR.

I also think that is why NTLDR fails. However, I have done all that (which I wrote alreday in my first post, bootpart does the same as dd).

BTW, there seems to be a typo in your guide, there sould be a = between the filename and the OS name:
C:\boot_hda8.lnx="My New Linux in hda8"

Thanks for pointing out the topo error in my link. Yes there was a "=" missing and I have since corrected it.

The problem of NTLDR is it need a bootable and working Linux before it can boot it. If the Grub is not properly installed then NTLDR can fail too.

In your case I believe the root of Mandriva is in sda2. I notice you specify "6" as your Linux drive. This possibly refers to sda7 or your /home partition. As far as I am aware Grub is always placed in /boot and so copying the boot loader (which should be empty in sda7) from sda7 will not work.

Can you try sda2 instead, using "1" for the partition reference?

Well, I dont't need help anymore.

Today, I found out that my SATA2 disk was connected to a SATA1 jack. My natural reaction was to plug it into a SATA2 jack instead, and when I booted, everything was OK (except I had to install SATA2 driver).
Then, I ran bootpart again, finding out that my linux drive was now #10. So, I updated bootsect.lnx just fo fun (I didn't think it would work).
About half an hour later (I rebooted several times, but I didn't try to boot Linux), I tried to load Linux just for fun. Imagine my amazement when it actually worked (GRUB started)! Blinded by joy, I started playing around in the GRUB menu, and selected the "windows" alternative. It showed just "NTLDR not found". I though there was nothing strange about that, after all, there were 4 "windows" alternatives (just "windows" and "windows1" to 3) and (probably) just one of them was correct; and restarted the computer.
However, after restart, I got a "NTLDR not found" (no boot manager loaded at all). I started the windows xp recovery console (from the install CD), and tried both FIXMBR, FIXBOOT and BOOTCFG. They all said that everything worked (except FIXMBR that told I had a bad MBR even after "fixing" it), but I still got "NTLDR not found".
So, the only solution I could found was to forget Windows and reinstall Mandriva (this time on MBR).
And, as of yet, I like it that way. :)