Does anyone know is the NTLDR file for in C:\ (%systemdrive%) is generic?

In other words can I use the same NTLDR file for any other computer with a NTFS file system so that I could even put it in a unattended install?

It’s generic in the sense that it will work on any install of the OS version or earlier than it came from. It’s the boot.ini file that is more computer specific.

The XP ntldr will work for any XP and 2K, where as the 2K one won’t work for XP. I don’t know about 2003, but it’s almost certainly ok for also XP and 2K. Never tested if the XP one will work for 2003.

NT/2K/XP/2003 all need 3 things to boot (ie you can take a blank disk and add these 3 files to it and it will try to boot)

NTLDR

NTDETECT.COM

BOOT.INI

BOOT.INI has the information about where the OS is and must point to the correct disk and partition where th OS files are (usually and by default it's multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect)

The bit in quotes is the text you see at startup and can be anything you like really

The multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) bit basically equates to C:\ then it looks for the foilder called WINDOWS (normally anyway) but for example if you have 3 IDE disks and each has 3 partitions and you install windows on the 2nd partition of the 3rd disk and during install you called the folder WINNTthen thats what ntldr looks for and this line would read multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(3)partition(2)\WINNT

NB if it was SCSI disks you had then it would be multi(0)disk(3)rdisk(0)partition(2)

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