I have a friend who brought his laptop to me, it had Windows XP previously on it. The PROBLEM started with not being able to reboot and KEPT coming up with a error of missing ntldr. I took it and tried to format and reinstall XP on it. First I would GET to the setup screen and try to install over existing partition and it would say that it was corrupted and wouldn't continue. Then we deleted the partition and tried again. This time it would start up only to continually pop up with messages that a file couldn't be installed and the next one and so on. I have tried tons of the things, like your advice to hit repair instead of setup and copy the two i386 ntldr files, which was successful. But then it would turn to saying windows root\system32.hal.dll was not there. Which I then tried the bootcfg advice but there is not list because of the deleting of partitions. Not sure what I need to do, can somebody please help me. I just simply want to erase whatever was there before and put XP back on the COMPUTER. What is it I am doing wrong? I have done hundreds of computers before the same way, just can't figure this one out. P.S. he has two 100gb hard drives in the laptop.What version of XP is this CD and what exactly does it say on the CD itself ? ?It is a CD that was copied and it is Windows XP with SP3Get an original...
That's probably the issue right there.
XP CD cannot simply be copied and be expected to work.Sorry but it's not the problem, I have tried using originals, I have tons. I have also tried using vista (original). Nothing WORKS. The CD I have is a reliable one regardless of it being a copy, I have used it over and over on other computers with no problems whatsoever. I have restored my own computer with it at least 10 times. Quote

This time it would start up only to continually pop up with messages that a file couldn't be installed and the next one and so on

and since you're animate that the CD is fine

How about animated and quartered?

P.S. he has two 100gb hard drives in the laptop.