"NTLDR Is Missing, Press Any Key" Error Message When You Start a Differencing Disk Image (825083)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to start a differencing disk image in Connectix Virtual PC for Windows, you may receive the following error message:

NTLDR is missing, press any key.

When you restart the differencing disk image, you may receive the same error message.

CAUSE

If the parent disk image is modified after a child disk image is created from it, or if you try to start the differencing disk image from a different parent drive than its original parent disk image, you cannot use the child disk image or recover any part of the data from the child disk image.

RESOLUTION

To prevent this issue, after you create a parent disk image, you must write-protect the parent image to prevent later modifications. Also, do not try to start the differencing disk image from a parent drive other than its original parent disk image.

MORE INFORMATION

There are two components of a differencing disk image: the 'parent' or 'base' disk image, and the 'child' or 'change' disk image. The parent disk image has a full operating system installation on it and can function as a standard guest PC. A child disk image contains only the changes to the parent disk image. You cannot use a child disk image without the parent disk image. Because the parent disk image acts as a template operating system installation, and the child disk image contains only the additions or the deletions to the template, if a parent disk image is modified after a child disk image is created and linked to the parent disk image, you cannot use the child disk image or recover any part of the data from the child disk image.