"Ntfs.sys Causing Windows Blue Screen or Stop Errors During Boot
If Ntfs.sys encounters certain kinds of error on the drive, a blue screen appears and the system will lock up. This article explains.
Resolution:
During boot, the operating system installed on the disk drive needs Ntfs.sys to read and write to NTFS partitions. In addition, Ntfs.sys is also engaged when booting from the installation CD or with the Windows 2000/XP floppy boot disks. If Ntfs.sys encounters certain kinds of error on the drive, a blue screen appears and the system will lock up. Until these errors are repaired, the operating will continue to be inaccessible. The end user has the option of either:
(1) Zero filling and then reformatting the problem drive with Disk Management
-or-
(2) Temporarily disabling Ntfs.sys prior to boot and then manually running Check Disk to correct the errors.
For option 2, after running Check Disk, the Ntfs.sys file is re-enabled and the operating system is rebooted. The data can now be backed up. Due to the potential instability of this partition, it is recommended that after data back up, the end user should zero fill/low level format the drive and proceed to reformat with Disk Management. If after running Check Disk, the drive is still negatively affecting operating system boot, then the only remaining recourse may be to zero fill and low level format the drive .
There are two methods to disable Ntfs.sys. The system partition’s file system type is the determining factor as to which technique to use"