Repairing the Windows® XP Boot Loader
1) Create a Win98/Me Startup Disk
2) Create a Notepad file with the following entries, exactly as shown:
L 100 2 0 1
N C:\BOOTSECT.DOS
R BX
0
R CX
200
W
Q
3) Save the file to the Win98/Me Startup Disk as READ.SCR
4) Boot the computer with the Win98/Me Startup Disk and at the A: prompt type
DEBUG <READ.SCR
Steps 1 - 4 create the BOOTSECT.DOS file needed to boot Win98/Me. For your convenience, you can download READ.SCR here. I suggest you use right click and Save As. You may need to use the ATTRIB C:\BOOTSECT.DOS -S -H -R command if BOOTSECT.DOS already exists and you get an error when trying to recreate it.
5) Configure your computer to boot from the CD drive. This is done in the BIOS, or your computer may offer the option at startup if it detects a bootable CD. Consult your computer's manual for more information. If your computer does not support booting from CD-Rom, you should also be able to boot with a 98/Me Startup disk, and run WINNT.EXE from the I386 folder of your XP CD.
6) Insert your XP CD and boot from it.
7) You'll see some files being copied, then you'll be presented with a choice of installing or
repairing an existing installation. Choose Repair.
8) You'll be asked which XP installation you want to log into. Enter 1. There is usually only
one installation.
9) You'll be prompted for the Administrator password. For Home, the default password is blank, so just hit Enter. For Pro, enter the same password you did during setup for the Administrator account (this is not the same as the password for an Admin level account. It must be the Administrator account password).
10) At the C:\Windows prompt, type FIXBOOT. You'll be prompted to confirm. Do so.
11) When FIXBOOT is finished, remove the XP CD and type EXIT and the machine will reboot.
Reconfigure your computer to boot from the hard drive if necessary.
You will now get the XP Boot loader with your choice of operating systems.
Source: Doug Knox
