How to Fix Windows 98's Boot Sector

Floppy disks are used with Windows 98.

The Windows 98 operating system used the DOS operating system to control boot capabilities. To fix a DOS boot sector, you need to use the "sys" command. This can be used from the Windows command prompt either in the operating system or a bootable disk. If the computer does not boot because of a corrupted boot sector, you can use a floppy disk to boot the machine to DOS. You can't use newer operating system CDs, because new versions of Windows use a different type of file system.

Things You'll Need

• Bootable floppy disk

Instructions

1. Insert the boot floppy into the drive and reboot the machine. With a floppy inserted into the machine, it boots directly to DOS.

2. Type "sys" into the command prompt. This shows you the syntax for the command and the options you can use with the statement.

3. Type "sys c:" into the command prompt. Replace "C" with the drive you want to repair. This can be any hard drive on the system. It only takes a few seconds for the repair.

4. Remove the floppy disk and reboot the machine. Since the boot sector is now restored, Windows 98 is booted and you can now use the operating system.

References

• Lab DV: Repair Windows 98 Boot Disk