How to Repair the XP Boot Sector

Windows XP stores information about your computer files in the boot sector, a special section of the hard drive. When you start your computer, the computer's firmware reads the boot sector so it knows where to find the files it needs to start Windows XP. If a virus or user error damages the boot sector of your hard drive, Windows XP will not boot up. You can repair the XP boot sector by using a special tool in the Windows XP Recovery Console. The Recovery Console resides in a separate part of the hard drive from Windows XP, so your computer's firmware can find the Recovery Console even when it cannot find Windows XP or the XP boot sector.

Instructions

1. Start your computer, holding down the "F8" key during the boot process. This will open a startup menu. Select the "Recovery Console" option in the startup menu. This opens the Recovery Console.

2. Type the administrator password at the prompt, and then press "Enter." Your computer will display a Recovery Console command line with a command prompt.

3. Type "fixboot" (without the quotation marks) at the command prompt, and then press the "Enter" key. The Recovery Console will repair the boot sector, and notify you when the repair is complete. Restart the computer when the repair finishes.

References

• Microsoft TechNet: Repairing Damaged MBRs and Boot Sectors in x86-Based Computers
• Microsoft: Windows XP Documentation--Fixboot