How to Restore Windows XP Boot Sector

1. Step 1

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   Place the Windows XP product installation CD in your computer's CD drive and start the computer. The computer will boot using the information on the product CD instead of the damaged information on the computer's hard drive.

2. Step 2

   Press the "R" key to select the recover option when the start-up process displays the "Welcome to Setup" screen.

3. Step 3

   Type in the administrator password for your Windows XP operating system when prompted, then click the "Enter" key. The Recovery Console will display a command prompt.

4. Step 4

   Type "fixboot" at the command prompt and then press the "Enter" key. This starts the fixboot utility, which rewrites the damaged boot sector on your hard drive.

5. Step 5

   Restart the computer when the fixboot utility is finished. The boot sector will be restored.