Tech-Recipes - Latest Comments in XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

andrew — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:08:41 -0000

THanks.
Your method applies to the assumption that installation is on Drive C:

What if the failed drive is another drive, or second or third hard drive attached to the computer through USB hub. Will there be an option to select the damaged drive?

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

softwaregadgets — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:21:17 -0000

what should i do if i don't even have any bootable window xp cd ? is there any recommended tools which can fix it [ mbr,boot file ] properly ?
thanks in advance

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

WebMax — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:35:34 -0000

I've used the recovery console lot's of time, it's an excellent in-built tool. If you don't know any commands just type in HELP and a list of them will pop up.

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

Michael N. — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:25:43 -0000

Great... if you have an XP disc. Nobody provides those with PCs anymore.

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

David McGee — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:04:55 -0000

I had to do a low level format of my hard drive to remove partions so that I could copy an image from one identical PC to the other (ie original PC no longer had partitions).

I have made the new image with Driveimage XML and with Ghost, but the new hard drive still will not boot. All of the files appear to be intact on the copies including system files.

I have tried both fixmbr and fixboot with no luck. I see format/s or sys dos commands are no longer available under XP.

What else can I do?

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

obernhardt — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:53:42 -0000

I recovered all my data from an inaccessible disk to chkdsk, fixmbr or fixboot with the free testdisk from sourceforge, win version, PC option. Booted from a second hard disk.

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

obernhardt — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:50:59 -0000

I booted from a second HD with recovery console, enter his recovery console and used fixmbr from here

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

dude — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:05:56 -0000

superb solution...thx

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

dalam — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:52:33 -0000

How to Check the master boot code of hard disk.

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

Ludo — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:05:57 -0000

Use "ERD Wincommander" to set a new admin password. Download the program, burn it as a bootable disc on a CD (.iso) and start your PC with it. After starting, you have an option to change your admin password.

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

counsel — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:50:19 -0000

what if you can't remember the administrative password since it is so old.....

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

narender — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:40:33 -0000

what type of risk in fixmbr command

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

Appo Apodaca — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:27:09 -0000

Did you get my comments.

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

Appo Apodaca — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:26:26 -0000

Using Windows XP, I used your suggestion but it did not work. I tried the fixboot command and it did take. And I did receive a message that it had been fix, Then I typed in Exit and it rebooted.
But Now it is just sitting there with the white tracks at the bottom of the screen and has only advanced about twenty bars, so now it is just forzen at those bars.

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

STR — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:45:01 -0000

This didn´t solve my problem.

My HDD is still dead

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

shaik — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:38:15 -0000

dual os winxp and rhel4 how to installation guide me

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

paulgmw — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:56:50 -0000

i need help!!! i have a compaq pent.4 and a blue screen appeared on my screen with this message: "Bootblock Emergency recovery mode.
The system flash rom image may be corrupted or the escape key was pressed during power on. If the ESC key was accidentally pressed please reboot the system

Enter the Administrator password now." Please help as I don't have administrator password and i can't reboot as there is only an on/off button. Looking forward to your assistance. paulgmw@bigpond.com

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

icemanx — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 08:56:25 -0000

what about when its a spare drive no Operating system and you just want to retrieve the contents of a drive
and NO I dont want to FORMAT IT

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

Chucheria — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 08:07:21 -0000

Thank you so much :_)

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

Ryan — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:58:52 -0000

so this deletes all of the filees off the computer?
and also does it delete windows xp itself?

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

harryg — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:24:24 -0000

its a good presentation can you add more stuff on this tutorial.
infact it has helped me to fix computers with this related problem.

from malawi city of mzuzu

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

kujirasan — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:10:33 -0000

I tried the procedure outlined, however,I have no administrative pass word, I never bothered with it as it becomes a nuisance , so I could not proceed, is there any way to get around it?
Thanking you

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

mbnosera — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:18:33 -0000

Doesn't work. Neither does the fixboot command using the same procedure. Receive only a flashing cursor, with no other functions. Actually, whenever I press a key I get a "beep." My XP boot discs, made as soon as I had the OS operational, are as useless as anything the brain dead programmers at M$ have ever thought of. Don't know what to do about any of it now.

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 20:19:41 -0000

<ul id="quote">ust like to say thanks! I installed my slave drive in a friend's Compaq Presario and it wouldn't work. Not only that, when I removed it and reset the jumpers etc as they were, the PC lost it's MBR and wouldn't start up at all...nightmare.</ul>

There are ways to rebuild your MBR

Rebuilding the MBR

Using the Fixed Disk Editor in Micro-Scope, locate and read Cylinder 0, Head 0, Sector 1. This should be the location of the corrupt Master Boot Record. Press "M" to modify the sector and enter 0's for the entire sector, effectively wiping all the data from this sector. Press ESC, then "W" to write the data, and "Y" to confirm the write operation. Then exit the Fixed Disk Editor and select the Rebuild Master Boot Record menu option. Press "Y" to confirm this operation. The fixed drive now has a completely corruption-free MBR.

Second way is to use some data recovery software. It will not build your MBR but at least you will get back all your data.
I would suggest you Stellar Phoenix FAT & NTFS. Try the demo version to see what data you can get back. Download the demo from here
Demo will show you the recovered data.

Re: XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console | Windows installation | Tech-Recipes

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Dec 2005 01:40:53 -0000

<ul id="quote"><h6>Chief wrote:</h6>I need help trying to repair XP Home Edition on a hard drive removed from a Compaq box and physically transferred to an IBM clone box. The Compaq's motherboard went South on us, and when we try to execute the repair mode of XP, so it may recognize the new processor, it is asking for an administrator password. The new BIOS does not have any password setup, so I assume that Compaq must have set up a password on the hard drive when recovery is needed.

How can I bypass the administrator's password request? I have seen e-mails floating about this scenario but I have not seen any procedures listed. Unless I am in the wrong section of this web site.

Thanks for any help you can provide me.

Chief</ul>
<span style="text-decoration:underline">Quickest method:</span>

I am not quite sure what exactly is the problem. But, this may be a possible solution to it.

If you have access to another hardisk with OS that is working with the working motherboard, set it as master, and the inaccessible one slave. If you can now access partitions on your problematic hard disk, backup all your files, and reformat it. Take out the other hard disk, restore the jumper setting on the concerned hard disk, and reinstall the OS.
Depending on how much you have to backup, it can take from 2 hrs to a day.

Good luck, Ganesh