Windows won't start.

I have Windows XP Professional. No SP2 or 3.

My ex-friend slaved my hard drive to his in an attempt to replace my NVIDIA GForce 3 drivers (which I later found out that without the disk, are practically impossible to get). Ever since, I haven't benn able to boot up Windows at all. I've tried to boot it up in each of the ways offered. On Start Windows Normally and Start Windows Using Your Last Known Configuration, it simply restarts. On Safe Mode and Safe Mode with command prompt, it pops up with something I can't read because it goes by too fast, but under that, it pops up with multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) then a bunch of file names.

I've read in other places that I could try to replace the Ntldr and Ntdetect files from a boot disk, but I don't have an XP Pro boot disk, or Recovery Disk. Or to edit the boot.ini, but I've no idea how to do that without some sort of program.

Also, I've heard you can fix it from the fdisk command in DOS, but I have no idea how to access DOS in Windows XP. I don't have a floppy drive, and it doesn't give me an option just to go to the stupid DOS prompt.

My friend has an XP Media Center Edition recovery disk. Could I maybe fix the problem with that, even though I have Pro?

 

Hi and welcome to the BBS,

If you want a really nice interface in which to make the changes get Ultimate Boot CD for Windows. It is a several hundred MB download though.

There are boot .iso's at www.bootdisk.com.

Boot .iso's are available from HDD manufacturers (their drive utilities). When you exit the program it should leave you at a DOS prompt (I only used their DOS a long time ago and not for XP). You should check the drive with the utilities anyway.

I can't help much further. Check the computer manufacturer's website for what they suggest when you don't have a boot disk. I suppose you are supposed to burn the disks from a utility within the operating system (I needed to tell a friend to make them or run the risk of needing to purchase them from the computer manufacturer).

Matt

 

heres a way

Ok Jack go to the libary and download a boot disk a bootdisk.com for 98SE yes Jack 98SE and go to a store and get yourself a 10 dollar removable floppy drive now I hope you rembered to create the boot disk so stick it in your drive and bingo the dos promnt