How to Repair the Master Boot Record In Windows XP GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Software & Apps > Windows 42 42 people found this article helpful

How to Repair the Master Boot Record In Windows XP

Use the fixmbr command in Recovery Console to fix the damage

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 23, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide

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Boot your computer from the Windows XP CD by inserting the CD and pressing any key when you see Press any key to boot from CD.Press R when you see the setup screen. Choose an installation and press Enter.Type fixmbr, and confirm with Y, to write a master boot record to the hard drive. This article explains how to repair the master boot record on your Windows XP system via the fixmbr command, which is available in Recovery Console.

How to Repair the Master Boot Record In Windows XP

You need to enter the Windows XP Recovery Console. Recovery Console is an advanced diagnostic mode with tools that allow you to repair the master boot record of your Windows XP system. Here's how to get into this utility and use it to repair the master boot record: Boot your computer from the Windows XP CD by inserting the CD and pressing any key when you see Press any key to boot from CD. How to Boot From a CD, DVD, or BD Disc Wait while Windows XP begins the setup process. Don't press a function key even if you're prompted to do so. Press R to enter the Recovery Console when you see the Windows XP setup screen. Choose a Windows installation by typing the number (for example, 1) that corresponds to the correct one, and then press Enter. You may only have one. Enter your administrator password if prompted to do so. When you reach the command line, type the following command, and then press Enter.
fixmbr Confirm by entering Y. The fixmbr utility will write a master boot record to the hard drive that you're currently using to boot into Windows. This will repair any corruption or damage that the master boot record may have. Take out the disc, type exit, and then press Enter to restart your PC. Assuming that a corrupt master boot record was your only issue, Windows should now start normally. How to Deal With Boot Sector Viruses Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Write a New Partition Boot Sector for Windows XP How to Restore Hal.dll From the Windows XP CD Master Boot Record Definition (MBR, Sector Zero) How to Restore NTLDR and Ntdetect.com How to Enter Windows XP Recovery Console [Easy, 15 Min] Recovery Console: What It Is & a List of Commands How to Repair or Replace Boot.ini in Windows XP [Easy] How to Fix NTLDR Is Missing and Related NTLDR Errors How to Use the Format Command to Write Zeros to a Hard Drive How to Locate and Recover Data From Bad Sectors How to Format C From Recovery Console Fixmbr Command (Recovery Console) How to Boot From a CD, DVD, or BD Disc How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install How to Access Advanced Startup Options in Windows 11/10/8 How to use a System Repair Disc to Format the C Drive Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies