Boot Up Problem

[yobobyo]

Hi, my friend had the brilliant idea of installing win2k to a laptop hard drive via usb and my winxp desktop. Now my machine (the desktop) will not boot up. The computer displays the dual boot option to choose win xp or win2k, the problem is that win2k was for the laptop drive, which is no longer in my computer. The win2k isntallation never finished because of a hardware failure in the laptop drive. and when it displays the boot option for win2k and xp, choosing either option will try to boot up win 2k, which the computer can't find, an error is displayed. all my files are intact, I jsut need to fix the boot record.

Any one have any ideas?

reformat is my last resort.

[trackrat]

To access my computer, tap F8 at start up and select safe mode.

computer.

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

Save a Backup Copy of Boot.ini

1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.

-or-

Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then click OK.

2. On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.

3. Under System Startup, click Edit. This opens the file in Notepad ready for editing.

4. In Notepad, click File on the Menu bar, and then click Save As.

5. Right click in an empty area of the Save As dialThis is a sample of a default Boot.ini file from a Windows XP Professionalog box, point to New in the Context menu, and then click Folder.

6. Type a name for the new folder, for example temp, and then press the ENTER key to create the folder named temp.

7. Double-click the new folder named temp, and then click the Save button to save a backup copy of the Boot.ini file.

Edit the Boot.ini File

To view and edit the Boot.ini file:

1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.

-or-

Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then click OK.

2. On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.

3. Under System Startup, click Edit.

If you should delete the wrong line, reboot your computer and keep tapping the F8 key to boot into safe mode then access your saved Boot INI file and restore it.

[yobobyo]

it's giving me the same error when I try to get into safe mode.

Here is the error:

Windows 2000 could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

You can attempt to repair the file by starting Windows 2000
Setup using the original setup floppy disk or CD-ROM
Select 'r' at the first screen to repair.

notice how it's saying "Windows 2000".

I've tried using the FIXMBR and FIXBOOT tools through xp recovery console with no effect.

[yobobyo]

I was able to repair the boot.ini file by loading the drive onto another computer and deleting the bad lines but it still gives the same problem.