Re: How Do I recover my MBR if I don't have a real XP Distro CD ?

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Carey Frisch [MVP] (cnfrisch_at_nospamgmail.com)
Date: 11/09/04


Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2004 08:23:47 -0600

Q. "I assume that if I borrow anybody else's XP disk I can boot it and fix
      the MBR and it doesn't matter if it's XP/pro, XP/Home, or SP
      level. Correct ?"

A. No, incorrect. You can only use Compaq's recovery CD's. Those CD's
     will not permit any customization as you have done. Otherwise, you'll
     need to purchase a conventional "Full Version" of Windows XP.

-- 
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Be Smart!  Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Al Dykes" wrote:
| 
| I have a Compaq laptop (XP) that came with CDs that will reimmage the
| system. It has no other recovery tools.  I've partitined the disk and
| mess with Linux in another partition, with grub or lilo multiboot
| depending on what I'm doing. I've always worried about screwing the
| boot and not being able to recover it, gived the CDs that I have.
| 
| I assume that if I borrow anybody else's XP disk I can boot it and fix
| the MBR and it doesn;t matter if it's XP/pro, XP/Home, or SP
| level. Correct ?
| 
| What can I do to backup or rewrite by MBR, asside from borrowing a CD ?  
| 
| (If I can boot XP I can always fix the Linux boot. It's XP I'm worried
| about)
| 
| Thanks.
| -- 
| a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m 
| ----


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