Computer question: Boot Disk for Windows XP

Factual Questions
1

It happened again! Windows XP refuses to start. I have a Compaq laptop with a 20 GB hard disk which is divided into 2 partitions (15 GB and 5 GB).
The repair function doesnt help, so I want to install it again without formatting as I usually do when something like this happens.(Have backups of the important data, but I don’t want to loose everything else). Unfortunately this time I don’t have enough disk space available. Does anybody know how to be able to get access to the hard disk to delete some stuff e.g. with a boot disk? I tried the normal dos boot disk which you can make with the formatting function in the Explorer, but to no avail. I don’t have access to the hard disk.

BTW, I use NTFS on both partitions.

Any help would be greatly apprieciated.

2

\begin{handy drive-by post}

http://www.bootdisk.com/

\end{handy drive-by post}

3

:smack: I’m spending too much time on the sdmb, I keep forgetting that there is more on the net out there.

Thanks! That should get my computer working again.

4

Coupla points…

IIRC, the XP Pro “boot disk” is actually a set of SIX floppies.

According to Microsoft, XP is the last version of Windows that will be bootable from a floppy drive; future versions will boot from a CD-ROM drive or network.

5

I would try a small program, NTSFDOS which lets you boot to ntsf from a floppy to delete/copy anything.

6

Thanks for the help everyone, have already installed XP anew, hope it works longer than 3 months without reinstalling now. have been using the program you mentioned, handy.

7

NTFSDOS is an excellent program, in case you need it next time around.

ERD commander, by the same developers, looks great too, although I haven’t used it.

http://www.winternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/