# Computer question: Boot Disk for Windows XP
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-boot-disk-for-windows-xp/192706
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 3, 2003, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-boot-disk-for-windows-xp/192706 "2003-08-03T11:13:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@missing\_link](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missing_link)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2003, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-boot-disk-for-windows-xp/192706/1 "2003-08-03T11:13:45Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2003, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-boot-disk-for-windows-xp/192706/2 "2003-08-03T11:25:03Z")
\begin{ **handy** drive-by post}
[http://www.bootdisk.com/](http://www.bootdisk.com/)
\end{ **handy** drive-by post}
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### Author:  [@missing\_link](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missing_link)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2003, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-boot-disk-for-windows-xp/192706/3 "2003-08-03T11:39:09Z")
: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.
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### Author:  [@TBone2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBone2)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-boot-disk-for-windows-xp/192706/4 "2003-08-03T14:34:34Z")
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.
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-boot-disk-for-windows-xp/192706/5 "2003-08-03T15:14:13Z")
I would try a small program, NTSFDOS which lets you boot to ntsf from a floppy to delete/copy anything.
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### Author:  [@missing\_link](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missing_link)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-boot-disk-for-windows-xp/192706/6 "2003-08-03T15:33:29Z")
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**.
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### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-boot-disk-for-windows-xp/192706/7 "2003-08-03T15:54:48Z")
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/](http://www.winternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/)