How to use System files to create a boot disk to guard against being unable to start Windows XP

If your computer uses an Intel x86-based processor, and the startup record for the active partition or files that you must have to start Windows become corrupted, you may not be able to start your computer. This article describes how to create a startup disk. With a startup disk, you can start your computer if the startup record becomes corrupted.

Create a Windows startup disk when you first install Windows on the computer. This disk is different from an MS-DOS startup disk. Unlike MS-DOS, the whole Windows operating system cannot fit on one floppy disk. A Windows startup disk contains only the files that you must have to start the operating system with the remainder of the Windows system files installed on the hard disk drive. To create the startup disk, follow these steps:

1. Insert a blank floppy disk in drive A, and then format the disk by using Windows XP.
2. From the root folder of the system partition of your hard disk drive (for example, C:\-), copy the following files to the floppy disk:
   Boot.ini
   NTLDR
   Ntdetect.com
   You may have to remove the hidden, system, and read-only attributes from the files.
3. Restore the hidden, system, and read-only attributes to the files on your hard disk if you removed these attributes.
4. If the Bootsect.dos file or the Ntbootdd.sys file resides in the system partition, repeat steps 2 through 4 to copy these files to the boot disk.

If you format a floppy disk in Windows XP, the startup record points to the NTLDR file. When NTLDR runs, it loads the available operating system selections from the Boot.ini file. If you select Windows, NTLDR runs Ntdetect.com, and then passes control to Osloader.exe. If you select MS-DOS or OS/2, NTLDR loads Bootsect.dos.