Any computer guru's out there want to take a stab at my recent problem? I have win 2000/win98 on a dual boot system. When I start the computer it gives me a prompt to either boot to win 2000 or win98. I use win 2000 99% of the time and the only reason I even have the 98 is for when I have problems with 2000, like now. Well the other day I come upstairs and turn on the monitor, and all of the sudden I realize it's sitting on the win 98 desktop. I'm confused, so I reboot, but guess what, my dual boot screen is gone. I cannot boot into win2000 no matter how hard I try. What could have happened??? anyone have any suggestions???

Look on your C: Drive root directory if you have Win98 on C: and W2K on D: Drive, for the following files: Bootsect.dos NTdetect.com ntldr boot.ini If these files are missing you will not have the boot loader option. If you booted with a boot disk and ran either of the commands it will disable the boot loader even with the 4 files on C: drive. fdisk /mbr sys C: The above commands will kill the boot loader. The following will help restore it. Repairing Windows 2000/XP Bootloader after a reinstalling Windows9X/ME If you have reinstalled Windows9X/ME and lost the bootloader do the following. Boot into Windows9X/ME and turn of your Virus Scan, and other programs running in the background. Place the Windows 2000/XP CD in the CD-ROM and run setup but make sure you chose NEW Install and NOT upgrade. Then let the installation process run until you have the Option for what Partition you want to install 2000/XP on, at this window cancel the setup and take out the 2000/XP CD and reboot the computer and boot into Windows9X/ME. The setup will have created the following files and folders on C:\ drive $win_nt$.~bt Delete this folder $win_nt$.~ls Delete this folder $drvltr$.~_~ Delete this file $ldr$ Delete this file txtsetup.sif Delete this file Bootsect.dos Leave this file alone Ntdetect.com Leave this file alone Ntldr Leave this file alone Boot.ini Edit and save this file as follows. [boot loader] timeout=30 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS XP HOME [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect C:\ = "Microsoft Windows 98" Please note The partition(2) = D:\ drive partition where you have 2000/XP installed, it will be different if you have it on a different partition or on a second hard drive. Next time you need to reinstall Windows9X/ME , before you do it save the following file to disc: Bootsect.dos, ntdetect.com, ntldr, and the Boot.ini files. Format the partition and just before you run the installation of Windows 9X/ME copy the files back to C:\ drive and you will not have to go through this lengthy process described above.

Don't bother with all that above. You first step is to edit the boot.ini file which is hidden at the root of c: Look to see if default has been set to 98 and the timer set to 0. Set the timer to 30seconds, save and exit. Reboot. If you have the choice and both work all is well. If only 98 boots and you get a error with W2K the next step is recovery console. You get into recovery console by booting the XP cd and choosing recovery. Run the utility fixmbr and fixboot. This will rewrite the boot sector if a fdisk/mbr and/or sys c: was used. See if you can boot normally. If not THEN go to install and repair as outlined in JPW's post. This did not happen by itself. Someone had to have altered your PC. PS. JPW that last paragraph is wrong. 98/ME installs alter the mbr [just like w2k/xp install does] to point to itself. So coping the files off serve no purpose since the mbr will only point to 9x. Now this trick DOES apply if you are installing NT or W2K AFTER XP install. They don't change the mbr but they do downgrade the versions of ntldr and ntdetect so XP won't boot. Copy the saved XP versions back and you are back in business.