Hi guys, I re-installed Windows XP over an existing copy that worked OK. I did it because I like to re-install Windows XP from time to time. After the restart the OS won't boot. It shows the WindowsXP logo screen for a second and then it stops and a blue screen appears. I tried almost every possible solution, checked for boot sector viruses - the disc seems to be clean and still Windows won't start. The file system is NTFS so I had no chance repairing it in DOS. I tried CHKDSK, no success. Swapped the RAM slots, no success. Disabled the USB in BIOS, no success. Then I borrowed a HDD from a friend and I plugged it in on the same machine and Windows XP installed just fine on it. Now I can see all the files and directories on my problematic HDD - its structure is not corrupted. It reads and writes just fine, also no bad sectors or anything suspicious. I just want to make it bootable again without the need to backup all the info or to format the drive. Help, please.

You are the reason they made a secondary hard drive and Acronis,and so am I.I think you need to format it in the computer that recognizes it,put it back in it's original computer and do a fresh install.Installations often times miss copying a few critical files.So you gotta do it over.Life Dinks Don't IT?LOL

How to do a system repair.--Boot from the xp cd and go past the recovery console to the install menu. Select repair the existing installation. You won't lose any data except the xp updates. Unless you have a slipstream sp1 Or SP2 cd you will have to d/l sp1 or sp2 and all subsequent updates. You MUST have at least SP1 installed and the updates for security reasons. Be sure the firewall and A/V is active before going online as you will be susceptible to sasser and msblaster. http://computervitals.com/

@per, you got me wrong. I know how to repair a WinXp installation. Actually the whole thing got screwed while I was repairing it - the freshly (re)installed Windows did not start after the install process was finished. @street1, Actually the disk that doesen't work IS in it's original machine and the one that does is not. Please, read my first post carefully.

Well, you said you reinstalled over the existing. That is different from a repair. http://computervitals.com/

"Then I borrowed a HDD from a friend and I plugged it in on the same machine and Windows XP installed just fine on it"Sorry I missed that one.

I e-mailed a program you can check your hard drive with.