It's been a while since Ive worked on a computer, anyways my sisters laptop doesnt boot correctly anymore. When it loads up to the User name Logon screen it just sits there and doesnt load up any names (mouse still moves tho) Cant remember the Admin password while in the xp recovery part with the cd. I remember, using win98 u can access dos and fix the boot section. There was a dos command that rewrote the boot section to fix problems with booting up. whats that command? Thanks!

it's easy to to a recovery install of xp, just install like it was a new install till it gets to a screen that says it found an existing windows installation . then press r to repair it. remember, dont press r on the first question, that just gets you to the recovery console. just press enter when it says press enter to install windows xp. then later it should get to a screen that says that it found a windows installation, press r to repair it. if it doesnt get to that screen, abort and then try and use a boot disk to repair it.

If you are going to do a repair this is the procedure. 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 cd you will have to d/l sp1 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. If you don't want SP2 go to autopatcher.com and d/l SP1 and subsequent updates.

Another simple way is to boot with your XP CD and run Fixboot from the Recovery Console. http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/bootcons_fixboot.mspx

Thank you MGA I couldnt remember, so its Fixboot. I dont want to 'repair' windows because that will erase My document files and various others as well. And I cant get into the Recover Console because we are Unaware of the Admin Password on this laptop.

If you read my post a repair does not delete anything except the updates.