How to Repair the Master Boot Record In Windows XP

Use the fixmbr command in Recovery Console to fix the damage

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University

Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.

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Updated on March 23, 2022

What to Know

  • Boot your computer from the Windows XP CD by inserting the CD and pressing any key when you see Press any key to boot from CD.
  • Press R when you see the setup screen. Choose an installation and press Enter.
  • Type fixmbr, and confirm with Y, to write a master boot record to the hard drive.

This article explains how to repair the master boot record on your Windows XP system via the fixmbr command, which is available in Recovery Console.

How to Repair the Master Boot Record In Windows XP

You need to enter the Windows XP Recovery Console. Recovery Console is an advanced diagnostic mode with tools that allow you to repair the master boot record of your Windows XP system.

Here's how to get into this utility and use it to repair the master boot record: 

  1. Boot your computer from the Windows XP CD by inserting the CD and pressing any key when you see Press any key to boot from CD.

  2. Wait while Windows XP begins the setup process. Don't press a function key even if you're prompted to do so.

  3. Press R to enter the Recovery Console when you see the Windows XP setup screen.

    Windows XP Professional Setup screen

  4. Choose a Windows installation by typing the number (for example, 1) that corresponds to the correct one, and then press Enter. You may only have one.

    Windows XP Recovery Console

  5. Enter your administrator password if prompted to do so.

  6. When you reach the command line, type the following command, and then press Enter.

    fixmbr

  7. Confirm by entering Y.

    Windows XP Recovery Console fixmbr command

    The fixmbr utility will write a master boot record to the hard drive that you're currently using to boot into Windows. This will repair any corruption or damage that the master boot record may have.

  8. Take out the disc, type exit, and then press Enter to restart your PC.

Assuming that a corrupt master boot record was your only issue, Windows should now start normally.

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