This article describes how to create a Windows boot disk to access a drive with a
faulty boot sequence on an Intel x86-processor-based computer.
This Windows boot disk can access a drive that has the Windows NT file system (NTFS)
or File allocation table (FAT) file system installed. The procedures in this article can
be useful to work around the following boot problems:
· Corrupted boot sector.
· Corrupted master boot record (MBR).
· Virus infections.
· Missing or corrupt NTLDR or Ntdetect.com.
· Incorrect Ntbootdd.sys driver.
This boot disk can also be used to boot from the shadow of a broken mirror, although
you may need to change the Boot.ini file to do that. This Windows boot disk cannot be
used for the following problems:
· Incorrect or corrupt device drivers that have been installed into the Windows System
directory.
· Boot problems that occur after the OSLOADER screen.
To work around or fix these problems, run the Emergency Repair disk, load the last
known good control set, or reinstall Windows, if necessary.
The Windows floppy disk must include the files NTLDR, Ntdetect.com, Boot.ini, and the
correct device driver for your hard drive.
Note: The NTLDR, Ntdetect.com, and Boot.ini files usually have their file attributes
set to System, Hidden, and Read-Only. You do not need to reset these attributes for this
disk to work properly.

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1. Log on to the computer as Administrator.
2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
3. Click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
4. Click the Advanced tab, and then under Performance, click Settings.
5. Click the Advanced tab, and then under Virtual memory, click Change.
6. In the Drive [Volume Label] list, click a drive other than the one on which Windows is installed (Windows is usually installed on the drive C). Under Total paging file size for all drives, note the value that is displayed next to Recommended.
7. Click Custom size, and then type the recommended value in the Initial size (MB) box.
8. Type the maximum size that you want to allow for paging in the Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set.
9. In the Drive [Volume Label] box, click the drive on which Windows is installed (usually the drive C), and then use one of the following steps:
   • If you do not want a paging file on the drive, click No paging file, and then click Set. A message similar to the following message appears:
     If the pagefile on volume C: has an initial size of less than 126 megabytes, then the system may not be able to create a debugging information file if a STOP error occurs.
     Continue anyway?

     Click Yes.

   • If you want to keep the minimum size of the paging file on the drive, click Custom size, and then type a value that is equal to or greater than the amount of RAM in the computer in the Initial size (MB) box. Type that same value in the Maximum size (MB) box, and then click Set.
10. The following message appears:
    The changes you have made require you to restart your computer before they can take effect.

    Click OK, click OK, click OK, and then click Yes when you are prompted to restart the computer.

Sometimes a virus disables the Show hidden files and folders function in Windows XP. and after long time efforts you are unable to turn this option on. Here is how to enable it again.

During this problem, every time one select the Show hidden files and folders options under Folder Options, the screen just blinks and on clicking OK, the hidden files and folders are not unhidden. This problem can be fixed with a registry hack:

1. Click Start > Run and type REGEDIT
2. Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER
3. Expand SOFTWARE
4. Expand Microsoft
5. Expand Windows
6. Expand CurrentVersion
7. Expand Explorer
8. then click Advanced

On the right side, double click the hidden value and give it a value of 1. You should now be able to enable hidden files and folders.