[SOLVED] I/O error accessing boot sector file

shthomas · 05-29-2008, 12:14 AM

Hello,

I recently was given a computer with an erased hard drive. I installed the hard drive on my computer (which operates on win 98) as a secondary hard drive. I attempted to load win xp on the secondary drive without much luck. I removed the secondary hard drive but my computer still tries to boot to windows xp unless you select win 98 real fast during startup but I was still able to use win 98 until I decided to delete the temporary win xp files from my computer but evidently got carried away and deleted my boot sector file to the recycle bin. Now my computer will not boot. I get a message "I/O Error accessing boot sector file multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\BOOTSECT.DOS. I am able to get to the deleted files in the recycle bin through dos but don't know where to copy them to. Please help!

Jlp1928 · 05-29-2008, 05:10 AM

Hi Thomas, If you have a 98 boot disk, boot to DOS (A:> prompt), and type Sys C: to put the boot files on the drive. Then type Fdisk /MBR to renew the Master Boot Record. It should then boot to whatever you select. BTW: You really need to re-partition and format the drive to get rid of the XP junk left on the drive by your install of XP. From DOS A:> prompt, type Fdisk, take all the defaults if you want all as one partition, or follow instructions to make more than one partition. Then type Format C: /S. Then format D: etc for each partition. The /S is to put the boot files on the boot drive. Boot disk can be made from 98, if it's running, from Add/Remove Programs, Startup Disk. Or download a startup disk.

Good Luck, Jim

shthomas · 05-29-2008, 09:52 AM

Thanks Jim,

I'm up and running again.

Scott

Jlp1928 · 05-29-2008, 01:01 PM

Hi Thomas,

Glad to be of help and thank you for the thanks.

Jim

05-29-2008, 12:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
shthomas Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2 OS: win98 , xp home	[SOLVED] I/O error accessing boot sector file Hello, I recently was given a computer with an erased hard drive. I installed the hard drive on my computer (which operates on win 98) as a secondary hard drive. I attempted to load win xp on the secondary drive without much luck. I removed the secondary hard drive but my computer still tries to boot to windows xp unless you select win 98 real fast during startup but I was still able to use win 98 until I decided to delete the temporary win xp files from my computer but evidently got carried away and deleted my boot sector file to the recycle bin. Now my computer will not boot. I get a message "I/O Error accessing boot sector file multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\BOOTSECT.DOS. I am able to get to the deleted files in the recycle bin through dos but don't know where to copy them to. Please help!

05-29-2008, 05:10 AM	#2 (permalink)
Jlp1928 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 294 OS: Win98	Re: I/O error accessing boot sector file Hi Thomas, If you have a 98 boot disk, boot to DOS (A:> prompt), and type Sys C: to put the boot files on the drive. Then type Fdisk /MBR to renew the Master Boot Record. It should then boot to whatever you select. BTW: You really need to re-partition and format the drive to get rid of the XP junk left on the drive by your install of XP. From DOS A:> prompt, type Fdisk, take all the defaults if you want all as one partition, or follow instructions to make more than one partition. Then type Format C: /S. Then format D: etc for each partition. The /S is to put the boot files on the boot drive. Boot disk can be made from 98, if it's running, from Add/Remove Programs, Startup Disk. Or download a startup disk. Good Luck, Jim

05-29-2008, 09:52 AM	#3 (permalink)
shthomas Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2 OS: win98 , xp home	Re: I/O error accessing boot sector file Thanks Jim, I'm up and running again. Scott

05-29-2008, 01:01 PM	#4 (permalink)
Jlp1928 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 294 OS: Win98	Re: [SOLVED] I/O error accessing boot sector file Hi Thomas, Glad to be of help and thank you for the thanks. Jim