Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 311073 contains the following INTRODUCTION:
This article describes how to create a Windows startup disk to access a drive that has a faulty startup sequence
on an Intel x86-processor-based computer.
Note The procedure for RISC-based computers is different. This article does not describe those procedures.
This Windows startup disk can access a drive that has the Windows NT file system (NTFS) or File allocation table (FAT) file system installed.
Theprocedures in this article can be useful to work around the following startup
problems:
• | Corrupted startup sector. |
• | Corrupted master startup record (MBR). |
• | Virus infections. |
• | Missing or corrupted NTLDR or Ntdetect.com. |
• | Incorrect Ntstartupdd.sys driver. |
You can also use this startup disk to start from the shadow of a broken
mirror. However, you may have to change the Boot.ini file to do this.
You cannot use this Windows startup disk to resolve the following problems:
• | Incorrect or corrupted device drivers that have been installed in the Windows System folder. |
• | Startup 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.