The following is based on an article by Billy O'Neal at http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com, used with his permission.

How to use the Recovery Console to make repairs to Windows XP

First, if you don't have a Windows XP Home, Pro or MCE installation CD, don't despair.

Download the following and create a bootable CD from the .iso file: XP Recovery Console

Note that you don't burn the iso file itself to CD, you create a CD from the iso file using your CD burning software.
If you don't have any CD burning software installed or if you're unsure, you can follow the tutorial here:
How to Burn an ISO File

You can delete the RC.ISO file once you've burned it to CD or DVD.

Steps to perform on the problem machine:

1. Place your Windows XP Installation CD or the new Recovery Console disk you just created into your CD or DVD ROM drive, and reboot.
   You should see this:
   
   If you don't see the above, try pressing the F10 or F12 keys during boot and selecting the CDRom device from the list.
   If that doesn't work, enter BIOS Setup by pressing the F1, F2, F10 or Del key during boot and modifying the
   Boot Order or Boot Priority to make the CD/DVD first boot device.
   
   If your machine won't boot to the CD, make a post in the Microsoft Windows™ forum asking for assistance with this task.
   Please include the exact make and model of your computer so we can provide more exact instructions.
2. Press any key to start Windows Setup (Don't worry.. we're not actually using setup at this point)
3. Wait a while for setup to start, until you see the following screen, then press the R key.
   
4. Wait until you see this screen, and enter the number of your main installation. (Typically 1 for C:\Windows)
   
5. Press Enter.
6. If prompted to do so, enter your Administrator password. If you don't have one, leave it blank and press enter.
7. From the command prompt, enter: chkdsk /r (note the space between chkdsk and /r)
   Allow it to complete undisturbed.
8. Remove the CD/DVD then reboot. Windows should now begin loading.

For more information on the Recovery Console, read this Microsoft article: How to install and use the Recovery Console

Also, if your computer has a floppy drive, you can download the Windows XP Setup boot disks from Microsoft and boot them to start the Recovery Console.

This post has been edited by Ztruker: Oct 3 2009, 03:34 PM