First, the Recovery Console method
When you cannot start the computer, you can also run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP installation CD to try to fix the error:
1. Insert the installation disc and restart the computer from the optical drive.
2. Press "R" key to select the repair or recovery option.
3. If you have a dual-boot or multi-boot system, select the drive you want to access from the Recovery Console.
4. When the prompt appears, type the password for the local Administrator account administrator. In most cases, you will need the password of the built-in Administrator account to use the Recovery Console, which is empty by default.
5. At the system prompt, type the "Fixboot" command and press the "enter" key, and the system will write the new partition boot sector to the system partition to fix the startup problem.
6. Type "Exit" command, press "enter" key, exit "Recovery Console" and restart the computer.
Tip: The same applies to Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, which can be a test in special cases and may help you troubleshoot system startup failures.
When Windows XP is unable to start in Safe mode and other startup options, you can try the following two methods.
Second, the "Last Known Good Configuration" method
In the Windows XP Startup menu, you can select the last known Good Configuration item to restore the registry by:
1. When restarting the computer, press and hold the "F8" key until the Windows Advanced Boot Options menu appears.
2. Use the arrow keys to highlight Last Known Good Configuration, and then press the ENTER key.
When you select Last Known Good Configuration to start your computer, Windows restores only the information in the registry key "Hklmsystemcurrentcontrolset". Any changes made in other registry keys remain unchanged.