The Best Articles-Links On-line

Only a few select one make it here

How to use System files to create a boot disk to guard against being unable to start Windows XP: What they didn't mention except online If you system won't boot over one of those "NTDLR" not found messages, you may need to create this from a similar OS/confgured pc.

Ad Hoc Internet Sharing with Microsoft Windows XP: This article descibes how to configure computers running Windows XP to share an Internet connection using an ad hoc wireless network - Look Ma - no hub or router needed - fast solution for traveling computers in hotel room

Creating a Windows Installation CD from your Recovery Disk: Lost your recovery disk ? - this will act like a regular XP install disk and includes getting your original Windows serial number - but will overwrite some of your primary system drivers that may have been updated.

Windows In Your Pocket: USB Bootable version of XP or w2K ? - Yes, that's right - if your system is newer than that last few years and with this article link and these notes: (1) This is not a short procedure and has many extended capabilities - including McAfee, Nero, Ad-Aware (anti-spyware), Firefox, Total Commander and more - requiring (2) the larger USB sticks for a full install (article references 256k initially but after reading...1-2 gig), (3) The fantastic "HP USB disk storage format tool" so widely referenced on the net has been disabled by HP (hmm).... non-US copies English-based are available - see... >HERE<. .... (4) The optional add-in "Drive-Snapshot" is only shareware-limited trial but still runs ok for most stuff, (5) optional DSL support - this requires downloading the file 'pppoe_xp.cab - the site is German - be sure to pick the single download (vs. the -2003 version that is for win2003), and also do not have that link translated by Babel fish by Altavista when attempting to download that file.... that's about it - What a fantastic utility

Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows CD/DVD: This allows you to create a special CD bootup-diagnostic disk for XP or any other windows OS - you may have to create it on a friend's similar OS system.
With Bart's bootable CD disk or the boot disk from article one (1), you'll be able to access and save/copy critical files from the unbooted main C: disk (if it's not a hardware or partition error).
The Windows install CD allows you to reinstall windows.
10 things you can do when Windows XP won't boot : In addition to giving similar information to article one (1), this provides info on the finer points of recovery console - beyond the command line - (fix corrupt Boot.ini, Partition boot sector, master boot record)