Windows xp pro TRAPS when booting from GRUB

How this happened:
It happened several years ago I think when trying to install a window based multi OS boot manager instead of GRUB. Somehow this messed things up. In any case here is the current GRUB menu, what is executed by GRUB and to load Windows and the Windows TRAP.
It is important to note that I can still boot into the Windows partition by using an annoying and time consuming workaround that I somehow figured out years ago. It involves attaching a separate usb harddrive with its own Windows bootup menu and making some bizarre selections. I no longer have any if Windows xp discs or any disc as they were thrown out in flood damage. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Do have a CD drive that can burn CDs? If so, you download the ISO file below and burn it to a CD.

Windows XP Professional with SP3 x86
https://archive.org/details/WinXPProSP3x86

Once you boot the CD you can select the Recovery Console. When you get the command prompt type the command: fixmbr

The next time you boot you should go straight into Windows.

 

Thanks for your quick reply. I have few follow up questions.
1. Will fixmbr affect GRUB in anyway?
2. My portable CD/DVD drive was also lost in the flood. Is it possible to put the ISO image on a usb key drive and make it bootable/runnable? If so, do you know how and will this process erase what's already on the G drive? Thanks very much for your input.

 

Thanks for your quick reply. I have few follow up questions.
1. Will fixmbr affect GRUB in anyway?
2. My portable CD/DVD drive was also lost in the flood. Is it possible to put the ISO image on a usb key drive and make it bootable/runnable? If so, do you know how and will this process erase what's already on the G drive? Thanks very much for your input.

 

Fixmbr will replace GRUB with the standard Windows boot loader. Once done the computer will boot to Windows only.

The process will not affect the regular data on the computer in any way. That is because the boot loader is located on a special part of the drive called the boot sector. This is separate from the regular disk partitions.

If you want a dual-boot with both Windows XP and Linux I can't help you right now with that. I used to do that all the time but it has been 15 years since I have done a dual-boot with Windows XP and Linux using GRUB.

You can use a program called Rufus to created a bootable USB flash drive with Windows XP on it. You can boot from the flash drive and install Windows XP.

How to create a Bootable USB Flash Drive (Rufus + Windows XP)


Rufus 3.18 (Windows 7 or later)
https://rufus.ie/en/

Rufus 2.18 (Windows XP)
https://rufus.ie/downloads/
rufus-2.18.exe 2017-11-07 13:39 945K Rufus 2.18 (Last version compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista)

 

Thanks for your useful input.
Q4.
I seem to recall a command in the recovery console that searches for existing windows installation and places them in the windows boot menu. Am I right? What is the command called?
Q5.
We used fixmbr: GRUB is now gone. Now when the computer boots it TRAPs immediately ie there still is no Windows boot menu.
Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

I NEVER managed to make rufus work for me.
I found this:
https://easy2boot.xyz/
Work-s/ed for me.

 

Thanks for this additional information. Fortunately rufus worked for us. What we really nead help with is the TRAP that occurs when trying to boot Windows xp pro. See Q4 above. It would also be nice to know the answer to Q5 above. Thanks in advance.

 

Thanks for this additional information. Fortunately rufus worked for us. What we really nead help with is the TRAP that occurs when trying to boot Windows xp pro. See Q4 above. It would also be nice to know the answer to Q5 above. Thanks in advance.

 

I used to dual-boot Windows XP and Linux all the time. In the beginning I used GRUB but eventually switched to using the Windows boot loader. However, that was over ten years ago. I still have a couple of computers with Windows XP so if I have time I may try dual-booting one of them with Linux.

I assume Linux will install GRUB and should set up dual-booting with that.
I will then try to switch over to using the Windows boot loader menu.
To do that I will try to use a program I have used before for dual-booting called EasyBCD.

EasyBCD
https://neosmart.net/EasyBCD/

Select Non-commercial for free download
Register by entering your name and email address
Click Download

The following file will be downloaded:
EasyBCD 2.4.exe

Guides:

EasyBCD Guide
https://neosmart.net/wiki/easybcd/

EasyBCD guide for dual-booting Windows & Ubuntu
https://neosmart.net/wiki/easybcd/dual-boot/linux/ubuntu/