How to Use This:
1) Read the first 3 pararaphs (don't need to do anything yet)
2) Scroll through the [b]bolded[/b] items and locate your error message
3) Do the stuff after the -'s just below your error message.

Disk diagnostic and CHKDSK /F /R are common to all in order to rule out:
- physical disk problems and
- file system problems [b]PRIOR[/b] to trying the fix.

You can download a disk diagnostic tool from the website of the hard drive manufacturer. If necessary you can download a bootable version of the diagnostic from there and boot from it to test your hard drive.

Recovery Console tutorial located here: [url=http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial117.html]http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial117.html[/url]
This is for the chkdsk, fixmbr, fixboot, and bootcfg commands if you can't get into Windows

Here's a link to an ISO of the XP Recovery Console if you don't have an XP CD. Search Google for "burn an ISO" (without the quotes) for tools and instructions on how to make a bootable CD. [url=http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso]http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso[/url]

[u]Common to several fixes[/u]
[b]Black Screen Hang (before splash screen shows)[/b]
- Disk Diagnostic
- CHKDSK /F /R (try to boot)
- fixmbr (try to boot)
- fixboot (try to boot)
- Safe Mode (try to boot)

[u]MBR[/u]
[b]Invalid Partition Table[/b]
[b]Missing Operating System[/b]
[b]Error Loading Operating System[/b]
- Disk Diagnostic
- CHKDSK /F /R
- fixmbr (try to boot)

[u]BOOT SECTOR[/u]
[b]Disk Read Error occurred[/b]
[b]NTLDR missing/compressed[/b] ( [url=http://tinyempire.com/notes/ntldrismissing.htm]http://tinyempire.com/notes/ntldrismissing.htm[/url] )
- Disk Diagnostic
- CHKDSK /F /R
- fixboot (try to boot)

[u]NTLDR[/u]
[b]Boot Device is Inaccesible [/b](boot.ini)
- Disk Diagnostic
- CHKDSK /F /R
- bootcfg /rebuild

[b]System Hive is Corrupt[/b]
- Disk Diagnostic
- CHKDSK /F /R
- restore System Hive from backup

[b]other File missing or corrupt[/b]
- Disk Diagnostic
- CHKDSK /F /R
- restore copy from backup

NOTE: I got a missing HAL.DLL error when I messed up rewriting a boot.ini file (in the default section) - so I'd suggest checking boot.ini for missing file errors (bootcfg /rebuild would attempt to fix this when in the Recovery Console)

[u]NTOSKRNL.EXE[/u]
[b]Black Screen Hang (after splash screen appears) [/b](usually video driver)
- Last Known Good Configuration
- Safe Mode
- install/reinstall latest version of video drivers.


Please feel free to add recommendations for additions and deletions. Consider this a work in progress. :)
Please do not post your problems/issues on this thread. It'll cause more work when I have to split your topic out of this thread and will delay receiving an answer.