need help

[robert pulso]

The computer I am using came w/windows xp, but the guy who owns it installed windows 98 on it. I went to 98 at the start up screen and now i can not get back to xp, if any one knows how to fix this please reply because I need this computer to record tomorow.
Thanks in advance- Robert Pulson

 

[DoubleHelix]

If the drive was formatted, Windows XP is gone. If it wasn't, then a dual-boot system would be set up, and you'd get the option to select which operating system you want to load.

Why don't you ask the owner what he did and how you're supposed to access Windows XP now?

 

[pr0t3st]

If the drive was formatted, Windows XP is gone. If it wasn't, then a dual-boot system would be set up, and you'd get the option to select which operating system you want to load.

This is true to a "certain extent". However, installing 98 over XP (on a different drive/partition) will overwrite the boot sector on the system partition, making it impossible to access XP even though dual-boot is in place. To fix this, load the Recovery Console from the XP cd-rom, run the FIXBOOT command. This will write a new boot sector to the system partition enabling you to boot to 98 and XP.

 

[DoubleHelix]

You're right. I forgot that the older OS needed to be installed first (in this type of situation) in order for the dual-boot to work natively.

The best resolution to your problem is to ask the owner of this computer what to do. He's not going to be happy if you start messing with the system right after he installed an OS and then something doesn't work.