Fix the MBR in Windows XP

[Big Booger]

Would it not be possible to simply
* Insert Windows XP CD
* enter recovery console
* copy command.com and fixmbr.(com, exe) to corrupted HDD
* Go to drive in question
* Type command.com (will effectively create a command session generating the appearance of system drive?)
* Type FixMBR

This would likely work, but how many people even know how to use the command line to copy files today? Or even to switch directories for that matter?

But this will not work if the hard drive is dead..

I was trying to make the process as simple as possible for someone who is uncomfortable with command line procedures.

FIXMBR is about as simple as it gets...

As I read in a Windows XP support page, FIXMBR only operates on the system drive! So if you boot from the CD, it'll try to re-write the MBR on the CD.

The system drive was the drive you are trying to fix the MBR on... not the CD... I don't know what you are talking about when you say "So if you boot from the CD, it'll try to re-write the MBR on the CD."

You use the CD to boot to the recovery console. That puts you at a command prompt. YOu type FIXMBR and it repairs the master boot record of the system drive. The system drive being the drive that holds your windows XP installation...