restore boot.ini

[intensive]

It happened so I've erased boot.ini file on my laptop machine. What tool can be used to recover it? (i need the tool to boot also, as boot.ini is gone and i can't boot normally). HDD is internal, NTFS format.

[dcc]

You can use the recovery console to repair or replace the boot initiating file.

Instructions can be found here.

[jbennet]

yeah, you will need a windows cd

[mechbas]

It happened so I've erased boot.ini file on my laptop machine. What tool can be used to recover it? (i need the tool to boot also, as boot.ini is gone and i can't boot normally). HDD is internal, NTFS format.

boot.ini is basically a text file which will probably look as follows:
[boot loader]
timeout=45
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
C:\="Previous Operating System on C:"

the 45 is arbitrary and could be anything 0 and above.
if you're not using a multiboot system drop the last line above.
on another machine create the above file on a floppy and copy to the root folder. that should get you in long enough to recover the original from the recycle bin.

[tim berry]

Well, if you are sure you can't boot laptop, then the tool to boot and restore is active@ undelete. it can boot itself and then restore boot.ini as you wishhttp://www.active-undelete.com/

[Juzeppe]

You can use ARAX Disk Doctor to restore data. It should really helphttp://www.disk-doctor.com/

[intensive]

Hi,
The main problem was I just couldn't boot my laptop and access files. My windows cd is a laptop recovery CD, it offered to reinstall windows but at that time completely format the drive. In the end i've tried active undelete and seemed like it worked, that CD booted and restored the file

[rmrd]

Next time, you could also try booting up into a knoppix OS from a CD and just creating a new boot.ini from scratch in the appropriate directory.