I think my HP boot sector was erased [View all]

Not really looking for help here. Just venting. My main archiving computer is an HP Desktop, Windows XP MCE (Media Center Edition).

HP had so many problems back then. Once I upgraded the BIOS and that locked the PC, had to replace the motherboard. Now I learn that would have worked if I had upgraded the CPU instead. But that's a different problem.

Yesterday I was archiving and clicked delete button to erase a file. Total instant shutdown. Now BIOS loads, but it never boots. Of course HP manuals are useless - HP's never have problems!

I have a set of recovery dvds, but I think they are install . Don't know if they'll boot the OS. Don't want to wipe out the hard drive. So I have 3 options, I think

1) Recovery dvd boot. I don't think this will work. I think a bootable Cd is needed. I never made one.
2) Rig the XP hard drive as a USB drive and copy files into a Linux machine. Same with Windows 11, but no experience with W11.
3) Boot the entire XP machine from Linux DVD. Supposedly that will be able to read Windows files.
4) what is supposed to work is System Recovery Set and Supplemental Disc. It has printed instructions. I guess that's lucky.

I also have printed instructions from HP online. But HP issues broad instructions covering several OS - Windows 2000/XP/2003. Mine is XP MCE final edition, 2005 or 2006. And of course no tech support, the personnel familiar with XP are long gone.

Wish me luck!