EVE Online Patch Breaks Windows XP

The latest entry to the “How the hell did this happen” files has to do with EVE Online’s latest game patch, which adds a slew of functionality and upgrades and also manages to kill off a Windows XP installation. For those not aware, Windows XP uses a file in the root folder called boot.ini, and inside that file is a simple boot loader configuration. If this file is corrupt, the Windows will not boot.

Somehow, the latest EVE patch got out the door with the ability to overwrite that file, effectively angering many gamers. Players using Windows Vista have nothing to worry about, since the boot.ini boot loader has been replaced by a far more tedious and difficult boot loader that requires more than a simple file edit. If you happen to find yourself with a borked Windows XP installation thanks to this patch, you can follow these steps which can re-write the boot.ini:

• Boot up with a WinXP CD-Rom
• Once inside the installer, you will have the option to hit “R” to enter recovery mode.
• The screen will turn black and you will have a list of one or more Windows installations you can choose. Choose the primary.
• Once at the prompt, you can type in fixboot which should re-write the boot.ini file and undo the damages that the latest patch caused.

If you dual-boot XP with Vista, chances are good that your XP installation should still be fine, as the boot.ini would be stored on a different partition. How did this happen CCP? There are no excuses for this.

Source: Patch Page, Thread 1, Thread 2 Via: Slashdot