Lost my start-up menu on XP/98 Dual boot system

[cmap]

I have been running a Windows XP pro/Windows 98 dual boot system for 18months without problems. Suddenly my start up option menu has disappeared and it boots straight into Windows 98.
I have Win 98 installed on partition C and Windows XP installed on partition D, both FAT32.
In Win 98, running msconfig shows I do not have a boot.ini tab.
If I open boot.ini in notepad it reads....

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(o)partition(2)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional"/fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

I have tried running the recovery consol in Windows XP, but BOOT CFG /REBUILD returns
Error: Failed to add the selected boot entry to the boot list
Can't re-install XP on partition D since it does not recognise C as a valid partition.

I've now noticed in My computer, I have a new drive-(I), which appears to be a copy of drive C. It cannot be a real separate partition as there is no room for it on the disk.
How do I remove it in Win 98?
Could this be a virus problem?

Recovery Consol from th XP CD reports the following...
Bootcfg /list
Total entries in bot list 1
(1) Windows XP Professional
OS Load Options: /fastload
OS Location: D:\Windows

C:>chkdsk
The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems
C:\>dir
An error occurred during directory enumeration
C:\>fixmbr
Computer appears to have a non-standard or invalid master boot record.
FIXMBR may damage partition tables.

Should I risk trying to fix the mbr?

[snowmonkey]

fdisk /mbr does magics ,, give it a try, it won't make it any worst the what it is.


cheers

[cmap]

Thanks, for the help.
I have now run Powermax on the drive and it has confirmed the drive as failing. Maxtor have accepted the RMA under warranty, so I await the new drive.
In the interim I have backed up my data via Win98, so I shall give FIXMBR a go!

[GSM Super Star]

Lets hope they send you a bigger HD. They have been known to do that