Hi Everybody, I just tried to install xp ( not sp2) VIA bootcamp....when I came to the "use this partition" screen, I noticed that the boot camp partition wasn't there so I canceled the windows install (esc) and tried to reboot( I never hit enter!!!!!!!!), all I got was the black screen of death and a cursor. I tried hitting option during boot but all I see is the windows partition. I tried firewire disk mode (T) with another MBpro but it said that the drive was unformatted. Like an idiot I never set up time machine on this mackbook, is there any way of recovering my data or using the TM back up from another computer to reinstall some of my programs?
Thanks in advance!

I actually had the EXACT same problem last month when I tried to install Win XP via Boot Camp. I too used a non-XP SP2 install disc and I couldn't reboot the computer back to normal. All I saw was a black screen with white text in the top left-hand corner prompting me to do something (can't recall) and the mouse and keyboard were unresponsive. The disc (XP Home Edition) was bought in 2001 but on the disc it was printed "2002 Version". I felt ABSOLUTELY STUPID because my iMac was only HOURS old. I had got it out of the box and se it up earlier in the day and moved my iTunes library from my old PC to the iMac. As for the retrieval of all your files and data I don't know how to help. I think its permanently lost. Looks like you'll just have to reinstall Mac OS X...

Hold option as you reboot. It'll give you the option to boot from your Mac partition.

I really need a pre-formatted message entitled "how to recover files if you've screwed your OSX install with target disc mode"... Sigh.

EDIT: Snip.

Thanks to arkenstone.

Had exactly the same problem on Wednesday (except it was SP2) but you know, holding option down... no Mac partition. seems that whatever happened, it overwrote the boot sector with the dos thing. Until I erased (losing everything, including over 3500 photographs... and yes, now i am backing up) I had no system at all. OSX install kept saying "cant install to the selected drive" seems i had a DOS MBR there too, on my main partition where OSX lived. I just gave up in disgust and reinstalled after an erase. Not happy and staying well away from bootcamp from now on.

In all honesty I really didnt understand why it happened... I have used bootcamp several times without incident. This made no sense at all.