Hi:

I have a friend running a Sony desktop with Windows XP Home Edition and he
let someone do some work on it supposedly to rid the computer from viruses.
I really do not know what all was done to it.

Now upon boot up a black screen appears in the boot process asking do you
want to start Windows XP Home Edition Normally or something similar to this.
It is listed twice and the top listing is highlighted white. If you click on
Enter it will immediately boot on up properly or it starts a seconds count
down and when it reaches zero it auto boots up properly.

Anyone know how to prevent this where it will boot normally?

Thanks,

ColTom2

This sounds like a boot menu. giving you an option to select a different
operating system to boot into.
but with your vague wording, it's hard to tell, get the exact wording of the
screen and it's options and post it back here.
The first suggestion I would have is for your friend to take the pc to a
good repair shop and have a professional look at it, not best buy.

"ColTom2" wrote:

> Hi:
>
> I have a friend running a Sony desktop with Windows XP Home Edition and he
> let someone do some work on it supposedly to rid the computer from viruses.
> I really do not know what all was done to it.
>
> Now upon boot up a black screen appears in the boot process asking do you
> want to start Windows XP Home Edition Normally or something similar to this.
> It is listed twice and the top listing is highlighted white. If you click on
> Enter it will immediately boot on up properly or it starts a seconds count
> down and when it reaches zero it auto boots up properly.
>
> Anyone know how to prevent this where it will boot normally?
>
> Thanks,
>
> ColTom2
>
>
> .
>

That would be the result of having two entries in the BOOT.INI file.
That may mean there are two XP installations or not. If it is an invalid
entry, MSCONFIG can/will remove it for you. Start, Run, MSCONFIG,
BOOT.INI, Check all Boot paths.

ColTom2 wrote:

> Hi:
>
> I have a friend running a Sony desktop with Windows XP Home Edition and he
> let someone do some work on it supposedly to rid the computer from viruses.
> I really do not know what all was done to it.
>
> Now upon boot up a black screen appears in the boot process asking do you
> want to start Windows XP Home Edition Normally or something similar to this.
> It is listed twice and the top listing is highlighted white. If you click on
> Enter it will immediately boot on up properly or it starts a seconds count
> down and when it reaches zero it auto boots up properly.
>
> Anyone know how to prevent this where it will boot normally?
>
> Thanks,
>
> ColTom2
>
>

On Jan 14, 8:00*pm, "ColTom2" <noemailaddr...@nomail.com> wrote:
> Hi:
>
> * I have a friend running a Sony desktop with Windows XP Home Edition and he
> let someone do some work on it supposedly to rid the computer from viruses.
> I really do not know what all was done to it.
>
> * Now upon boot up a black screen appears in the boot process asking doyou
> want to start Windows XP Home Edition Normally or something similar to this.
> It is listed twice and the top listing is highlighted white. If you clickon
> Enter it will immediately boot on up properly or it starts a seconds count
> down and when it reaches zero it auto boots up properly.
>
> * Anyone know how to prevent this where it will boot normally?
>
> Thanks,
>
> ColTom2

To explain and resolve your issue with expediency, browse to the c:\
folder with Explorer.

Click Tools, Folder Options, View, click Show hidden files and folder,
uncheck Hide extensions for known file types and locate the boot.ini
file

Open the boot.ini file with notepad or wordpad, Select All the text,
Copy and paste the contents back here. Close the boot.ini file making
no changes (for the moment).

Hi:

I apologize for taking so long to reply, as I thought I was going to be
able to go back over to his house today, but was not able to do so.

One thing that I have determined since my posting is that I believe he
originally had Windows MCE installed and the guy apparently has put Windows
XP Home Edition on his computer..

As soon as I can get back over to his house I will post my findings. If it
now has references to Windows MCE should I delete them within the boot.ini
file?

Thanks,

ColTom2


"ColTom2" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
Hi:

I have a friend running a Sony desktop with Windows XP Home Edition and he
let someone do some work on it supposedly to rid the computer from viruses.
I really do not know what all was done to it.

Now upon boot up a black screen appears in the boot process asking do you
want to start Windows XP Home Edition Normally or something similar to this.
It is listed twice and the top listing is highlighted white. If you click on
Enter it will immediately boot on up properly or it starts a seconds count
down and when it reaches zero it auto boots up properly.

Anyone know how to prevent this where it will boot normally?

Thanks,

ColTom2