Hi all.I need help in fixing my boot.ini file in XP.My OS choice menu
displays two blank entries alongwith the XP entry which i want.My
boot.ini file looks like this.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS=""
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS=""
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin /tutag=g0wx5p /
kernel=tukernel.exe


What if i delete the two blank entries in second of the file?Did it
affect the functioning of my system.

"Rishi" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4b095a9b-8dbf-45a6-9e03-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi all.I need help in fixing my boot.ini file in XP.My OS choice menu
> displays two blank entries alongwith the XP entry which i want.My
> boot.ini file looks like this.
>
> [boot loader]
> timeout=30
> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
> [operating systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS=""
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS=""
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
> Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin /tutag=g0wx5p /
> kernel=tukernel.exe
>
>
> What if i delete the two blank entries in second of the file?Did it
> affect the functioning of my system.

For the purpose of booting up, the two lines with blank descriptions
are identical to the third line that has a description. You can safely
remove them.

> For the purpose of booting up, the two lines with blank descriptions
> are identical to the third line that has a description. You can safely
> remove them.

So,what if i need to add an entry of Vista which is in another drive
than XP?

Unless the current version of ntldr is that of Vista's, that will not work.

"Rishi" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:73e62c23-27be-441a-a752-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> For the purpose of booting up, the two lines with blank descriptions
>> are identical to the third line that has a description. You can safely
>> remove them.
>
> So,what if i need to add an entry of Vista which is in another drive
> than XP?

"Rishi" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:73e62c23-27be-441a-a752-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> For the purpose of booting up, the two lines with blank descriptions
>> are identical to the third line that has a description. You can safely
>> remove them.
>
> So,what if i need to add an entry of Vista which is in another drive
> than XP?

Add another line like so:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(x)partition(y)\zzz="Microsoft Vista"

Set the correct values for x, y and zzz and keep in mind
kookieman's warning.

It won't work period, Vista cannot be booted with ntldr.

John

kookieman wrote:
> Unless the current version of ntldr is that of Vista's, that will not work.
>
> "Rishi" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:73e62c23-27be-441a-a752-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>>For the purpose of booting up, the two lines with blank descriptions
>>>are identical to the third line that has a description. You can safely
>>>remove them.
>>
>>So,what if i need to add an entry of Vista which is in another drive
>>than XP?
>
>
>

Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
> "Rishi" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:73e62c23-27be-441a-a752-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>>For the purpose of booting up, the two lines with blank descriptions
>>>are identical to the third line that has a description. You can safely
>>>remove them.
>>
>>So,what if i need to add an entry of Vista which is in another drive
>>than XP?
>
>
> Add another line like so:
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(x)partition(y)\zzz="Microsoft Vista"
>
> Set the correct values for x, y and zzz and keep in mind
> kookieman's warning.

No, that won't work, Pegasus. Vista doesn't boot with ntldr and
boot.ini, it uses a different boot manager altogether.

For BIOS computer and MBR disks the MBR loads the Boot Sector, the Boot
Code loads Bootmgr, Bootmgr reads the Boot Configuration Data store
(BCD) and uses the information in the store to load Vista.

Windows Vista no longer starts after you install an earlier version of
the Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529

John

"John John" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
>> "Rishi" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:73e62c23-27be-441a-a752-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>>>For the purpose of booting up, the two lines with blank descriptions
>>>>are identical to the third line that has a description. You can safely
>>>>remove them.
>>>
>>>So,what if i need to add an entry of Vista which is in another drive
>>>than XP?
>>
>>
>> Add another line like so:
>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(x)partition(y)\zzz="Microsoft Vista"
>>
>> Set the correct values for x, y and zzz and keep in mind
>> kookieman's warning.
>
> No, that won't work, Pegasus. Vista doesn't boot with ntldr and boot.ini,
> it uses a different boot manager altogether.
>
> For BIOS computer and MBR disks the MBR loads the Boot Sector, the Boot
> Code loads Bootmgr, Bootmgr reads the Boot Configuration Data store (BCD)
> and uses the information in the store to load Vista.
>
> Windows Vista no longer starts after you install an earlier version of the
> Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529
>
> John
>

Thanks. Looks like I have to do a little homework to catch
up on the intricacies of the Vista boot loader.

"Rishi" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:73e62c23-27be-441a-a752-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> For the purpose of booting up, the two lines with blank descriptions
>> are identical to the third line that has a description. You can safely
>> remove them.
>
> So,what if i need to add an entry of Vista which is in another drive
> than XP?

I think you have two options:
- Convince Vista to multi-boot. A Vista newsgroup would be a good
place to ask this question.
- Use a third-party boot manager such as XOSL. It sits like an umbrella
over the various OSs and invokes whatever native boot loader you
happen to select.

In reply to Pegasus (MVP) ((E-Mail Removed)) who wrote this in
%(E-Mail Removed), I, Marvo, say :

> "Rishi" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:73e62c23-27be-441a-a752-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> For the purpose of booting up, the two lines with blank descriptions
>>> are identical to the third line that has a description. You can
>>> safely remove them.
>>
>> So,what if i need to add an entry of Vista which is in another drive
>> than XP?
>
> I think you have two options:
> - Convince Vista to multi-boot. A Vista newsgroup would be a good
> place to ask this question.
> - Use a third-party boot manager such as XOSL. It sits like an
> umbrella over the various OSs and invokes whatever native boot
> loader you happen to select.

A third option which would work, considering it's on another drive, is to
set the desired boot drive in the BIOS before booting up.

Personally I wouldn't touch Vista yet, at all. XP works.