boot.ini

[ediab]

Hi, Win XP Pro SP2 takes a long time to boot( at the black screen which
shows a bar rolling across a small rectangular box). I decided to check
msconfig's boot.ini and there is a button that says check all boot paths,
upon selecting the button a system config window pops-up: "It appears that
the following line in the BOOT.INI file does not refer to a valid operating
system: "signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft
Windows XP Professional"/fastdetect". Would you like to remove it from the
BOOT.INI file? I didn't do it, I am just asking for any advice in this
matter. Thanks for your time.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Click start/run, type C:\boot.ini and click ok. This will open the file in
notepad. Please copy/paste the entire contents into a reply.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Alex Nichol]

Hi, Win XP Pro SP2 takes a long time to boot( at the black screen which
shows a bar rolling across a small rectangular box). I decided to check
msconfig's boot.ini and there is a button that says check all boot paths,
upon selecting the button a system config window pops-up: "It appears that
the following line in the BOOT.INI file does not refer to a valid operating
system: "signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft
Windows XP Professional"/fastdetect". Would you like to remove it from the
BOOT.INI file? I didn't do it, I am just asking for any advice in this
matter.

Provided that there is another line there for an acceptable version of
the OS; then yes you could delete this one. It is unusual to have a
line like that with a specific 'signature' - more usually you see
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS etc
and it looks to me as if at some time a setup was done onto a disk
connected on something other than the channel the BIOS is now booting.

If there is not a second line leading off with that multi(0) I think I
would rebuild the boot.ini: Set the BIOS to boot CD before Hard Disk.
Boot the XP CD and, instead of Setup, take the immediate R for Repair.
Assume any password requested is blank, and TAB over.

Give
Attrib -H -R -S C:\Boot.ini
Del C:\boot.ini
BootCfg /Rebuild

 

[ediab]

Thanks Pros,
this is what I have:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Follow the steps that Alex has posted, as that is probably an invalid
destination. The delay you see is probably being caused by it, and you need
to rebuild the file.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

Thanks Pros,
this is what I have:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows
XP Professional" /fastdetect

Hi,

Click start/run, type C:\boot.ini and click ok. This will open the file
in notepad. Please copy/paste the entire contents into a reply.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[CZ]

Hi, Win XP Pro SP2 takes a long time to boot( at the black screen which

this is what I have for boot.ini:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows
XP Professional" /fastdetect

ediab:

Generally, the disk(x) argument is disk(0). Change it and see if it works.

Per MS:
""disk(0)" refers to the SCSI logical unit (LUN) to use. This can be a
separate disk, but the vast majority of SCSI setups have only one LUN for
each SCSI ID."

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Generally yes, but not always. Just changing it could invalidate the boot
completely. Better to rebuild it properly.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

Hi, Win XP Pro SP2 takes a long time to boot( at the black screen which
shows a bar rolling across a small rectangular box). I decided to check
msconfig's boot.ini and there is a button that says check all boot
paths, upon selecting the button a system config window pops-up: "It
appears that the following line in the BOOT.INI file does not refer to
a valid operating system:
"signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft
Windows XP Professional"/fastdetect". Would you like to remove it from
the BOOT.INI file? I didn't do it, I am just asking for any advice in
this matter.

this is what I have for boot.ini:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
signature(420b420a)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows
XP Professional" /fastdetect

ediab:

Generally, the disk(x) argument is disk(0). Change it and see if it
works.

Per MS:
""disk(0)" refers to the SCSI logical unit (LUN) to use. This can be a
separate disk, but the vast majority of SCSI setups have only one LUN for
each SCSI ID."