Help with two Windows folders

[Jorge Cervantes]

To make a long story short, by a mistake there are two windows folders:
Windows and Windows_0.. It Because of that, whenever I boot the
computer, the following notice is seen on the screen:

Please select the operating system to start

Microsoft Windows XP Pro
Microsoft Windows XP Pro

Use the up and down arrow keys .... blah, blah,

The quick fix is to re-format and re-install Windows XP. That means
re-installing tons of software and drivers. It will take a few days to do
so. So I want to avoid this situation.

My Question is a) how to remove a Windows folder (e.g., Windows_0) safely,
or b) how to remove both windows folders safely (and then re-install Windows
XP without re-formatting c-partition). Your advise would be very much
appreciated. Jorge

 

[DL]

The quick fix is to re-format and re-install Windows XP. That means
Thats a long fix;
msconfig>check all boot paths
delete Windows_0

 

[Jorge Cervantes]

Thanks.
When Windows_0 was removed, I could not boot the computer.
The error on the black screen is that system32\hal.dll is missing.

When I checked the Windows using a PE-based software, hal.dll file is in
Windows\system32.
Any solution? John.

 

[Elmo]

Thanks.
When Windows_0 was removed, I could not boot the computer.
The error on the black screen is that system32\hal.dll is missing.

When I checked the Windows using a PE-based software, hal.dll file is in
Windows\system32.
Any solution? John.

Add the reference to Windows_0 and remove the reference to Windows.

 

[Mem]

Jorge,
the file you deleted was the one your computer was using to boot into. I've
been researching a very similar issue all morning. i have two windows
folders, one simply labeled "windows", the other labeled "windows.0". this
happened when the windows OS was being installed. most likely the
installation was frozen and restarted. this means the first "windows" file is
incomplete. the second "windows" file (windows.0) is the complete
installation of the operating system. I'm having error messages regarding
..dll files being corrupt and/or missing and i cannot use the built in
utilities to correct them so i am going to return the computer.
at this point you are going to have to reinstall the os. if you do a clean
install it will take longer, and especially if you have access to or better
yet the cd's containing the drivers and software you are going to be much
better off doing it that way.
good luck!

Mem
"sometimes the swiftest way to the finish line is the longest road"
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