Boot.ini file disappeared

[Cla]

On booting my laptop as usual a message appeared informing
as follows: boot.ini file invalid, booting from C:/WINNT.
Could anyone tell me why that happened and how I can
restore the invalid boot.ini file? Please help

 

[Steve]

did you have or install a secong hard drive?

 

[Dave Patrick]

Hard to say without seeing the text of boot.ini Probably missing the
'default=' line though.

Look for it in the root of the system partition (first primary active
partition)

Explorer|Tools|Folder Options|View, then radio button for "Show hidden files
and folders", then uncheck the box for "Hide protected operating system
files" to locate the files in the system partition.


--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]
Microsoft Certified Professional [Windows 2000]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
| On booting my laptop as usual a message appeared informing
| as follows: boot.ini file invalid, booting from C:/WINNT.
| Could anyone tell me why that happened and how I can
| restore the invalid boot.ini file? Please help

 

[claudiosanto]

Thank you very much for your reply Steve. No, I did not
install a second hard drive but I connected a digital
camera and installed the relative software. If it can help
my hard disk has 2 partitions C: and D: the only OS is
installed in C: and I have seen all the hidden files. Also
the file boot.ini which can normally be retrieved using
command prompt now does not open which confirms once more
that it's gone. Given this information whould it be
possible to rewrite a boot.ini file?
Thanks again.
Regards

 

[Cla]

Thank you very much Dave.
I wish it was that simple but unfortunately I have already
seen all the hidden files and tried retrieving boot.ini
using the command prompt. No success. My hard disk has 2
paritions C: and D: and W2Kpro is installed in C:. Upon
this information is it possible for me to write a boot.ini
file to place in the directory you mentioned? Can you help
me with the syntax, please?
Thank you again
Regards
Cla

 

[Dave Patrick]

You can boot the recovery console and from a command prompt issue the
command;
fixboot
to replace the bootsector (and boot.ini)
To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2000
Setup CD or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks. If you do not have Setup
floppy disks and your computer cannot start from the Windows 2000 Setup CD,
use another Windows 2000-based computer to create the Setup floppy disks.
Press ENTER at the "Setup Notification" screen. Press R to repair a Windows
2000 installation, and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The
Recovery Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do
not have the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
Console quits and restarts the computer. Once the password has been
validated, you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access
to the hard disk. You can only access the following folders on your
computer: %systemroot% and %windir%


--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]
Microsoft Certified Professional [Windows 2000]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
| Thank you very much Dave.
| I wish it was that simple but unfortunately I have already
| seen all the hidden files and tried retrieving boot.ini
| using the command prompt. No success. My hard disk has 2
| paritions C: and D: and W2Kpro is installed in C:. Upon
| this information is it possible for me to write a boot.ini
| file to place in the directory you mentioned? Can you help
| me with the syntax, please?
| Thank you again
| Regards
| Cla

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Cla.

and I have seen all the hidden files. Also
the file boot.ini which can normally be retrieved using
command prompt now does not open which confirms once more
that it's gone.

Even if the GUI lets you see the hidden files, it does not remove the Hidden
attribute, so "DOS" still will not show you the file. In a "DOS" window,
type: attrib -h -r -s C:\boot.ini This will remove the Hidden (and System
and Read-only - just to be sure) attributes. Then you can open the file in
Notepad or Edit.com or your favorite text editor.

To SEE hidden files in "DOS" without removing the attributes, use the /a
switch with Dir. This shows All files, including those with any attributes
set. Or dir /a:h to see just Hidden files and folders.

RC