Boot.ini problems

[Guest]

I have 2 installations of XP Home edition on seperate drives, one SATA, the
other on the primary ide. When I boot up instead of getting a screen to
select which to boot from, I get invalid boot.ini message, booting from drive
c. The system then proceeds to boot from the sata drive, which is d (!). I
have tried using bootcfg /rebuild in recovery console but this just seems to
add more entries to the boot.ini without solving the problem. I have also
tried using the 'Check all boot paths' button in msconfig but this reports
that there are no problems (!!). I have posted contents of my boot.ini file
below, if anyone can tell me how to safely edit this to resolve the problem,
I will be very grateful.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition (Main)" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition (Main)" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

 

[JS]

Boot.ini Editing
See: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022/en-us
and: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314081/en-us
switches explained: http://www.sysinternals.com/Information/bootini.html

JS

 

[Timothy Daniels]

On which HD did the boot.ini file reside?
Are the files ntldr and ntdetect.com next to it in the folder?
Are these files also found on the other HD?
What are the contents of the other HD's boot.ini?
Does the OS on the SATA HD call its partition "D:"?
Does the OS on the PATA HD call its partition "C:"?
Are there any other partitions on either HD? How many
on each HD?

The more questions you answer, the better will be the help.
In the meantime, to simplify the situation, manually remove
all the entries under "[operating systems]" except the 1st two.
Do this with Notepad or by running msconfig and clicking
on the tab "Boot.ini". Don't click "Check all boot paths".
For now, leave the default entry as it is.


*TimDaniels*

 

[Guest]

Timothy, thanks for your help, I have listed the answers below, looks like
things may be in a bit of a mess, so I am hoping you can tell me how to put
it right....

On which HD did the boot.ini file reside? C\windows\system, but for some reason there is a version in 'My Documents' on the D drive, this is the version that MSCONFG appears to point to
Are the files ntldr and ntdetect.com next to it in the folder? No, not found anywhere on C drive
Are these files also found on the other HD? Yes, both found on D:\ i.e. not in any folder
What are the contents of the other HD's boot.ini?

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition (Main)" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect

Does the OS on the SATA HD call its partition "D:"? Yes
Does the OS on the PATA HD call its partition "C:"? I think so but I can't boot from this drive now to check
Are there any other partitions on either HD? No

The more questions you answer, the better will be the help.
In the meantime, to simplify the situation, manually remove
all the entries under "[operating systems]" except the 1st two.
Do this with Notepad or by running msconfig and clicking
on the tab "Boot.ini". Don't click "Check all boot paths".
For now, leave the default entry as it is.


*TimDaniels*

I have 2 installations of XP Home edition on seperate drives, one SATA,
the other on the primary ide. When I boot up instead of getting a screen
to select which to boot from, I get invalid boot.ini message, booting from
drive c. The system then proceeds to boot from the sata drive, which
is d (!). I have tried using bootcfg /rebuild in recovery console but this
just seems to add more entries to the boot.ini without solving the
problem. I have also tried using the 'Check all boot paths' button in
msconfig but this reports that there are no problems (!!). I have posted
contents of my boot.ini file below, if anyone can tell me how to safely
edit this to resolve the problem, I will be very grateful.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition (Main)" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition (Main)" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

 

[Timothy Daniels]

The two boot.ini files that you've listed are both appropriate
for the SATA HD if the SATA HD is 2nd in the BIOS's HD
boot order. Are they the Before and After versions of your
boot.ini editing in the SATA HD?

Assuming that the IDE HD is the 1st HD in your BIOS's HD
boot order, the default entry in that HD's boot.ini file should
have "rdisk(0)" - referring to its own HD as the location of
the OS. That the boot.ini contents that you list refer to
"rdisk(1)" and that booting apparently proceeds successfully
from that point suggests that the C: drive's MBR recognizes
that the boot sector in its active partition failed to find ntldr
and passes control back to the BIOS, which then passes
control to the MBR on the next HD in the HD boot order, i.e.
the SATA HD, and then loading of the 2nd OS proceeds.

The usual fix is to run "bootcfg /rebuild" from the WinXP
installation CD's Recovery Console, which you have done,
but you find that it continues to work on the SATA HD
instead of the IDE HD. Well, the straight-forward thing to do
is to disconnect the SATA HD and then run "bootcfg \rebuild"
to force it to work on the IDE HD.

If that works and the IDE HD will boots its own OS, you will
have a boot.ini file there that has only one entry. To make
it dual-boot again, re-connect the SATA HD and then run
msconfig on the IDE HD's OS, clicking the "Boot.ini" tab,
and clicking "Check all boot paths". That will put the entry
into the IDE HD's boot.ini file that points to the OS in the
SATA HD.

Here's a link that may (or may not) be of help:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=330184

*TimDaniels*

Timothy, thanks for your help, I have listed the answers below, looks like
things may be in a bit of a mess, so I am hoping you can tell me how to put
it right....

On which HD did the boot.ini file reside?

C\windows\system, but for some reason there is a version
in 'My Documents' on the D drive, this is the version that
MSCONFG appears to point to.

Are the files ntldr and ntdetect.com next to it in the folder?

No, not found anywhere on C drive

Are these files also found on the other HD?

Yes, both found on D:\ i.e. not in any folder

What are the contents of the other HD's boot.ini?

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition (Main)" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect

Does the OS on the SATA HD call its partition "D:"? Yes
Does the OS on the PATA HD call its partition "C:"? I think so but I can't boot from this drive now to check
Are there any other partitions on either HD? No

The more questions you answer, the better will be the help.
In the meantime, to simplify the situation, manually remove
all the entries under "[operating systems]" except the 1st two.
Do this with Notepad or by running msconfig and clicking
on the tab "Boot.ini". Don't click "Check all boot paths".
For now, leave the default entry as it is.


*TimDaniels*

I have 2 installations of XP Home edition on seperate drives, one SATA,
the other on the primary ide. When I boot up instead of getting a screen
to select which to boot from, I get invalid boot.ini message, booting from
drive c. The system then proceeds to boot from the sata drive, which
is d (!). I have tried using bootcfg /rebuild in recovery console but this
just seems to add more entries to the boot.ini without solving the
problem. I have also tried using the 'Check all boot paths' button in
msconfig but this reports that there are no problems (!!). I have posted
contents of my boot.ini file below, if anyone can tell me how to safely
edit this to resolve the problem, I will be very grateful.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition (Main)" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition (Main)" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

 

[Guest]

Thanks, the solution turned out to be very simple, I checked the BIOS and
the SATA HD was configured as the first to boot, I swapped the order round
and everything was fine. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Thanks, the solution turned out to be very simple, I checked the BIOS and
the SATA HD was configured as the first to boot, I swapped the order round
and everything was fine. Thanks again for your help.

That was my first thought, but you said the boot files for the IDE HD
weren't there. <sigh>

*TimDaniels*