On Sat, 1 Jul 2006 05:53:02 -0700, benster
I have this boot.ini config:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=signature(c59cc59c)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
signature(c59cc59c)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
I wonder what means signature(c59cc59c), and if I can delete that part.
No! i.e.
- Yes it's significant, prolly an identifier
- No, you shouldn't hack it!!
OSs booted from Boot.ini have one of two possible sets of syntax:
1) Boot sector image syntax
This is how DOS, Win9x and Recovery Console are loaded from Boot.ini;
the entry in [operating systems] defines a filespec (or if just C:\,
the default file name is BOOTSECT.DOS there) that is loaded and
executed as a 512-byte image of a partition boot sector.
2) NT load syntax
This is more complex, and directs NTLDR to load the NT-family OS.
AFAICR there are three different possible syntaxes:
- multi()
- scsi()
- signature()
Usually one sees the multi() syntax; scsi() is used on SCSI, I guess.
The signature() syntax is rarer and may be used to overcome some HD
addressing issues, such as missing INT13 support or something (it's
been ages since I read this up, sorry...)
The main take-home here is that entries within the [operating systems]
section of Boot.ini atre VERY brittle, and you should be extremely
careful here!! You can't even ;comment out things in this section, as
NTLDR will parse any such items as valid OSs (and run as garbage)
There's an MS /kb article that describes the syntax of NT OS load
directives within the [operating system] section.
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