Boot Loader Problems

[Wayne Wengert]

I had boot loader set to allow me to choose either regular WinXP or Safe
Mode. Somehow I ended up with another entry for WinXP Installer. Based on a
response to an earlier post I deleted the line in the ini file for the
install option but now, I still get an option "Windows Default" (and it is
the default selection) which asks for the installation CD. I suspect I need
to change the "Default" line (see below) but Help and Googling have not made
clear exactly what I need there"
================= ini file ========================
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=10
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Safe Mode"
/safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog

 

[Tim Judd]

I had boot loader set to allow me to choose either regular WinXP or Safe
Mode. Somehow I ended up with another entry for WinXP Installer. Based on a
response to an earlier post I deleted the line in the ini file for the
install option but now, I still get an option "Windows Default" (and it is
the default selection) which asks for the installation CD. I suspect I need
to change the "Default" line (see below) but Help and Googling have not made
clear exactly what I need there"
================= ini file ========================
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=10
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Safe Mode"
/safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog

Your .ini is misleading.

The ntldr won't have a way to distinguish between the first line
(Operating Systems) and the second, because they are both rooted in the
same directory.

Correcting your default line will probably only select the first entry,
and be unable to default to the second.

Why don't you use the safe mode everyone else does? F8 brings up a menu
and you can pick your safe mode there.

Change your default line to match what it is under the [Operating
Systems] up to (but excluding) the = marker.

try that. hth

 

[Wayne Wengert]

Tim;

Thanks for the response. How can I eliminate the boot loader completely? Can
I just delete the ini file?

Wayne

I had boot loader set to allow me to choose either regular WinXP or Safe
Mode. Somehow I ended up with another entry for WinXP Installer. Based on
a response to an earlier post I deleted the line in the ini file for the
install option but now, I still get an option "Windows Default" (and it
is the default selection) which asks for the installation CD. I suspect I
need to change the "Default" line (see below) but Help and Googling have
not made clear exactly what I need there"
================= ini file ========================
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=10
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Safe Mode"
/safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog

Your .ini is misleading.

The ntldr won't have a way to distinguish between the first line
(Operating Systems) and the second, because they are both rooted in the
same directory.

Correcting your default line will probably only select the first entry,
and be unable to default to the second.

Why don't you use the safe mode everyone else does? F8 brings up a menu
and you can pick your safe mode there.

Change your default line to match what it is under the [Operating Systems]
up to (but excluding) the = marker.

try that. hth

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Try this...

Check All Boot Paths

Start | Run | Type: msconfig | Click OK |
Boot.ini tab | Check All Boot Paths button |
A dialog box will open detailing the location of any invalid operating
system locations | Confirm you want to remove the entry and reboot

[[Check All Boot Paths - This button will check the boot paths for all
operating systems listed in the BOOT.INI to ensure they point to a valid
operating system. ]]

Msconfig image
http://www.winnetmag.com/Files/16/20784/msconfig.gif

If there is only one you will get:
It appears that all BOOT.INI lines for Microsoft operating systems are OK.

A dialog box will open detailing the location of any invalid operating
system locations.

Similar to this...
-------------------
It appears that the following line in the BOOT.INI file does not refer to a
valid operating system:

"multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional " /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn"

Would you like to remove it from the BOOT.INI file?
-------------------

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Tim;

Thanks for the response. How can I eliminate the boot loader completely?
Can I just delete the ini file?

Wayne

I had boot loader set to allow me to choose either regular WinXP or Safe
Mode. Somehow I ended up with another entry for WinXP Installer. Based
on a response to an earlier post I deleted the line in the ini file for
the install option but now, I still get an option "Windows Default"
(and it is the default selection) which asks for the installation CD. I
suspect I need to change the "Default" line (see below) but Help and
Googling have not made clear exactly what I need there"
================= ini file ========================
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=10
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Safe Mode"
/safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog

Your .ini is misleading.

The ntldr won't have a way to distinguish between the first line
(Operating Systems) and the second, because they are both rooted in the
same directory.

Correcting your default line will probably only select the first entry,
and be unable to default to the second.

Why don't you use the safe mode everyone else does? F8 brings up a menu
and you can pick your safe mode there.

Change your default line to match what it is under the [Operating
Systems] up to (but excluding) the = marker.

try that. hth