Boot Options/Installation partition

[Robyn]

I made a boo boo

When SP2 came out I installed it with the microsoft Update Cd that I ordered
but the installation didn't work (ie. VERY slow, drivers required updating
etc.) so I went back to SP1 until I had time to sort it all out.

Today seemed like a good time. I have two physical hard drives the second of
which is partitioned so I decided to install to the 2nd hard drive and keep
my first installation so I wouldn't have to spend ages fixing things if
something went wrong. After the first reboooting of the system I was given
an option to cancel the installation which I chose (F3) as I got nervous
because I had not been asked where I wanted to install. I was using a copy
of a friend's OEM WinXP Home SP2 CD with my CD key for my OEM version of SP1
(neither are for brand name computers).

Anyway, I've now ended up with an option at boot up of

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
or
Microsoft Windows XP Setup
with the second setup option as the default boot option if I don't select
the other.

In boot.ini I found this...

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Setup"

How do I change it so that the "XP Setup" option is not the default and the
system will boot straight to my first SP1 installation or, better still,
safely remove the boot option altogether?

During setup should I get asked WHERE I want to install windows and if so,
at what point will I be asked?

Thanks for your time
miskairal

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

Watch for line wrapping:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=30
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect

If you booted from the CD, you won't be given an option. If you want to create a dual boot, run Setup from within XP and choose a custom installation. You'll be able to choose the destination disk/partition for your installation.

 

[Robyn]

Thankyou so much for your reply. Yes I did try to install from the CD.
Cheers
Robyn


Watch for line wrapping:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=30
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect

If you booted from the CD, you won't be given an option. If you want to
create a dual boot, run Setup from within XP and choose a custom
installation. You'll be able to choose the destination disk/partition for
your installation.