Boot Screen Problem

[TomD]

A friend asked me for help on his machine recently.....

he could connect to the internet but not browse anywhere.
In desparation he "reloaded" 2000 but whereas his
original install was in C:\WINDOWS his second install was
in C:\WINNT. On boot he got the option as to which he
required. As the WINNT version enabled browsing the
WINDOWS version was deleted. He still however get option
as to which version he requires. I thought it was just as
matter of removing entry in boot.ini file but having done
this the option "Windows 2000 (default)" appears at boot
with the other correct option. I've searched and checked
all version of boot.ini and there is only one operating
system reference not two as I'm seeing.

Can anyone help in removing this erroneous boot option
such that it just powers up to desktop.

Regards

Tom

 

[Bjorn Landemoo]

Tom

The message "Windows 2000 (default)" tells me that there is something wrong
in your friends boot.ini, probably in the row that begins with "default=".

A normal boot.ini, for most computers, would look like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect

To be safe, format a floppy from within Win2000 and copy the files ntdlr
and ntdetect.com to it, then save the rows above as boot.ini, also on that
floppy. Try to boot the computer with this floppy. If it works, then
replace C:\boot.ini with A:\boot.ini.

Best regards

Bjorn

 

[TomD]

Bjorn,

Many thanks for prompt response. The boot.ini file looks
exactley as you have shown and that is what throws me.
I've double checked on my own system as well and looks
the same. I will of course double check to make sure his
system reads the same but his system is picking up the
erroneous entry "Windows 2000 (default)" from somewhere
and where is the operative word. Your second suggestion
I'll also do.

Again, many thanks

Tom

-----Original Message-----
Tom

The message "Windows 2000 (default)" tells me that there is something wrong
in your friends boot.ini, probably in the row that begins with "default=".

A normal boot.ini, for most computers, would look like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect

To be safe, format a floppy from within Win2000 and copy the files ntdlr
and ntdetect.com to it, then save the rows above as boot.ini, also on that
floppy. Try to boot the computer with this floppy. If it works, then
replace C:\boot.ini with A:\boot.ini.

Best regards

Bjorn
--
Bjorn Landemoo - (e-mail address removed) - http://landemoo.com/
Microsoft MVP - Windows Server Networking

A friend asked me for help on his machine recently.....

he could connect to the internet but not browse anywhere.
In desparation he "reloaded" 2000 but whereas his
original install was in C:\WINDOWS his second install was
in C:\WINNT. On boot he got the option as to which he
required. As the WINNT version enabled browsing the
WINDOWS version was deleted. He still however get option
as to which version he requires. I thought it was just as
matter of removing entry in boot.ini file but having done
this the option "Windows 2000 (default)" appears at boot
with the other correct option. I've searched and checked
all version of boot.ini and there is only one operating
system reference not two as I'm seeing.

Can anyone help in removing this erroneous boot option
such that it just powers up to desktop.

Regards

Tom

.

 

[Dave Patrick]

Bjorn,

I also have been wondering where this comes from. All the machines at work
are Dell pc's that have an image put on them by the IS group in St. Louis
before we get them. They all exhibit this behavior. To prove that it is in
fact using boot.ini in the root of the system partition, I can edit the
quoted "text" and see the effect at the next startup in the boot loader
screen.

 

[Bjorn Landemoo]

Dave

KB124550 under "MORE INFORMATION" is where I got the information. Editing
the quoted text in boot.ini will not reveal anything new, it is something
incorrect in the line: default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

Test with a floppy until the (default) option disappears.

Best regards

Bjorn

 

[Dave Patrick]

Thanks, Bjorn.

I only meant that as an indication that boot.ini in the root of the system
partition was being read and used by the OS. It never really bothered me
enough to pursue, but when I get back to work I'll give it a try with a boot
floppy, there may be something funky with the default line.

 

[Bjorn Landemoo]

I see, Dave.

The boot.ini is read, but when WinNT/2000 doesn't understand what is
written in the default= line, it tries a default path (multi0,0,0,1\WINNT)
that must exist somewhere inside ntldr, and if that doesn't work it fails
to boot.

Best regards

Bjorn

 

[Dan Seur]

It's nestled in among the error msgs in ntldr. below is a copy/paste
excerpt of the section:

Windows NT has found only %dK of low memory. 512k of low memory
is required to run Windows NT. You may need to upgrade your
computer or run a configuration program provided by the manufacturer.
Windows NT has not found enough extended memory. 7Mb of extended
memory is required to run Windows NT. You may need to upgrade your
computer or run a configuration program provided by the manufacturer.


Memory Map:
%lx - %lx
NTLDR is corrupt. The system cannot boot. NTLDR is corrupt. The
system cannot boot. ax:%x dx:%x cx:%x bx:%x es:%x

TRAP %lx
DEBUG TRAP ================== DOUBLE FAULT
================================

===== STACK SEGMENT OVERRUN or NOT PRESENT FAULT ===============

============== GENERAL PROTECTION FAULT ========================

=================== PAGE FAULT =================================

** At linear address %lx
===================== EXCEPTION ================================


tr=%x cr0=%lx cr2=%lx cr3=%lx
gdt limit=%x base=%lx idt limit=%x base=%lx

cs:eip=%x:%lx ss:esp=%x:%lx errcode=%x
eax=%lx ebx=%lx ecx=%lx edx=%lx ds=%x es=%x
edi=%lx esi=%lx ebp=%lx cr0=%lx fs=%x gs=%x
flags=%lx Cy NoCy Zr NoZr IntEn IntDis Up Down TrapEn
TrapDis
Link %x
Esp0 %x
SS0 %x
Esp1 %lx
Cr3 %lx
Eip %lx
Eflg %lx
Eax %lx
Ebx %lx
Ecx %lx
Edx %lx
Esp %lx
Ebp %lx
Esi %lx
Edi %lx
ES %x
CS %x
SS %x
DS %x
FS %x
GS %x
Ldt %x
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multi(0)disk(0)fdisk(0) net(0)
multi(0)disk(0)cdrom(%u) multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(0) Falied
to write the new signature on the boot partition.
Failed second ArcSeek on the boot partition to check for a signature.
Failed to ArcRead the boot partition to check for a signature.
Failed to ArcSeek the boot partition to check for a signature.
Couldn't Open the boot partition to check for a signature.
Couldn't initialize memory
Couldn't initialize I/O
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