Can't find boot.ini (system boots ok, and yes I've enabled viewing ofhidden/system files)

[Some Guy]

I've got a Win-2K pro system with the following issues:

1) on bootup, I get the message
"invalid boot.ini file / Booting from c:\winnt\"

2) folder properties are set to show system and hidden files,
but a search for "boot.ini" on the entire drive (single
partition, single physical drive, NTFS) turns up no
boot.ini file anywhere.

3) the commands
"notepad c:\boot.ini" and "notepad c:\winnt\boot.ini"
ask me if I want to create a new file called "boot.ini"
(in other words, no boot.ini files exists in either location).

4) at a command prompt, the command "attrib -s -h -r boot.ini"
when executed in c:\ and c:\winnt\ return a "file not found"
error.

System boots and seems to operate normally anyways.

Tried to do a windows update, selected express (not custom) update,
but got a message that my IE settings are not right. IE was, however,
configured properly according to the instructions that were printed as
part of the error message.

Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) wasn't running. I
started WMI service (it wasn't running, but that was probably my fault
because I tried to turn off as many services as possible at some point
in the past). I could then start BITS (set it to automatic).
Rebooted (still got missing boot.ini) and tried Windows Updates again,
and still got same message about IE not configured properly.

I'm not sure if these 2 problems are linked.

I know that the last time this system was able to experience a
complete Windows Updates session was probably in August - and I would
think that at that time WMI and BITS were not running (has this
changed for Win2K since then?)

And where is my boot.ini?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I've got a Win-2K pro system with the following issues:

1) on bootup, I get the message
"invalid boot.ini file / Booting from c:\winnt\"

2) folder properties are set to show system and hidden files,
but a search for "boot.ini" on the entire drive (single
partition, single physical drive, NTFS) turns up no
boot.ini file anywhere.

3) the commands
"notepad c:\boot.ini" and "notepad c:\winnt\boot.ini"
ask me if I want to create a new file called "boot.ini"
(in other words, no boot.ini files exists in either location).

4) at a command prompt, the command "attrib -s -h -r boot.ini"
when executed in c:\ and c:\winnt\ return a "file not found"
error.

System boots and seems to operate normally anyways.

Tried to do a windows update, selected express (not custom) update,
but got a message that my IE settings are not right. IE was, however,
configured properly according to the instructions that were printed as
part of the error message.

Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) wasn't running. I
started WMI service (it wasn't running, but that was probably my fault
because I tried to turn off as many services as possible at some point
in the past). I could then start BITS (set it to automatic).
Rebooted (still got missing boot.ini) and tried Windows Updates again,
and still got same message about IE not configured properly.

I'm not sure if these 2 problems are linked.

I know that the last time this system was able to experience a
complete Windows Updates session was probably in August - and I would
think that at that time WMI and BITS were not running (has this
changed for Win2K since then?)

And where is my boot.ini?

Your boot.ini file has obviously disappeared. Create a new one
with lines such as these:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=3
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect

 

[Some Guy]

Your boot.ini file has obviously disappeared. Create a new one
with lines such as these:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=3
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect

Um, if this is a Win-2k machine, should I still have "XP" in the file?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Your boot.ini file has obviously disappeared. Create a new one
with lines such as these:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=3
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect

Um, if this is a Win-2k machine, should I still have "XP" in the file?

The "XP" part is free text. You can make it "My beautiful little laundry"
if you're a movie buff.

 

[Dave Patrick]

Also change every instance of 'windows' to 'winnt'

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Oops - missed that one. Thanks for mentioning it!

 

[Enkidu]

I believe that if the Windows 2000 was installed as an
upgrade from NT, it may well be 'windows'. But in this case
he mentions 'winnt', so I'd assume that it was not in fact
an upgrade. Still, some people might wonder why they have
'windows' and not 'winnt'.....

Cheers,

Cliff

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

c:\winnt is the default for WinNT4 and Win2000.
c:\windows is the default for Win9x and WinXP.

 

[Dave Patrick]

Hasn't ever been my experience.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

 

[Guest]

Unless you habitually change the folder name from install defaults those, as
Pegasus states, are the defaults by design.

 

[Dave Patrick]

FYI; You should learn to click on the message you're replying to rather than
the last post in the thread to avoid general confusion.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

 

[Enkidu]

Ah, OK, thanks Pegasus. I knew I seen it, but got the
circumstances wrong!

Cheers,

Cliff