Get my 'normal startup back'

[aryeh]

I had to install chkdsk (Recovery Console) as I kept getting a messag
about a corrupt file. This I managed O.K. (well the message has gone!)
However, when I now start my computer I get a black screen asking me i
I want to start with Windows XP Home Edition or the Recovery Console.
keep choosing the former. The bottom of the screen reads 'norma
startup'. I've tried pressing F8 (as a message on the black scree
suggests) but just get back to the same screen again.

Someone advised trying the following (but this did not work)

Go to Start|Run and enter C:\boot.ini and click OK. When the boot.in
file opens you may see a line readin
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
Select that line, delete it, then go to File|Save and your normal boo
routine should return."

I also did the following:-
Start>Run> and typed msconfig and this showed "Normal startup"

Could anyone please help me with this problem, as I have no idea wha
to do know.

Many thanks...arye

 

[WinGuy]

I had to install chkdsk (Recovery Console) as I kept getting a message
about a corrupt file. This I managed O.K. (well the message has gone!).
However, when I now start my computer I get a black screen asking me if
I want to start with Windows XP Home Edition or the Recovery Console. I
keep choosing the former. The bottom of the screen reads 'normal
startup'. I've tried pressing F8 (as a message on the black screen
suggests) but just get back to the same screen again.

Someone advised trying the following (but this did not work)

Go to Start|Run and enter C:\boot.ini and click OK. When the boot.ini
file opens you may see a line reading
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons.
Select that line, delete it, then go to File|Save and your normal boot
routine should return."

I also did the following:-
Start>Run> and typed msconfig and this showed "Normal startup"

Could anyone please help me with this problem, as I have no idea what
to do know.

Many thanks...aryeh

Having the RC available is actually a good thing. You have to right-click
that boot.ini and select properties and uncheck the read-only box for the
deletion to occur upon the save of that text file. And it has to be named
boot.ini, not boot.ini.txt. The 1st line in that file has a default value of
timeout=30, that's the 30 second countdown you are now seeing at boot. You
can change it to a lower value, such as 6. It's a good idea to have a copy
of boot.ini somewhere in case you need the RC again and in case the CD drive
isn't working for some reason ...