Help Fixing Boot.ini File to restore a Multi-boot Set-up

[Awic\,\)]

Ok, here's my problem. I recently messed up my laptop's tripleboot system,
it had 3 OS partitions for Win98 C:, Win2000 on D: and WinXp on drive E:.
Drive C: of course was primary and the other 2 were logical drives.
Problem started when I got an "Invalid System Disk..." on my Win98 that
prevented it from booting up...(the other 2 OSes still worked)...Well, being
the "genius" that I was...I executed a SYS C: using my Win98 start-up
disk...which worked quite well...except it just restored ONLY Win98 Now,
I can only boot up on Win98, I've lost my boot-up Menu wherein I can choose
the other OSes...

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the Recovery
Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I don't have any
bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my existing Boot.ini file to
restore the OS Menu?? Btw, it looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

How do I edit it if ever, to make it work?? I absolutely have no clue what
to change...which considering what I did the last time is an understatement

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the Recovery
Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I don't have any
bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my existing Boot.ini file to
restore the OS Menu??

No, you can't because you overwrote the XP bootloader with 9x code. Boot.ini
is ignored by it, altering it will have no effect. The ONLY way to fix this
is from the WinXP Recovery Console using fixboot and bootcfg.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

Ok, here's my problem. I recently messed up my laptop's tripleboot system,
it had 3 OS partitions for Win98 C:, Win2000 on D: and WinXp on drive E:.
Drive C: of course was primary and the other 2 were logical drives.
Problem started when I got an "Invalid System Disk..." on my Win98 that
prevented it from booting up...(the other 2 OSes still worked)...Well, being
the "genius" that I was...I executed a SYS C: using my Win98 start-up
disk...which worked quite well...except it just restored ONLY Win98 Now,
I can only boot up on Win98, I've lost my boot-up Menu wherein I can choose
the other OSes...

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the Recovery
Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I don't have any
bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my existing Boot.ini file to
restore the OS Menu?? Btw, it looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

How do I edit it if ever, to make it work?? I absolutely have no clue what
to change...which considering what I did the last time is an understatement

 

[Awic\,\)]

Hello again!
Hmmmm...uh-oh...really???

Ok, how about this then, I don't have a bootable WinXP cd (mine i think
wasn't anyway)...but I do have bootable Win2000 diskettes (thank you God for
Google)...can I use Win2000's Recovery Console instead?? (this is assuming i
can remember the admin password ;(
Oh the trouble I am in....

Thanks again!

Hi,

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the
Recovery Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I
don't have any bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my
existing Boot.ini file to restore the OS Menu??

No, you can't because you overwrote the XP bootloader with 9x code.
Boot.ini is ignored by it, altering it will have no effect. The ONLY
way to fix this is from the WinXP Recovery Console using fixboot and
bootcfg.

Ok, here's my problem. I recently messed up my laptop's tripleboot
system, it had 3 OS partitions for Win98 C:, Win2000 on D: and WinXp
on drive E:. Drive C: of course was primary and the other 2 were
logical drives. Problem started when I got an "Invalid System
Disk..." on my Win98 that prevented it from booting up...(the other
2 OSes still worked)...Well, being the "genius" that I was...I
executed a SYS C: using my Win98 start-up disk...which worked quite
well...except it just restored ONLY Win98 Now, I can only boot up
on Win98, I've lost my boot-up Menu wherein I can choose the other
OSes...

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the
Recovery Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I
don't have any bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my
existing Boot.ini file to restore the OS Menu?? Btw, it looks like
this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

How do I edit it if ever, to make it work?? I absolutely have no
clue what to change...which considering what I did the last time is
an understatement

 

[Billy]

If you have an XP disk it is bootable. If you only have a recovery disk
contact the manufacturer. You could use the 2000 CD, however if it loads
it's ntdetect and ntldr = no XP. After all Xp did not exist then.

Hello again!
Hmmmm...uh-oh...really???

Ok, how about this then, I don't have a bootable WinXP cd (mine i think
wasn't anyway)...but I do have bootable Win2000 diskettes (thank you God for
Google)...can I use Win2000's Recovery Console instead?? (this is assuming i
can remember the admin password ;(
Oh the trouble I am in....

Thanks again!

Hi,

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the
Recovery Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I
don't have any bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my
existing Boot.ini file to restore the OS Menu??

No, you can't because you overwrote the XP bootloader with 9x code.
Boot.ini is ignored by it, altering it will have no effect. The ONLY
way to fix this is from the WinXP Recovery Console using fixboot and
bootcfg.

Ok, here's my problem. I recently messed up my laptop's tripleboot
system, it had 3 OS partitions for Win98 C:, Win2000 on D: and WinXp
on drive E:. Drive C: of course was primary and the other 2 were
logical drives. Problem started when I got an "Invalid System
Disk..." on my Win98 that prevented it from booting up...(the other
2 OSes still worked)...Well, being the "genius" that I was...I
executed a SYS C: using my Win98 start-up disk...which worked quite
well...except it just restored ONLY Win98 Now, I can only boot up
on Win98, I've lost my boot-up Menu wherein I can choose the other
OSes...

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the
Recovery Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I
don't have any bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my
existing Boot.ini file to restore the OS Menu?? Btw, it looks like
this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

How do I edit it if ever, to make it work?? I absolutely have no
clue what to change...which considering what I did the last time is
an understatement

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

What Billy said: The Win2000 version will not recognize WinXP. All retail
WinXP CD's are bootable. Most, if not all, OEM ones are as well. You need to
do this with the WinXP disk.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

Hello again!
Hmmmm...uh-oh...really???

Ok, how about this then, I don't have a bootable WinXP cd (mine i think
wasn't anyway)...but I do have bootable Win2000 diskettes (thank you God for
Google)...can I use Win2000's Recovery Console instead?? (this is assuming i
can remember the admin password ;(
Oh the trouble I am in....

Thanks again!

Hi,

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the
Recovery Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I
don't have any bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my
existing Boot.ini file to restore the OS Menu??

No, you can't because you overwrote the XP bootloader with 9x code.
Boot.ini is ignored by it, altering it will have no effect. The ONLY
way to fix this is from the WinXP Recovery Console using fixboot and
bootcfg.

Ok, here's my problem. I recently messed up my laptop's tripleboot
system, it had 3 OS partitions for Win98 C:, Win2000 on D: and WinXp
on drive E:. Drive C: of course was primary and the other 2 were
logical drives. Problem started when I got an "Invalid System
Disk..." on my Win98 that prevented it from booting up...(the other
2 OSes still worked)...Well, being the "genius" that I was...I
executed a SYS C: using my Win98 start-up disk...which worked quite
well...except it just restored ONLY Win98 Now, I can only boot up
on Win98, I've lost my boot-up Menu wherein I can choose the other
OSes...

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the
Recovery Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I
don't have any bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my
existing Boot.ini file to restore the OS Menu?? Btw, it looks like
this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

How do I edit it if ever, to make it work?? I absolutely have no
clue what to change...which considering what I did the last time is
an understatement

 

[Awic\,\)]

Thanks guys....

Actually, I've already "graduated" from my boot-up problems in either
Win2000 or WinXP. I can now access the Recovery Console just fine...the more
depressing one is actually Remembering what my Admin password is Coz it's
been awhile since I've used it. I do have an XP "password key" stored in
diskette, however...how do you "read" it?? and besides, how could I, if I
still don't have access to XP??

Looks like this is becomes an entirely different post

Hi,

What Billy said: The Win2000 version will not recognize WinXP. All
retail WinXP CD's are bootable. Most, if not all, OEM ones are as
well. You need to do this with the WinXP disk.

Hello again!
Hmmmm...uh-oh...really???

Ok, how about this then, I don't have a bootable WinXP cd (mine i
think wasn't anyway)...but I do have bootable Win2000 diskettes
(thank you God for Google)...can I use Win2000's Recovery Console
instead?? (this is assuming i can remember the admin password ;(
Oh the trouble I am in....

Thanks again!

Hi,

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the
Recovery Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I
don't have any bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my
existing Boot.ini file to restore the OS Menu??

No, you can't because you overwrote the XP bootloader with 9x code.
Boot.ini is ignored by it, altering it will have no effect. The ONLY
way to fix this is from the WinXP Recovery Console using fixboot and
bootcfg.


Ok, here's my problem. I recently messed up my laptop's tripleboot
system, it had 3 OS partitions for Win98 C:, Win2000 on D: and
WinXp on drive E:. Drive C: of course was primary and the other 2
were logical drives. Problem started when I got an "Invalid System
Disk..." on my Win98 that prevented it from booting up...(the other
2 OSes still worked)...Well, being the "genius" that I was...I
executed a SYS C: using my Win98 start-up disk...which worked quite
well...except it just restored ONLY Win98 Now, I can only boot
up on Win98, I've lost my boot-up Menu wherein I can choose the
other OSes...

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the
Recovery Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I
don't have any bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my
existing Boot.ini file to restore the OS Menu?? Btw, it looks like
this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

How do I edit it if ever, to make it work?? I absolutely have no
clue what to change...which considering what I did the last time is
an understatement

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Yep, you may have a much bigger problem. You need to get to the logon screen
to use the password reset disk. It is not stored in a plain text that you
can access otherwise.

See if this helps (towards the bottom):
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/win_xp_passwords.htm

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

Thanks guys....

Actually, I've already "graduated" from my boot-up problems in either
Win2000 or WinXP. I can now access the Recovery Console just fine...the more
depressing one is actually Remembering what my Admin password is Coz it's
been awhile since I've used it. I do have an XP "password key" stored in
diskette, however...how do you "read" it?? and besides, how could I, if I
still don't have access to XP??

Looks like this is becomes an entirely different post

Hi,

What Billy said: The Win2000 version will not recognize WinXP. All
retail WinXP CD's are bootable. Most, if not all, OEM ones are as
well. You need to do this with the WinXP disk.

Hello again!
Hmmmm...uh-oh...really???

Ok, how about this then, I don't have a bootable WinXP cd (mine i
think wasn't anyway)...but I do have bootable Win2000 diskettes
(thank you God for Google)...can I use Win2000's Recovery Console
instead?? (this is assuming i can remember the admin password ;(
Oh the trouble I am in....

Thanks again!

Hi,

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the
Recovery Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I
don't have any bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my
existing Boot.ini file to restore the OS Menu??

No, you can't because you overwrote the XP bootloader with 9x code.
Boot.ini is ignored by it, altering it will have no effect. The ONLY
way to fix this is from the WinXP Recovery Console using fixboot and
bootcfg.


Ok, here's my problem. I recently messed up my laptop's tripleboot
system, it had 3 OS partitions for Win98 C:, Win2000 on D: and
WinXp on drive E:. Drive C: of course was primary and the other 2
were logical drives. Problem started when I got an "Invalid System
Disk..." on my Win98 that prevented it from booting up...(the other
2 OSes still worked)...Well, being the "genius" that I was...I
executed a SYS C: using my Win98 start-up disk...which worked quite
well...except it just restored ONLY Win98 Now, I can only boot
up on Win98, I've lost my boot-up Menu wherein I can choose the
other OSes...

Somebody was kind enough, to point out that I can just reload the
Recovery Console of WinXP...which looked very promising...except I
don't have any bootable WinXP cds right now...Can I just edit my
existing Boot.ini file to restore the OS Menu?? Btw, it looks like
this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

How do I edit it if ever, to make it work?? I absolutely have no
clue what to change...which considering what I did the last time is
an understatement