How to correct invalid BIOS boot message?

[Chiropter]

My first attempt to install Win2K Pro on a new HDD failed at first auto
rebooting for unclear reason. My second attempt succeeded except one
problem: At booting BIOS displays choice menu from two identical
OS's--"Windows 2000 Professional" as if I installed dual boot.
I found default OS is for the failed installation ending with an error
message.
(Cont.Panl/System/Advanced/Boot Order shows just one item "Windows 2000
professional" and timeout is set to 30 as BIOS shows.)
To eliminate this inconvenience, I edited boot.ini file by deleting the
first OS which represented failed installation in [operating systems]
When rebooted, I see BIOS message:

Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Windows 2000 (default)

(Strangely there is no timing for autoboot (no clock counting).
If the second line is chosen, Windows fails with an error message. I
have no idea where NTDR finds "Windows 2000" and how it makes default.
Boot.ini file now looks

[boot loader]
timeout =30
default=signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnnt
[operation system]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Microsoft windows 2000
professional" /fastdetect

What does "signature(eea93554)" mean? What will happen if I replace
"signature(eea93554)" by "multi(0)" so that it will look like the line
which is normally seen?
Why auto boot counting does not appear while boot.ini contains
"timeout=30"? What should I do to restore auto boot ?

 

[Dave Patrick]

boot.ini is corrupt. You can change it to;

[boot loader]
timeout =30
default=signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnnt
[operation system]
signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnnt="Microsoft
windows 2000 professional" /fastdetect

and delete the \winnt directory since you installed it to \winnnt

Is this an older computer? Is INT-13 Extensions option disabled in cmos
setup? You don't normally see signature syntax in boot.ini I might be
inclined to blow it away and start a new install.

To do a clean install, either boot the Windows 2000 install CD-Rom or setup
disks. The set of four install disks can be created from your Windows 2000
CD-Rom; change to the \bootdisk directory on the CD-Rom and execute
makeboot.exe (from dos) or makebt32.exe (from 32 bit) and follow the
prompts.

When you get to the point, delete the existing NTFS and or other partitions
found. After you delete the partition(s) abort the install, then again
restart the pc booting the CD-Rom or setup disks to avoid unexpected drive
letter assignments with your new install.

You didn't mention the drive controller (possibly SCSI, or ultra DMA, or
ATA100, or raid, or serial ATA), but you may need to boot the Windows 2000
setup disks or CD-Rom and *F6* very early and very important (at setup is
inspecting your system) in the setup to prevent drive controller detection,
and select S to specify additional drivers. Then later you'll be prompted to
insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver for your drive's
controller in drive "A"

If you wait and then S to specify additional drivers, then it may be too
late as Windows 2000 Setup at this point may have already assigned the
resources your drive's controller is wanting to use.

Be sure to apply these to your new install before connecting to any network.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/6/A/E6A04295-D2A8-40D0-A0C5-241BFECD095E/W2KSP4_EN.EXE
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-043.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-049.mspx


--
Regards,

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

:
| My first attempt to install Win2K Pro on a new HDD failed at first auto
| rebooting for unclear reason. My second attempt succeeded except one
| problem: At booting BIOS displays choice menu from two identical
| OS's--"Windows 2000 Professional" as if I installed dual boot.
| I found default OS is for the failed installation ending with an error
| message.
| (Cont.Panl/System/Advanced/Boot Order shows just one item "Windows 2000
| professional" and timeout is set to 30 as BIOS shows.)
| To eliminate this inconvenience, I edited boot.ini file by deleting the
| first OS which represented failed installation in [operating systems]
| When rebooted, I see BIOS message:
|
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
| Windows 2000 (default)
|
| (Strangely there is no timing for autoboot (no clock counting).
| If the second line is chosen, Windows fails with an error message. I
| have no idea where NTDR finds "Windows 2000" and how it makes default.
| Boot.ini file now looks
|
| [boot loader]
| timeout =30
| default=signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnnt
| [operation system]
| multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Microsoft windows 2000
| professional" /fastdetect
|
| What does "signature(eea93554)" mean? What will happen if I replace
| "signature(eea93554)" by "multi(0)" so that it will look like the line
| which is normally seen?
| Why auto boot counting does not appear while boot.ini contains
| "timeout=30"? What should I do to restore auto boot ?
|

 

[George Hester]

Why does he have signature in his boot.ini?

--
George Hester
_______________________________

boot.ini is corrupt. You can change it to;

[boot loader]
timeout =30
default=signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnnt
[operation system]
signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnnt="Microsoft
windows 2000 professional" /fastdetect

and delete the \winnt directory since you installed it to \winnnt

Is this an older computer? Is INT-13 Extensions option disabled in cmos
setup? You don't normally see signature syntax in boot.ini I might be
inclined to blow it away and start a new install.

To do a clean install, either boot the Windows 2000 install CD-Rom or setup
disks. The set of four install disks can be created from your Windows 2000
CD-Rom; change to the \bootdisk directory on the CD-Rom and execute
makeboot.exe (from dos) or makebt32.exe (from 32 bit) and follow the
prompts.

When you get to the point, delete the existing NTFS and or other partitions
found. After you delete the partition(s) abort the install, then again
restart the pc booting the CD-Rom or setup disks to avoid unexpected drive
letter assignments with your new install.

You didn't mention the drive controller (possibly SCSI, or ultra DMA, or
ATA100, or raid, or serial ATA), but you may need to boot the Windows 2000
setup disks or CD-Rom and *F6* very early and very important (at setup is
inspecting your system) in the setup to prevent drive controller detection,
and select S to specify additional drivers. Then later you'll be prompted to
insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver for your drive's
controller in drive "A"

If you wait and then S to specify additional drivers, then it may be too
late as Windows 2000 Setup at this point may have already assigned the
resources your drive's controller is wanting to use.

Be sure to apply these to your new install before connecting to any network.http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/6/A/E6A04295-D2A8-40D0-A0C5-241BFEC
D095E/W2KSP4_EN.EXE
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-043.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-049.mspx


--
Regards,

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

:
| My first attempt to install Win2K Pro on a new HDD failed at first auto
| rebooting for unclear reason. My second attempt succeeded except one
| problem: At booting BIOS displays choice menu from two identical
| OS's--"Windows 2000 Professional" as if I installed dual boot.
| I found default OS is for the failed installation ending with an error
| message.
| (Cont.Panl/System/Advanced/Boot Order shows just one item "Windows 2000
| professional" and timeout is set to 30 as BIOS shows.)
| To eliminate this inconvenience, I edited boot.ini file by deleting the
| first OS which represented failed installation in [operating systems]
| When rebooted, I see BIOS message:
|
| Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
| Windows 2000 (default)
|
| (Strangely there is no timing for autoboot (no clock counting).
| If the second line is chosen, Windows fails with an error message. I
| have no idea where NTDR finds "Windows 2000" and how it makes default.
| Boot.ini file now looks
|
| [boot loader]
| timeout =30
| default=signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnnt
| [operation system]
| multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Microsoft windows 2000
| professional" /fastdetect
|
| What does "signature(eea93554)" mean? What will happen if I replace
| "signature(eea93554)" by "multi(0)" so that it will look like the line
| which is normally seen?
| Why auto boot counting does not appear while boot.ini contains
| "timeout=30"? What should I do to restore auto boot ?
|

 

[Dave Patrick]

INT-13 Extensions option may be disabled in cmos setup and the boot
partition might be further than 7.8 gB (beyond 1024 cylinder limit) from the
start of the disk.

--
Regards,

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

:
| Why does he have signature in his boot.ini?
|
| --
| George Hester
| _______________________________

 

[Chiropter]

Thank you for taking time for helping me.
I modified boot.ini following your suggestion, but the result was a
disaster---the computer crushed and I was unable to gain access to
boot.ini to re-edit for its original shape. So I had to reinstall
Windows from scratch. This reinstallation produced new boot.ini as below.

[boot loader]
timeout =30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt
[operation system]
signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt ="Microsoft
windows 2000 professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Microsoft windows 2000
professional" /fastdetect

At booting, NTDRL offered choice between the two identical "Microsoft
windows 2000 professional". Default "Microsoft windows 2000
professional" leads to an error message (disk configuration error,
etc.). The other could get up Windows normally. I added distinctive tags
to each and then boot order was changed in CP/System/Advanced. Thus I
got practical boot.
If I want to straighten by eliminating unnecessary or ghost OS, what do
I need to do? In the boot.ini file both OS's got same partition number
(1). What does the unusual prefix "signature ----" mean? Where NTDRL
finds it? (There is only one WINNT folder.) Incidentally, Win2K had been
installed on another HDD in the same computer without any
irregularities, so I presume that nothing is wrong or flawed about the
computer itself.

boot.ini is corrupt. You can change it to;

[boot loader]
timeout =30
default=signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnnt
[operation system]
signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnnt="Microsoft
windows 2000 professional" /fastdetect

and delete the \winnt directory since you installed it to \winnnt

Is this an older computer? Is INT-13 Extensions option disabled in cmos
setup? You don't normally see signature syntax in boot.ini I might be
inclined to blow it away and start a new install.

To do a clean install, either boot the Windows 2000 install CD-Rom or setup
disks. The set of four install disks can be created from your Windows 2000
CD-Rom; change to the \bootdisk directory on the CD-Rom and execute
makeboot.exe (from dos) or makebt32.exe (from 32 bit) and follow the
prompts.

When you get to the point, delete the existing NTFS and or other partitions
found. After you delete the partition(s) abort the install, then again
restart the pc booting the CD-Rom or setup disks to avoid unexpected drive
letter assignments with your new install.

You didn't mention the drive controller (possibly SCSI, or ultra DMA, or
ATA100, or raid, or serial ATA), but you may need to boot the Windows 2000
setup disks or CD-Rom and *F6* very early and very important (at setup is
inspecting your system) in the setup to prevent drive controller detection,
and select S to specify additional drivers. Then later you'll be prompted to
insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver for your drive's
controller in drive "A"

If you wait and then S to specify additional drivers, then it may be too
late as Windows 2000 Setup at this point may have already assigned the
resources your drive's controller is wanting to use.

Be sure to apply these to your new install before connecting to any network.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/6/A/E6A04295-D2A8-40D0-A0C5-241BFECD095E/W2KSP4_EN.EXE
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-043.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-049.mspx

 

[Dave Patrick]

You made a typo in you original post that lead us to believe you install the
OS to a directory named \winnnt It would have been better had you posted the
unedited version to look at.

boot.ini should probably read as below but test with a boot floppy first.

Try creating a boot disk. For the floppy to successfully boot Windows 2000
the disk must contain the "NT" boot sector. Format a diskette (on a Windows
2000 machine, not a DOS/Win9x, so the NT boot sector gets written to the
floppy), and copy Windows 2000 versions of ntldr, ntdetect.com, and boot.ini
to it. Edit the boot.ini to give it a correct ARC path for the machine you
wish to boot. Below is an example of boot.ini.

[boot loader]
timeout =30
signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt
[operation system]
signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt ="Microsoft
windows 2000 professional" /fastdetect



--
Regards,

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

:
| Thank you for taking time for helping me.
| I modified boot.ini following your suggestion, but the result was a
| disaster---the computer crushed and I was unable to gain access to
| boot.ini to re-edit for its original shape. So I had to reinstall
| Windows from scratch. This reinstallation produced new boot.ini as below.
|
| [boot loader]
| timeout =30
| default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt
| [operation system]
| signature(eea93554)disk(0)rdisk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt ="Microsoft
| windows 2000 professional" /fastdetect
| multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winnt="Microsoft windows 2000
| professional" /fastdetect
|
| At booting, NTDRL offered choice between the two identical "Microsoft
| windows 2000 professional". Default "Microsoft windows 2000
| professional" leads to an error message (disk configuration error,
| etc.). The other could get up Windows normally. I added distinctive tags
| to each and then boot order was changed in CP/System/Advanced. Thus I
| got practical boot.
| If I want to straighten by eliminating unnecessary or ghost OS, what do
| I need to do? In the boot.ini file both OS's got same partition number
| (1). What does the unusual prefix "signature ----" mean? Where NTDRL
| finds it? (There is only one WINNT folder.) Incidentally, Win2K had been
| installed on another HDD in the same computer without any
| irregularities, so I presume that nothing is wrong or flawed about the
| computer itself.

 

[George Hester]

Hi Dave:

I asked about this signature because I have never seen it and yes I have
installed Windows 2000 well beyond 7.8 GB on a disk. I don't know about the
CMOS thing as I don't fool around with that. I just never seen that before.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;227704

 

[Dave Patrick]

And another.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q240672

--
Regards,

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

:
| Hi Dave:
|
| I asked about this signature because I have never seen it and yes I have
| installed Windows 2000 well beyond 7.8 GB on a disk. I don't know about
the
| CMOS thing as I don't fool around with that. I just never seen that
before.
|
| http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;227704
|
| --
| George Hester

 

[George Hester]

Believe it or not Dave this sheds light on an issue with Windows 2003. See
in Windows 2000 I can make my system partition size 7.1 MB and I do mean MB.
Of course the system files; Ntdetect.com; NTLDR; Boot.ini; do not even come
close to this size so of course I want it as small as possible and I believe
7.1MB is the smallest FAT12 partition that can be made. Windows 2000 has no
trouble with that.

But Windows 2003 is another beast alltogether. It will not install with a
system partition that small. In fact it needs just over 24MB for that
partition. I have not been able to figure out why. Might have something to
do with these articles.

 

[Dave Patrick]

I think that's a different beast and may depend on the cluster size and or
the tools used.

--
Regards,

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

:
| Believe it or not Dave this sheds light on an issue with Windows 2003.
See
| in Windows 2000 I can make my system partition size 7.1 MB and I do mean
MB.
| Of course the system files; Ntdetect.com; NTLDR; Boot.ini; do not even
come
| close to this size so of course I want it as small as possible and I
believe
| 7.1MB is the smallest FAT12 partition that can be made. Windows 2000 has
no
| trouble with that.
|
| But Windows 2003 is another beast alltogether. It will not install with a
| system partition that small. In fact it needs just over 24MB for that
| partition. I have not been able to figure out why. Might have something
to
| do with these articles.
|
| --
| George Hester

 

[George Hester]

The tool used was the Windows 2003 CD-ROM. The small partition is not even
formatted I expect the Windows 2003 install to do that. Which is how it is
to be done. Unfortunately the Partition in question here must be > 24MB or
the install fails. Windows 2000 has no trouble with 7.1MB RAW partition.
As for the cluster size again the Partition is RAW. I expect the install of
Windows 2003 to make it. Come to think of it since Windows 2003 ended
support for ISA maybe they also ended support for FAT12 which is what a
7.1MB partition would require? That is too small for FAT16? Maybe that's
all there is to it.

 

[Dave Patrick]

I just read somewhere that beginning with XP the smallest fat12 you can
format is 24 mB. If I find it again I'll post a link.


--
Regards,

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

:
| The tool used was the Windows 2003 CD-ROM. The small partition is not
even
| formatted I expect the Windows 2003 install to do that. Which is how it
is
| to be done. Unfortunately the Partition in question here must be > 24MB
or
| the install fails. Windows 2000 has no trouble with 7.1MB RAW partition.
| As for the cluster size again the Partition is RAW. I expect the install
of
| Windows 2003 to make it. Come to think of it since Windows 2003 ended
| support for ISA maybe they also ended support for FAT12 which is what a
| 7.1MB partition would require? That is too small for FAT16? Maybe that's
| all there is to it.
|
| --
| George Hester
| _________________________________

 

[George Hester]

Yes I'd like to see that Dave. I do not know about Windows XP. Haven't
tried that one yet in a situation like this. But I don't think you can make
a FAT12 on 24MB partition. I believe that has to be FAT16. Don't know for
sure. I do not have any software which can make such a FAT12. Windows 2000
does it by default when the partion is small like 7.1MB. If the partition
is 24MB it will make it as FAT16.

 

[Dave Patrick]

OK I can't find it and must have misremembered what I read. It looks like 16
mB is the max fat12 size.

--
Regards,

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

:
| Yes I'd like to see that Dave. I do not know about Windows XP. Haven't
| tried that one yet in a situation like this. But I don't think you can
make
| a FAT12 on 24MB partition. I believe that has to be FAT16. Don't know
for
| sure. I do not have any software which can make such a FAT12. Windows
2000
| does it by default when the partion is small like 7.1MB. If the partition
| is 24MB it will make it as FAT16.
|
| --
| George Hester
| _________________________________