missing boot ini file:

[Guest]

I keep getting message on start up missing boot ini file.
I am running windows xp on a second hand laptop.
I have no cd to cure the problem.
I have been told you can manually redo the boot ini file via notepad.
Can you explain how to do this or let me know of another way to cure problem.
Many thanks.
GAC.

 

[Dave Patrick]

Try creating a boot disk. For the floppy to successfully boot Windows XP the
disk must contain the "NT" boot sector. Format a diskette (on a Windows XP
machine, not a DOS/Win9x, so the NT boot sector gets written to the floppy),
and copy Windows XP 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. The default is to start the operating
system located on the first partition of the primary or first drive
(drive0). Then drive0 partition 2 and so on.

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows="Windows XP 0,1"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\Windows="Windows XP 0,2"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\Windows="Windows XP 1,1"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\Windows="Windows XP 1,2"

Let us know which one is successful in starting the OS.


--

Regards,

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

:
|I keep getting message on start up missing boot ini file.
| I am running windows xp on a second hand laptop.
| I have no cd to cure the problem.
| I have been told you can manually redo the boot ini file via notepad.
| Can you explain how to do this or let me know of another way to cure
problem.
| Many thanks.
| GAC.

 

[Malke]

I keep getting message on start up missing boot ini file.
I am running windows xp on a second hand laptop.
I have no cd to cure the problem.
I have been told you can manually redo the boot ini file via notepad.
Can you explain how to do this or let me know of another way to cure
problem. Many thanks.
GAC.

You will need to purchase or borrow an XP install cd and fix the missing
boot file(s) from the Recovery Console. If you borrow a cd, it must
match the version installed. Since you have a laptop, this will be an
OEM version of Home or Pro or Media Center.

Since it is best practice to clean-install the operating system on
second-hand computers, purchasing a retail version of XP is the best
solution. If you cannot do this and don't have a friend with a matching
XP cd, most local computer repair shops will reinstall Windows for you
as long as the Product ID sticker is on the bottom of the laptop. The
Product ID is your license, not the physical media.

Malke

 

[Ayush]

GAC, If you need to get into Recovery Console and don't want to buy the XP
cd, I found a way of doing this. If you want, tell me.

--

Ayush [ Be ''?'' Happy ]

For any query, search > www.Google.com
Want to know about a term > http://en.wikipedia.org


| GAC wrote:
|
| > I keep getting message on start up missing boot ini file.
| > I am running windows xp on a second hand laptop.
| > I have no cd to cure the problem.
| > I have been told you can manually redo the boot ini file via notepad.
| > Can you explain how to do this or let me know of another way to cure
| > problem. Many thanks.
| > GAC.
|
| You will need to purchase or borrow an XP install cd and fix the missing
| boot file(s) from the Recovery Console. If you borrow a cd, it must
| match the version installed. Since you have a laptop, this will be an
| OEM version of Home or Pro or Media Center.
|
| Since it is best practice to clean-install the operating system on
| second-hand computers, purchasing a retail version of XP is the best
| solution. If you cannot do this and don't have a friend with a matching
| XP cd, most local computer repair shops will reinstall Windows for you
| as long as the Product ID sticker is on the bottom of the laptop. The
| Product ID is your license, not the physical media.
|
| Malke
| --
| Elephant Boy Computers
| www.elephantboycomputers.com
| "Don't Panic!"
| MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

 

[Rock]

I keep getting message on start up missing boot ini file.
I am running windows xp on a second hand laptop.
I have no cd to cure the problem.
I have been told you can manually redo the boot ini file via notepad.
Can you explain how to do this or let me know of another way to cure
problem.
Many thanks.
GAC.

How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q289022

 

[Rock]

GAC, If you need to get into Recovery Console and don't want to buy the XP
cd, I found a way of doing this. If you want, tell me.

He doesn't have to buy one. Just about any XP CD will work: Home, Pro,
Retail, OEM.

 

[Ayush]

He said he doesn't have a Cd

--

Ayush [ Be ''?'' Happy ]

For any query, search > www.Google.com
Want to know about a term > http://en.wikipedia.org


| "Ayush" wrote
|
| > GAC, If you need to get into Recovery Console and don't want to buy the
XP
| > cd, I found a way of doing this. If you want, tell me.
|
| He doesn't have to buy one. Just about any XP CD will work: Home, Pro,
| Retail, OEM.
|
| --
|
| Rock [ MVP User/Shell]
|

 

[Rock]

He said he doesn't have a Cd

--

Ayush [ Be ''?'' Happy ]

For any query, search > www.Google.com
Want to know about a term > http://en.wikipedia.org

"Rock" wrote

| "Ayush" wrote
|
| > GAC, If you need to get into Recovery Console and don't want to buy
the
XP
| > cd, I found a way of doing this. If you want, tell me.
|
| He doesn't have to buy one. Just about any XP CD will work: Home, Pro,
| Retail, OEM.

One should always have a CD for the OS. My point is there are other options
besides buying a CD , to get to the recovery console. He can borrow one for
one time use, or to have one hand copy it if it's the same type.

 

[Guest]

Hi,
I wont to correct my laptop so it does not keep saying missing boot ini
file booting from c windows.
I dont have a cd as laptop was purchased second hand.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
GAC.

 

[Rock]

Hi,
I wont to correct my laptop so it does not keep saying missing boot ini
file booting from c windows.
I dont have a cd as laptop was purchased second hand.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
GAC.

Multiple people have responded to your post with various ways to correct the
issue. Have you tried any of them? As I said, one option is to borrow an
XP installation CD from someone, boot from it, run the recovery console and
make the changes from in there. Have you borrowed a CD?