Multiple-Boot OS

[Nick]

Any advice on the following problem? Two hard drives and
WIN XP has managed to install it self to both drives.
Even after a format of the secondary drive. Anyways, now
every time i boot up i have a choice of which o/s i want
to run and both o/s are Win XP. How can i remove one of
the boot options so it boots directly to the primary drive?

 

[Mike Kolitz]

Hi Nick -

This article should point you in the right direction:
HOW TO: Edit the Boot.ini File in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;289022

You'll need to edit the boot.ini file to remove the second (non-used) OS
from the list. Once you have a single OS in the list, it's the automatic
choice.

 

[Simon Jovanovic]

You must change few lines in boot.ini file.
You can do it like this:
Open windows explorer and go to root of your sistem disk (usually c, now
locate file boot.ini and double click it. If you don't see this file, than
you must change folder options, by clicking tools/folder options/view/ than
uncheck hide protected operating system files and select show hidden files
and folders.
Now, your boot.ini file looks probablly something like this:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
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
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect


Pay attention to the lines below [operating systems]. Here are listed all
operating systems, that are installed on your comp. Pay attenition to the
numbers between ( ) after the words rdisk and partition. This number shows
the location of your system. If it says (0) after rdisk, than this is
usually first disk, if it says (2) than this is second disk and so on. Same
applies to the partition. Now you must just delete the right line. In this
case, it would be the last line. Save the boot.ini and restart the system.
Just be carefull when modifying this file, because if you do it wrong, your
system might not start.

Here is also the short way of deleteing second operating system from
boot.ini:
At the command prompt, type:
bootcfg /delete /ID#
Where # specifies the boot entry ID that you want to be deleted from the
operating systems section of the BOOT.INI file (e.g. 2 for the second
Operating system that is listed.)

You might also want to read this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;289022

Good luck

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Simon.

Thanks for that! I've been working with boot.ini for years and never knew
about using bootcfg from the "DOS" window to delete a line. ;<)

Need to make one small correction, though.

If it says (0) after rdisk, than this is
usually first disk, if it says (2) than this is second disk and so on. Same
applies to the partition.

Physical hard drives are numbered starting with zero; volumes are numbered
starting with one on each physical disk. A volume can be either a primary
partition or a logical disk in an extended partition. Either kind of volume
is counted as a "partition" in boot.ini. I can't explain all of the
multi()disk()rdisk()partition()\FOLDERNAME format, but all we really need to
know usually is that rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS means that \Windows on the
first volume of the first physical drive is the "boot folder" for that
particular installation of Windows. Rdisk(1)partition(1) is on the first
volume of the second physical drive.

Windows does not use that label within quotes, so feel free to edit this
label so that YOU can easily tell which copy of Windows is which. Perhaps
"WinXP on C:" and "WinXP on D:".

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP

You must change few lines in boot.ini file.
You can do it like this:
Open windows explorer and go to root of your sistem disk (usually c, now
locate file boot.ini and double click it. If you don't see this file, than
you must change folder options, by clicking tools/folder options/view/ than
uncheck hide protected operating system files and select show hidden files
and folders.
Now, your boot.ini file looks probablly something like this:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
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
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect


Pay attention to the lines below [operating systems]. Here are listed all
operating systems, that are installed on your comp. Pay attenition to the
numbers between ( ) after the words rdisk and partition. This number shows
the location of your system. If it says (0) after rdisk, than this is
usually first disk, if it says (2) than this is second disk and so on. Same
applies to the partition. Now you must just delete the right line. In this
case, it would be the last line. Save the boot.ini and restart the system.
Just be carefull when modifying this file, because if you do it wrong, your
system might not start.

Here is also the short way of deleteing second operating system from
boot.ini:
At the command prompt, type:
bootcfg /delete /ID#
Where # specifies the boot entry ID that you want to be deleted from the
operating systems section of the BOOT.INI file (e.g. 2 for the second
Operating system that is listed.)

You might also want to read this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;289022

Good luck