trying to return to xp pro start up

[Rich newtech]

I tried to install windows 7 onto a second hard drive but the drive crashed
during the re-boot. So i was forced to cancel the installation. I wanted to
keep xp pro so i removed the drive and tried to boot into xp from my primary
drive. However, it looks like the boot sequence was changed because it would
not start. I had made a boot disk and the machine will boot to xp using it. I
then copied the boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com files to the hdd but it
still will not boot without the disk. I get a screen " Windows Boot Manager"
(which i have never seen before) and says a file is missing or corrupted but
that file is not for windows xp it is for windows 7. Is there a way to remove
this and get the machine working again? I don't see why it will boot with the
floppy but not without it (even though i copied all of the files from it to
the hdd)?

All help appreciated.
Thanks
Richard

 

[Mark Adams]

I tried to install windows 7 onto a second hard drive but the drive crashed
during the re-boot. So i was forced to cancel the installation. I wanted to
keep xp pro so i removed the drive and tried to boot into xp from my primary
drive. However, it looks like the boot sequence was changed because it would
not start. I had made a boot disk and the machine will boot to xp using it. I
then copied the boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com files to the hdd but it
still will not boot without the disk. I get a screen " Windows Boot Manager"
(which i have never seen before) and says a file is missing or corrupted but
that file is not for windows xp it is for windows 7. Is there a way to remove
this and get the machine working again? I don't see why it will boot with the
floppy but not without it (even though i copied all of the files from it to
the hdd)?

All help appreciated.
Thanks
Richard

You need to edit the boot.ini file. Follow the instructions here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022
This should restore the boot.

 

[Tim Meddick]

Boot from the XP Installation disk and choose the 'Recovery Console' option.

After the 'Recovery Console' has started, you will be left at a DOS like
C:\> prompt.

(You can type HELP for a complete list of available commands)

The commands you need to use here are :

FIXBOOT C:

....to fix the relationship between the bootsector and the (XP) file ntldr
that has been replaced by Win7's bootmgr.exe

Then you may also need to use the following command :

BOOTCFG /LIST

.....this command views / edits your boot.ini file from the 'Recovery
Console' (there is a similar command in Window's Command Prompt but has
different options)
If by using the /LIST option of this command you see a valid set of entry
in your boot.ini file then you need do nothing more, and should be able to
reboot to Windows XP again.

If you don't you will have to issue the following BOOTCFG commands :

BOOTCFG /REBUILD

and choose your installations to add. You may need to also use :


BOOTCFG /DEFAULT

....to set the default entry. Once this is done you should then be able to
boot to Win XP once more.

Hope this is of some help to you.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.