windows xp on top of windows 2000

S

Sky

Hi I just reformatted my hard drive and for some crazy reason (4 hours on
tech support line) needed to install windows 2000 before my cd rom could
read my XP installation disc. I then put in the XP installation disc and it
installed it on top of my 2000 operating system. Everything seems to be
working fine, except that each time I boot up I am asked which Operating
system I want to sue.

Does anyone know if this is a dangerous thing to do?

I've never heard of having 2 operating systems on 1 computer. I want to
only use XP but was unable to install it, without a previous installation.

They are both installed on the same partition (???)


Also, is there any way to avoid getting that question each time I boot up?

Thanks a bunch
 
R

Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers

Hi,

Multi-booting is actually quite common, however to remove it is simple
enough.

If both are installed (meaning you can select either entry and it boots),
then simply boot the one you want and delete the system folders for the
other installation from Windows Explorer.

Then start/run msconfig, go to the boot.ini tab. Click on the listing you
want, then on "set as default". Click apply/ok and reboot.

It should boot automatically to the installation you want to keep. Start/run
msconfig, go back to the boot.ini tab and click on "check all boot paths".
It should offer to remove the one that is no longer valid.

--
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
 
A

Alex Nichol

Sky said:
Hi I just reformatted my hard drive and for some crazy reason (4 hours on
tech support line) needed to install windows 2000 before my cd rom could
read my XP installation disc. I then put in the XP installation disc and it
installed it on top of my 2000 operating system. Everything seems to be
working fine, except that each time I boot up I am asked which Operating
system I want to sue.

Does anyone know if this is a dangerous thing to do?

I've never heard of having 2 operating systems on 1 computer. I want to
only use XP but was unable to install it, without a previous installation.


The correct way would have been either to install from the 2000 taking
Upgrade (not changing that to New Install); or after booting the XP CD
direct. Enter Setup, and after the license agreement take New Install.
When it asks you to confirm where, hit ESC; select and delete the
current partition and make a new RAW one to be formatted at the next
stage. Then when it asks where Windows is, show it the Win2000 disk in
the drive for a moment

The important point is the delete. Without that it will just go ahead
and make a new install over the top of the old one

It is not clear just what you have ended up with. If you now have the
two installations in separate folders (by default 2000 uses C:\Winnt
and XP C:\Windows then you could, from the XP, delete the Winnt folder,
then Start - Run - MSConfig and on the Boot.ini page click 'Check All
Paths. that will come up with the old Wn2000 one being no longer valid,
and offer to delete it.

If the situation is more complex, then you could edit the Win2000 lines
out of C:\boot.ini (in XP Control Panel - System - Advanced; in Startup
and error click Settings, then click Edit to load the fie into Notepad),
and hope for the best: you might well have surplus files around. Better
would be to start over, doing the clean instal from the XP CD boot as
above
 

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