Windows XP reinstalls in Windows.0 directory

[RG]

Hi Everyone

This is my first time here so I hope your wealth of knowledge can assist
me. Recently I have upgraded my hard drive and did everything by the book in
trasfering all the files to new hard disk using Seagate's Disc Wizard.

Do you think Windows XP will start NO, so someone suggested lets reinstall
it from a CD ROM so off we go we put the CD in and here comes the
reinstallation so went through all that without realsing that damn Windows
XP has reintalled itself in a new directory called 'Windows.0" and people
this is where I am stuck. Now my computer starts up and gives me the 2
choices of Operating systems and gives me a time limit of 45 seconds to
choose one, what a new Bill Gates' debarcle it is. I know you probably
laughing at me by now but thats ok.

So anyway people I need to get rid of this choice of 2 operating systems,
I want to use computer from the original default Windows directory to make
my life easier so I would appreciate your help if you can assist me fixing
this.

And of course my many thanks in advance to those who are going to take their
time write some solutions for me.

Sincerely
RG

 

[Richard Urban]

But you didn't repair the "original" Windows default folder. You installed
new to a different folder. You, inadvertently, were/are the source of your
problem (leave Bill out of the equation). You now have a condition where
some of your very important entries (from previously installed programs) are
in the old Windows folder but the correct operating system files are in the
new Windows.0 folder.

A REPAIR install will repair a current installation but YOU must be certain
that you make the right choices during the setup process. Make the wrong
choices and you are where you are now.

Read the choices very carefully when they appear. Do not blindly click on
the OK button to continue!

I know I will get a bunch of flack on this, but I would cut my losses at
this point by performing a CLEAN format/install of the operating system.
NOTE: YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING! Back up all your personal files/photos/music
etc to CD's or another hard drive prior to starting!

Then I would reinstall all the additional Window updates and service packs
and any programs I wanted to currently use. A lot of time - yes, but you
will spend many hours trying to clean up what you now have.

Good luck!

--

Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[Alex Nichol]

This is my first time here so I hope your wealth of knowledge can assist
me. Recently I have upgraded my hard drive and did everything by the book in
trasfering all the files to new hard disk using Seagate's Disc Wizard.

Do you think Windows XP will start NO, so someone suggested lets reinstall
it from a CD ROM so off we go we put the CD in and here comes the
reinstallation so went through all that without realsing that damn Windows
XP has reintalled itself in a new directory called 'Windows.0" and people
this is where I am stuck. Now my computer starts up and gives me the 2
choices of Operating systems and gives me a time limit of 45 seconds to
choose one, what a new Bill Gates' debarcle it is.

That is a result of getting half informed advice. Two things. A file
transfer wizard like that is *not* going to transfer the whole system,
The files copied into the Windows of the new disk are not going to work.
that needs software that will 'clone' the old disk onto the new. If the
old can be put in and still boots, I suggest you do that - come back for
specific advice.

Second It sounds as if you just took a new Install - which has made a
new instance of XP in that folder, rather than doing a Repair of the old
one. In that case it will be in a muddle; you can delete the old
Windows folder, leaving this new one, and then delete the reference to
it (Run MSConfig.exe, on the Boot.ini page click 'Check All paths' and
it will do so for you). But you will not have any of the third party
software installed, and I think (if you can't follow the 'clone' because
the old disk is not available) boot 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

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 or into a new folder-
which is what happened last time

 

[tim]

My first time here and thought I would help out.

Find your boot.ini file and delete the OS you don't want. (Or at least
rename it so you can easily tell them apart)
It is probably in your c root. (Start, my computer,Local Disk (C,boot.ini)
If you can't find it - just go to start, search, and put in boot.ini
You will see the two operating systems there and delete the whole line
((multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)pa....) of the one you don't want.
You will lose what ever is under that OS, so save whatever you want first.

 

[Alex Nichol]

My first time here and thought I would help out.
Welcome

Find your boot.ini file and delete the OS you don't want. (Or at least
rename it so you can easily tell them apart)
It is probably in your c root. (Start, my computer,Local Disk (C,boot.ini)
If you can't find it - just go to start, search, and put in boot.ini
You will see the two operating systems there and delete the whole line
((multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)pa....) of the one you don't want.
You will lose what ever is under that OS, so save whatever you want first.

Easiest way to get at boot.ini to edit it is via Control Panel - System
- Advanced, click Settings in Startup and Error, click Edit, which will
load it into Notepad.

You will not lose everything under that OS< merely the ability to boot
it; files will still be accessible from the other system as data

 

[tim]

Hi,

I am new - are there any rules I should know?
Is this supported by Microsft?
Are the responders Microsft experts? employed by Microsoft? or just helping
out?

Looks like a wealth of information here.

Thanks,
Tim