boot.ini

  • Thread starter Thread starter bearman
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bearman

I've heard a lot about boot.ini. I can't find it on my computer. I've set
Search to look at all files including hidden files. Boot.ini doesn't show
up in msconfig. What's the deal?
 
Boot.ini doesn't show up in msconfig?
There isn't a tab for boot.ini or boot.ini is blank?

I guess if boot.ini doesn't exist then it would be blank in Msconfig.

I don't think you have to have boot.ini to to boot up.

Do you have an actual problem?
 
Hi,

Assuming C: is the boot drive, click start/run and type C:\boot.ini, then
click ok. What happens?

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
You have to uncheck "hide operating system files" in folder view also.
Search for system files, also.
search in "all local drives" in case boot.ini is not in "C" drive.
might explain why not showing in msconfig.
 
Dixonian69 said:
I don't think you have to have boot.ini to to boot up.
Click to expand...

Oh, I think you do, unless you are using a third party boot manager.
This is what happens when you boot a standard NT/Windows 2000/XP
installation:

"The boot record points to the NTLDR file. When NTLDR runs, it loads the
available operating system selections from the Boot.ini file. If the
user selects Windows, NTLDR runs Ntdetect.com, and then passes control
to Osloader.exe"

If you think that's not the case then its easy enough for you to test
your theory, remove the boot.ini file from the system partition (usually
C:\) then try to boot the pc and tell us what happens. Don't be scared,
it's easy to fix if the pc doesn't boot... save a copy of your boot.ini
file on a diskette or another folder in %systemroot% and use the Repair
Console to stick it back where it belongs. Of course, if this blows up
in your face I accept no responsibilities! But it won't if you know
what you're doing...

John
 
remove the boot.ini file from the system partition (usually
C:\) then try to boot the pc and tell us what happens.
Click to expand...

As I said in my OP, I don't have (or can't find) a boot.ini.

bearman
 
Thanks. Like I said I don't know for sure.
I'll take your word for it. It only makes sense.
 
Well I'll be... I guess I'll have to eat crow! Hmmmm... yum, plus the
feathers make good toothpicks! I just deleted my boot.ini file and
tried it off the hard drive and off a boot diskette without the boot.ini
and in both cases ntdetect said that the boot.ini file was invalid and
passed it right on to %windir% and the pc booted!

Now, how do I cook crow?

John
 
My little experiment (in my other post) just proved that the pc can boot
without it.

John
 
Start | Run | Paste this in the box and click OK...

%homedrive%\boot.ini

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
live and learn.
But at least, your getting errors for missing ini file, he didn't mention
any errors.
 
Dixonian69 said:
live and learn.
But at least, your getting errors for missing ini file, he didn't mention
any errors.
Click to expand...

I assume I'm booting up normally. No error messages unless they happen so
fast that I can't see them. My laptop does have boot.ini in msconfig but I
can't find it in a search for "all" files.

Thanks for everyone's input.
 
In your OP, you said no boot.ini in msconfig. That definitely is misleading.
The boot.ini file has three attributes to prevent most people from messing
with it.
1) read only
2) hidden
3) system file

You have to remove those 3 attributes to view and change the file.
There are work arounds.

You can "view only" in 3 ways. that i know. probably more. no need to
discuss all.
1) Start>Run>c:\boot.ini
2) Start>Run>Msconfig>boot.ini tab
3) Start>My Computer/Explorer and enable folder view option to show hidden
"and" operating system files. Then make sure you search in hidden "and"
system folders.

You can "edit" the file in "at least" 3 ways.
1) Enable view in My Computer, then change file properties so it's no longer
"read only".
Note: the enable view described above, temporarily removes hidden attribute.
2) Thru commands in command prompt. Remove hidden and read only attributes.
3) Start>My computer>rt click, Properties>Advanced>Startup and
Recovery>Settings>Edit

Warning: Do NOT edit boot.ini, if you are not having any problems.
Just use this info for future reference.
 
Dixonian69 said:
In your OP, you said no boot.ini in msconfig. That definitely is
misleading.
The boot.ini file has three attributes to prevent most people from messing
with it.
1) read only
2) hidden
3) system file

You have to remove those 3 attributes to view and change the file.
There are work arounds.

You can "view only" in 3 ways. that i know. probably more. no need to
discuss all.
1) Start>Run>c:\boot.ini
2) Start>Run>Msconfig>boot.ini tab
3) Start>My Computer/Explorer and enable folder view option to show hidden
"and" operating system files. Then make sure you search in hidden "and"
system folders.

You can "edit" the file in "at least" 3 ways.
1) Enable view in My Computer, then change file properties so it's no
longer
"read only".
Note: the enable view described above, temporarily removes hidden
attribute.
2) Thru commands in command prompt. Remove hidden and read only
attributes.
3) Start>My computer>rt click, Properties>Advanced>Startup and
Recovery>Settings>Edit

Warning: Do NOT edit boot.ini, if you are not having any problems.
Just use this info for future reference.
Click to expand...


What's your point? What is misleading? In my OP I said I looked for "all"
files including hidden and system files. I said boot.ini was not in
msconfig and it wasn't. In a later post I said that boot.ini was in
msconfig on my laptop. I did two out of the three ways you talked about and
boot.ini was not there. I have no desire to edit boot.ini especially since
it isn't there.
 
I did not realize you were not talking about "problem" computer vs laptop.
Obviously, you know how to find boot.ini (ie on laptop).
So apparently you don't have boot.ini on "problem" computer.

Have a good day.
 
Just a thought.

Go to Start, Control Panel, Folder Options,
View, Advanced Settings and verify that the box before "Show hidden
files and folders" is checked and "Hide protected operating system files
" is unchecked. You may need to scroll down to see the second item. You
should also make certain that the box before "Hide extensions for known
file types" is not checked. Next in Windows Explorer make sure View,
Details is selected and then select View, Choose Details and check
before Name, Type, Total Size, and Free Space.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA

Using invalid email address

Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please tell the newsgroup how any
suggested solution worked for you.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

bearman said:


What's your point? What is misleading? In my OP I said I looked for
"all" files including hidden and system files. I said boot.ini was
not in msconfig and it wasn't. In a later post I said that boot.ini
was in msconfig on my laptop. I did two out of the three ways you
talked about and boot.ini was not there. I have no desire to edit
boot.ini especially since it isn't there.
Click to expand...
 
Gerry Cornell said:
Just a thought.

Go to Start, Control Panel, Folder Options,
View, Advanced Settings and verify that the box before "Show hidden
files and folders" is checked and "Hide protected operating system files
" is unchecked. You may need to scroll down to see the second item. You
should also make certain that the box before "Hide extensions for known
file types" is not checked. Next in Windows Explorer make sure View,
Details is selected and then select View, Choose Details and check
before Name, Type, Total Size, and Free Space.
Click to expand...


Thanks for that. The key was to uncheck "Hide protected operating system
files." I can see boot.ini in Windows Explorer. But it still doesn't show
up in msconfig. I don't want to change anything ("if it ain't
broke....etc.). I was just curious.
 
What is the path for the boot.ini file. Do you also have a
boot.ini.backup file on your system? If yes what file path?

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA

Using invalid email address

Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please tell the newsgroup how any
suggested solution worked for you.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Bearman

Please indulge me. What disk utility was used to create the Partitions?

--


Regards.

Gerry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FCA

Stourport, Worcs, England
Enquire, plan and execute.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
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