Convert Windows XP Dual Boot to Monoboot

  • Thread starter Thread starter Richard Alexander
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Richard Alexander

I installed Windows XP on a computer system that already had Windows
Me installed. Windows XP created a dual boot automatically. However,
my copy of Windows Me is on a different hard drive than my copy of
Windows XP, and I don't usually have both hard drives operational in
my computer at the same time. So, when my computer boots, it
superfluously prompts me to choose an OS. That's OK for the XP hard
drive, because it will eventually (in 30 seconds) time out and boot
XP. However, on the Me drive, it tries to boot a non-existing
partition after time-out. So, I would like to remove the dual boot
from both hard drives, but I don't know how to do that. Could someone
please help?

Thank you.
 
You need to edit Boot.ini. Post a copy of the files from both drives here for further help.
 
I installed Windows XP on a computer system that already had Windows
Me installed. Windows XP created a dual boot automatically. However,
my copy of Windows Me is on a different hard drive than my copy of
Windows XP, and I don't usually have both hard drives operational in
my computer at the same time. So, when my computer boots, it
superfluously prompts me to choose an OS. That's OK for the XP hard
drive, because it will eventually (in 30 seconds) time out and boot
XP. However, on the Me drive, it tries to boot a non-existing
partition after time-out. So, I would like to remove the dual boot
from both hard drives, but I don't know how to do that. Could someone
please help?

Thank you.
Click to expand...

As already suggested by someone else, you need to edit your Boot.ini
file. This is a small text file in the partition where you installed
Windows. It's a hidden system file, so you'll need to choose "Show all
files" in Windows Explorer options.

Open it with a text editor like Notepad. It will look something like
this - but probably not exactly like it depending on your installation
-
-------------------------------------------------------------
[Boot Loader]
timeout=30
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.XP

[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.XP="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Windows Millenium Edition"
---------------------------------------------------------------

The second line sets the timeout length in seconds, which you can
change. The third line specifies which version of Windoze is the
default OS. The fourth to sixth lines point to the partitions where
each OS is installed.

E.g., You can edit the file to something like, say -
------------------------------------------------------------------
[Boot Loader]
timeout=5
Default=C:\

[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.XP="Microbrain Win XP"
/fastdetect
C:\="Windozzzze ME"
-------------------------------------------------------------------

This will offer you a choice of "Microbrain Win XP" or "Windozzzze
ME", with the latter as the default OS, and time out in 5 seconds.

You have to be careful to point to the correct drive and partition.
Since you apparently installed Win XP with both hard drives operating
and drive letters are dynamically assigned, the letters will be
different when they are used alone.

If you copy the contents of your Boot.ini file for each had drive and
post them here, we can be more specific about how you should edit it.

-Zotin
 
(e-mail address removed) (Zotin Khuma) wrote in message
[snip]
As already suggested by someone else, you need to edit your Boot.ini
file. This is a small text file in the partition where you installed
Windows. It's a hidden system file, so you'll need to choose "Show all
files" in Windows Explorer options.
Click to expand...

I don't believe it exists on my system. I have listed all my hidden
and system files, and I even had Windows search all my my partitions,
including hidden and system files. The only Boot.ini it finds is an
inactive copy from 3 years ago, way off in a distant, non-booting
partition.

BTW, I've tried to install System Commander, but it quits with an
error (unable to load bootloader, or some such like that). I worked
with a guy from V Communications for a while, but we haven't resolved
that issue, yet.
 
(e-mail address removed) (Zotin Khuma) wrote in message
[snip]
As already suggested by someone else, you need to edit your Boot.ini
file. This is a small text file in the partition where you installed
Windows. It's a hidden system file, so you'll need to choose "Show all
files" in Windows Explorer options.
Click to expand...

I don't believe it exists on my system. I have listed all my hidden
and system files, and I even had Windows search all my my partitions,
including hidden and system files. The only Boot.ini it finds is an
inactive copy from 3 years ago, way off in a distant, non-booting
partition.

BTW, I've tried to install System Commander, but it quits with an
error (unable to load bootloader, or some such like that). I worked
with a guy from V Communications for a while, but we haven't resolved
that issue, yet.
Click to expand...

If you are using XP, there will be a boot.ini file on the active partition
of the hard drive that it gets is boot information from. XP will not boot
without one. It will be in the root directory, normaly on the C: drive. Are
you sure the boot.ini you did find is not current? And did you go to the
command prompt, change to the root directory (c:\) and do a dir/a boot.ini
? It should be there.

JT
 
JT said:
(e-mail address removed) (Zotin Khuma) wrote in message
[snip]
As already suggested by someone else, you need to edit your Boot.ini
file. This is a small text file in the partition where you installed
Windows. It's a hidden system file, so you'll need to choose "Show all
files" in Windows Explorer options.
Click to expand...

I don't believe it exists on my system. I have listed all my hidden
and system files, and I even had Windows search all my my partitions,
including hidden and system files. The only Boot.ini it finds is an
inactive copy from 3 years ago, way off in a distant, non-booting
partition.

BTW, I've tried to install System Commander, but it quits with an
error (unable to load bootloader, or some such like that). I worked
with a guy from V Communications for a while, but we haven't resolved
that issue, yet.
Click to expand...

If you are using XP, there will be a boot.ini file on the active partition
of the hard drive that it gets is boot information from. XP will not boot
without one. It will be in the root directory, normaly on the C: drive. Are
you sure the boot.ini you did find is not current? And did you go to the
command prompt, change to the root directory (c:\) and do a dir/a boot.ini
? It should be there.
Click to expand...

Apparently, I was mistaken, or I overlooked the result on C:\
partition. Anyway, here it is:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

That's a bit odd, considering that all my Windows XP Home files are on
D:\ partition. What is currently my C:\ partition was created about 4
years ago. I believe I was using Windows 98 at the time, though I
upgraded to Windows Me.
 
Apparently, I was mistaken, or I overlooked the result on C:\
partition. Anyway, here it is:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

That's a bit odd, considering that all my Windows XP Home files are on
D:\ partition. What is currently my C:\ partition was created about 4
years ago. I believe I was using Windows 98 at the time, though I
upgraded to Windows Me.
Click to expand...

That is normal for XP (or any NT based system). Your C: drive is the
active, bootable partition. The
"default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS" points to the
location of your XP installation, which is on the D: drive. Note the
rdisk(1). If XP was on C:, that would be rdisk(0).

You are still booting the c drive, the boot.ini file directs everything to
the proper location. There are also some other XP files on your C drive.
Don't delete them.

JT
 
JT said:
JT <[email protected]> wrote in message
Click to expand...
Apparently, I was mistaken, or I overlooked the result on C:\
partition. Anyway, here it is:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

That's a bit odd, considering that all my Windows XP Home files are on
D:\ partition. What is currently my C:\ partition was created about 4
years ago. I believe I was using Windows 98 at the time, though I
upgraded to Windows Me.
Click to expand...

That is normal for XP (or any NT based system). Your C: drive is the
active, bootable partition. The
"default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS" points to the
location of your XP installation, which is on the D: drive. Note the
rdisk(1). If XP was on C:, that would be rdisk(0).

You are still booting the c drive, the boot.ini file directs everything to
the proper location. There are also some other XP files on your C drive.
Don't delete them.

JT
Click to expand...

Now I'm confused. My boot drive (Drive 0 on the primary channel) is my XP
drive and is F:. I looked through the root directory for boot.ini and
couldn't find it. And I can see all files.
My C: drive is Drive 1 on the Secondary channel and is WIN98SE. It is not
my boot drive. There is no boot file on it.
IIRC, I can boot from my F: drive without any drive in theSecondary channel.
What's going on?

Bearman
 
Now I'm confused. My boot drive (Drive 0 on the primary channel) is my XP
drive and is F:. I looked through the root directory for boot.ini and
couldn't find it. And I can see all files.
My C: drive is Drive 1 on the Secondary channel and is WIN98SE. It is not
my boot drive. There is no boot file on it.
IIRC, I can boot from my F: drive without any drive in theSecondary channel.
What's going on?
Click to expand...

If during the boot process you see the menu that lets you boot to
either Windows XP or 98, then boot.ini has to exist.
Open up a Command Prompt window, change directory to F:, and run the
attrib command.
C:\>attrib
A C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT
SH C:\boot.ini
A C:\CONFIG.SYS
A SH C:\hiberfil.sys
A SHR C:\IO.SYS
A SHR C:\MSDOS.SYS
A SHR C:\NTDETECT.COM
A SHR C:\ntldr
A SH C:\pagefile.sys

C:\>
 
Andy said:
If during the boot process you see the menu that lets you boot to
either Windows XP or 98, then boot.ini has to exist.
Open up a Command Prompt window, change directory to F:, and run the
attrib command.
C:\>attrib
A C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT
SH C:\boot.ini
A C:\CONFIG.SYS
A SH C:\hiberfil.sys
A SHR C:\IO.SYS
A SHR C:\MSDOS.SYS
A SHR C:\NTDETECT.COM
A SHR C:\ntldr
A SH C:\pagefile.sys

C:\>
Click to expand...
I don't have a dual boot situation. My C: drive is used just for storage.
It has Win98SE on it but I don't use it.

Bearman
 
(e-mail address removed) (Zotin Khuma) wrote in message
[snip]
As already suggested by someone else, you need to edit your Boot.ini
file. This is a small text file in the partition where you installed
Windows. It's a hidden system file, so you'll need to choose "Show all
files" in Windows Explorer options.
Click to expand...

I was poking around my MS Windows XP Home control panel, looking for
something completely unrelated, when I happened to run across a
Windows link to my boot.ini file. This can be reached by selecting
Start, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, System, Advanced
tab, Startup and Recovery Setup button. "To edit the startup options
file manually, click Edit." Clicking "Edit" brings up boot.ini in a
Notepad window. Other options besides "Edit" allow changing the time
to display operating systems (I haven't noticed that this has an
effect on my boot up process), time to display recovery options when
needed, write an event to the system log, send an administrative
alert, automatically restart and set debugging information.
 
The boot.ini file resides just below the root of the system
that is found on the boot partition - usually the 1st partition
on the disk. It can be edited with notepad. You can
convert a dual multi-boot setup to a single multi-boot
setup (virtually the same as a mono-boot setup) by
merely removing the name and location of the unwanted
system.

In boot.ini, look for the line:
[operating systems]

What follows this line are the names and locations of
the optional bootable systems. For example, one might read:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Win XP Pro w/.NET" /fastdetect

This says that the bootable system resides on the disk
that is relatively located at a 0 (zero) distance below the
disk with the highest priority in the BIOS's hard drive boot
priority. If both systems are on that disk, both lines in the
boot.ini file will have as arg of 0 after "rdisk" If one system
is on a secondary disk (one that is 2nd in the boot priority),
the arg for "rdisk" for that system will be "1". The partition
number, starting with "1", indicates the partition in which the
desired system resides. What follows the "=" after "WINDOWS"
is just an arbitrary name, which you can edit, that lets you
differentiate between the optional systems presented to you
by the multi-boot loader for your selection at boot time.

You can turn your dual-boot load operation into a mono-boot
operation by simply removing the mention of the unwanted system
from the list below the "[operating systems]" line in boot.ini. You
can do this by deleting the line or by turning it into a comment by
surrounding it with square brackets, i.e. "[" and "]". Once you do
this, the boot loader will recognize that there is no choice to be
made as to which system it should boot, and it will go ahead and
boot the one system that it sees described in boot.ini.

BTW, you can turn this simplification process around, and make
your system *really* multi-boot by putting multi-HDs in your system
and putting up to 4 real partitions on each HD, each partition
containing a bootable system. I do this to keep bootable system
backups around for quick substitution of an archived bootable system
or quick restoration - by simple drag 'n drop - of a file that got corrupted.


*TimDaniels*
 
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