Dual boot question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim
  • Start date Start date
J

Jim

I have an older computer running Windows 2000 Professional which I
configured as a dual boot system some time ago.

I've since removed the second operating system (Windows Server 2003). The
annoying problem is that during boot up, the boot.ini file still prompts me
to select which OS I wish to boot into. Unfortunately it defaults to the
second (removed) OS so I must quickly select the primary OS or else the
system won't boot.

This computer is rather old and does not support booting from a cd. I'm
considering editing the boot.ini file but I'm not exactly sure how to make
the change. I messed this up before and had great difficulty getting things
back to square one.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated. TIA

Original boot.ini

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard
Edition Setup"
 
Looks like it is still trying to run Windows Server 2003 setup. Should be
something like this below. Are you sure about \WINDOWS ?
Windows 2000 by default installs to \winnt directory.

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

Before doing anything I'd make a boot floppy.

For the floppy to successfully boot Windows 2000 the disk must contain the
"NT" boot sector. Format a diskette (on a Windows 2000 machine, not a
DOS/Win9x, so the NT boot sector gets written to the floppy), and copy
Windows 2000 versions of ntldr, ntdetect.com, and boot.ini to it. Edit the
boot.ini to give it a correct ARC path for the machine you wish to boot.
Below is an example of boot.ini. The default is to start the operating
system located on the first partition of the primary or first drive
(drive0). Then drive0 partition 2 and so on.

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 0,1"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 0,2"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 1,1"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 1,2"

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect
 
Yes it's \windows - I don't see a \winnt directory. Note, I originally have
Windows xp on this computer.




Dave Patrick said:
Looks like it is still trying to run Windows Server 2003 setup. Should be
something like this below. Are you sure about \WINDOWS ?
Windows 2000 by default installs to \winnt directory.

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

Before doing anything I'd make a boot floppy.

For the floppy to successfully boot Windows 2000 the disk must contain the
"NT" boot sector. Format a diskette (on a Windows 2000 machine, not a
DOS/Win9x, so the NT boot sector gets written to the floppy), and copy
Windows 2000 versions of ntldr, ntdetect.com, and boot.ini to it. Edit the
boot.ini to give it a correct ARC path for the machine you wish to boot.
Below is an example of boot.ini. The default is to start the operating
system located on the first partition of the primary or first drive
(drive0). Then drive0 partition 2 and so on.

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 0,1"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 0,2"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows 2000 1,1"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 1,2"

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

Jim said:
I have an older computer running Windows 2000 Professional which I
configured as a dual boot system some time ago.

I've since removed the second operating system (Windows Server 2003). The
annoying problem is that during boot up, the boot.ini file still prompts
me to select which OS I wish to boot into. Unfortunately it defaults to
the second (removed) OS so I must quickly select the primary OS or else
the system won't boot.

This computer is rather old and does not support booting from a cd. I'm
considering editing the boot.ini file but I'm not exactly sure how to
make the change. I messed this up before and had great difficulty getting
things back to square one.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated. TIA

Original boot.ini

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard
Edition Setup"
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Jim said:
I have an older computer running Windows 2000 Professional which I
configured as a dual boot system some time ago.

I've since removed the second operating system (Windows Server 2003). The
annoying problem is that during boot up, the boot.ini file still prompts me
to select which OS I wish to boot into. Unfortunately it defaults to the
second (removed) OS so I must quickly select the primary OS or else the
system won't boot.

This computer is rather old and does not support booting from a cd. I'm
considering editing the boot.ini file but I'm not exactly sure how to make
the change. I messed this up before and had great difficulty getting things
back to square one.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated. TIA

Original boot.ini

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard
Edition Setup"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click to expand...
You've got your default system still set to Windows Server as well as
retaining it as a booting option.

Alter boot.ini as follows, but make sure that Win2k system files are in
the WINNT folder. If files are in the "WINDOWS" folder than substitute
"WINDOWS" for "WINNT" below.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
 
1. Right click on My Computer and select Properties.
2. Click on Advanced tab.
3. Click on Startup and Recovery.
4. Under Default operating systems:, select Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional.
5. (optional) Remove check from Display list of operating systems for
xxx seconds.
6. Click on Ok.
 
Back
Top