How do I only have 1 choice of windows xp home edition start up...

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Guest

I recently reformatted my computer everything works wonderful but at start up
it has me choose which windows xp home edition I want to use, I tried
installing on a new partition but the only other one it gave me as a choice
said it was two small so I installed on the other one, apparently I have it
installed twice now on same partition so at start up I have to click a choice
which one to use, I did try once the older one to see what happens and it
wouldn't load so its no good anyways, how do I get that off my hard drive or
if I cant how do I have windows start up automatically the good install?
 
Click on START, and then RUN.. type in <msconfig> without the parentheses..
click on the BOOT.INI tab and then select to check all paths.. delete the
one that doesn't work..
 
Mike
I tried that a few days ago. Once you chose to boot "Normal" it resets
boot.ini to origina file ie dual boot reappears.

Have to edit boot.ini using notepad and remove read ony attribute
or
edit using My Computer> (rt click) Properties> Advanced>Startup and
Recovery> Setting>Edit.
 
It sounds like yuo have "two" partitons (or 2HDs).
Install recognized that one partition was too small to install Windows. So
it forced yuo to install in other partiton (or HD). That is what happened.

According to Dual Boot Menu, yuo have OR had Windows installed in "a"
partition.
Since it won't boot to it, was it damaged or did yuo delete stuff?

Editing the boot.ini will eliminate dual boot menu but will not answer the
questions above? maybe they need addressed, also.


There are 2 ways to edit boot.ini

MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE YOU ARE DELETING THE RIGHT LINE!!!!!!
BACKUP FILE BEFORE EDITING!!!!!!!!!

1) You must edit boot.ini using notepad or other text editor. In order to
save, yuo must change file properties/attributes. It is currently "Read
Only". Rt click file and uncheck "read Only". make changes to file then
restore attribute.

2) easiest way is : My Computer> (rt Click) Properties> Advanced> Startup
and Recovery>Settings>Edit. This will save changes to file automatically.
Nothing firther req'd.

If you delete wrong line, you will be in trouble!!!!!
 
Sorry, you will know which line to delete when yuo use method provided by Mike.

"Check All Paths" will tell you which line is "Invalid Path".

That is line you should remove when editing boot.ini file!!!!
Write it down exactly and compare it to boot.ini file when editing!!
Only yuo using MSconfig can determine which one is invalid. We can't tell
from here obviously
 
Thankyou sooo much Mike, I did it and it worked :) noooow can you answer this
one.... do I have windows xp installed twice on the same hard drive and if I
do is this ok or is there any way I can get it to where there is only one and
delete the old??
 
cbaxter58 said:
Thankyou sooo much Mike, I did it and it worked :) noooow can you answer this
one.... do I have windows xp installed twice on the same hard drive and if I
do is this ok or is there any way I can get it to where there is only one and
delete the old??
Click to expand...

If the "check all boot paths" item resulted in you no longer having a
startup menu to choose which copy to boot from then you only have one
copy installed.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm
 
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