Removing win2k bootloader

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G

Guest

I installed win2k on a second HD but have now removed that HD from my
system.
The installation changed the boot.ini file in my Windows ME installation
Primary HD.

How can I edit the boot.ini file in ME? It appears to be hidden when I'm in
it (I know I could put the win2k drive back in and edit it from within
win2k, but the point is that HD has died!). I also took out the floppy
drive, so is there a way of editing it in safe mode or from CD? I don't mean
format /mbr - I just want to remove the line in boot.ini that says load
win2k as default.

TIA
 
Hi

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the boot.ini will not exist in
your ME install it is just located on the root of your 2k system partition.

If you have no intention of replacing that drive can you not just fdisk/mbr
to remove the NT boot loader ? as it resides in the MBR

You may have to run ME setup again.......my advice is ditch ME and install 2k
on your primary drive, In my opinion Windows ME was a sick,twisted marketing
ploy and not an Operating system

S

wrote:
 
I installed win2k on a second HD but have now removed that HD from my
system.
The installation changed the boot.ini file in my Windows ME installation
Primary HD.

How can I edit the boot.ini file in ME? It appears to be hidden when I'm
in it (I know I could put the win2k drive back in and edit it from within
win2k, but the point is that HD has died!). I also took out the floppy
drive, so is there a way of editing it in safe mode or from CD? I don't
mean format /mbr - I just want to remove the line in boot.ini that says
load win2k as default.
Click to expand...



first make a copy of boot.ini
and put it on your boot floppy

change boot.ini to non-hidden and non-read only
&...in any text editor just open boot.ini
and remove the reference to win2k...
...then return the attributes to as they were originally

be sure ME is set to default
 
You can boot with your WinME startup disk and issue the command
sys C:
this will rewrite the boot sector, then you can delete these files boot.ini,
ntldr, ntdetect.com, bootsect.dos, pagefile.sys and possibly ntbootdd.sys
from the root of the System partition C:\.


--
Regards,

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

|I installed win2k on a second HD but have now removed that HD from my
| system.
| The installation changed the boot.ini file in my Windows ME installation
| Primary HD.
|
| How can I edit the boot.ini file in ME? It appears to be hidden when I'm
in
| it (I know I could put the win2k drive back in and edit it from within
| win2k, but the point is that HD has died!). I also took out the floppy
| drive, so is there a way of editing it in safe mode or from CD? I don't
mean
| format /mbr - I just want to remove the line in boot.ini that says load
| win2k as default.
|
| TIA
|
|
 
If you have no intention of replacing that drive can you not just
fdisk/mbr
to remove the NT boot loader ? as it resides in the MBR

You may have to run ME setup again
Click to expand...

No - by doing this I will _definitely_ need to run Win ME setup again - a
rather drastic solution.
.......my advice is ditch ME and install 2k
on your primary drive, In my opinion Windows ME was a sick,twisted
marketing
ploy and not an Operating system
Click to expand...

Well of course! However, life is never that simple - some of my hardware is
not win 2k compatible. Unfortunately! I really can't be bothered to
reinstall or buy new hardware when my question boils down as someone else
has already said issuing a few commands and deleting a few files to achieve
what I want.

Thanks all the same : )
 
How can I edit the boot.ini file in ME? It appears to be hidden
first make a copy of boot.ini
Click to expand...

erm - remember - its hidden...

and put it on your boot floppy
Click to expand...

erm - remember - I told you I took it out...

change boot.ini to non-hidden and non-read only
&...in any text editor just open boot.ini
and remove the reference to win2k...
..then return the attributes to as they were originally

be sure ME is set to default
Click to expand...

Thanks for telling me the bit I knew already - I just wanted to find out how
to un-hide the file in order to be able to edit it.

I know that sounded really ungrateful, and I don't mean it to be like that,
but don't people read anymore?
 
You can boot with your WinME startup disk and issue the command
sys C:
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave. Simple when you know how.
this will rewrite the boot sector, then you can delete these files
boot.ini,
ntldr, ntdetect.com, bootsect.dos, pagefile.sys and possibly ntbootdd.sys
from the root of the System partition C:\.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if some of these files were there before the win2k install
(e.g. pagefile.sys). If I delete all of them, as you say, and the files
aren't related to win2k, am I going to cause problems to the win me
installation? I just want to be sure before I go ahead and do this. I like
my weekends free from computer repairs!
 
WinME doesn't use any of the files I listed.

--
Regards,

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

|> You can boot with your WinME startup disk and issue the command
| > sys C:
|
| Thanks Dave. Simple when you know how.
|
| > this will rewrite the boot sector, then you can delete these files
| > boot.ini,
| > ntldr, ntdetect.com, bootsect.dos, pagefile.sys and possibly
ntbootdd.sys
| > from the root of the System partition C:\.
|
| I'm not sure if some of these files were there before the win2k install
| (e.g. pagefile.sys). If I delete all of them, as you say, and the files
| aren't related to win2k, am I going to cause problems to the win me
| installation? I just want to be sure before I go ahead and do this. I like
| my weekends free from computer repairs!
|
|
 
WinME doesn't use any of the files I listed.

Great - thanks - I'll try it out later then.
 
I installed win2k on a second HD but have now removed that HD from my
system.
The installation changed the boot.ini file in my Windows ME installation
Primary HD.

How can I edit the boot.ini file in ME? It appears to be hidden when I'm in
it (I know I could put the win2k drive back in and edit it from within
win2k, but the point is that HD has died!). I also took out the floppy
drive, so is there a way of editing it in safe mode or from CD? I don't mean
format /mbr - I just want to remove the line in boot.ini that says load
win2k as default.

TIA
Click to expand...


Normally, assuming Win9x/Me is installed to the C: drive, you'd
just have to boot from your Win98/Me startup diskette, type "SYS C:."
Then delete C:\NTLDR, C:\NTDETECT.COM, C:\BOOT.INI, C:\BOOTSEC.DOS, and
C:\PAGEFILE.SYS. Delete or reformat the Win2K directory/partition, as
applicable. Remove the startup diskette and reboot.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
Thanks for telling me the bit I knew already - I just wanted to find out
how to un-hide the file in order to be able to edit it.

I know that sounded really ungrateful, and I don't mean it to be like
that, but don't people read anymore?
Click to expand...

oops i missed that

anyway just use windows explorer

tools
folder options
view

then opt for "show hidden files and folders"
 
erm...lots of featherheads who can read have found out about
hidden files using W2k "help" - that's aitch ee ell pee, after
the "Start" button... Make "Help" your good friend, then you
need not worry about whether the team here has read your prose.

erm...? Is that with batting of eyelashes and all? Wow. Wot
kulcher.
 
erm...lots of featherheads who can read have found out about
hidden files using W2k "help" - that's aitch ee ell pee, after
the "Start" button... Make "Help" your good friend, then you
need not worry about whether the team here has read your prose.

erm...? Is that with batting of eyelashes and all? Wow. Wot
kulcher.
Click to expand...

You are such a smug idiot. You STILL can't read can you? I'm asking how to
unhide the file within WINDOWS ME. I don't have WINDOWS 2000 and the two do
NOT operate in the same way.
 
Normally, assuming Win9x/Me is installed to the C: drive, you'd just
have to boot from your Win98/Me startup diskette, type "SYS C:." Then
delete C:\NTLDR, C:\NTDETECT.COM, C:\BOOT.INI, C:\BOOTSEC.DOS, and
C:\PAGEFILE.SYS. Delete or reformat the Win2K directory/partition, as
applicable. Remove the startup diskette and reboot.
Click to expand...
Normally
Click to expand...

OK - so what happens when its not normal - ie I don't have a floppy drive as
I explained? (and the win2k directory is on a HD that has died)

Do you people just copy and paste answers to questions that you think are
being asked or do you actually take into consideration what the OP is asking
and just decide not to answer properly?
 
Do you people just copy and paste answers to questions that you think are
being asked or do you actually take into consideration what the OP is asking
and just decide not to answer properly?
Click to expand...

Actually, you've had a number of pertinent answers
in this thread. You just don't seem to want to put
yourself out. For instance, you said that you took
out the floppy drive ... so put it back temporarily.

Or you could have Googled around and find out how
to make a bootable CD from your boot floppy
*before* you removed the floppy drive. Anyone who
removes their floppy without having an alternative
method of doing a low-level boot is just asking
for trouble ... and it looks like you got it.

Being rude to people that are trying to help is
not the solution. This is your mess whether caused
by your ineptitude or circumstances beyond your
control. There may, in fact, be no magic wand to
get you out of it but in any case it behooves you
to at least not bite the hands that are trying to
feed you and to make some efforts on your own behalf.

And in case you are under any wrong impressions,
none of the contributers here are paid by or work
for microsoft. they give freely of their own spare
time and by and large do a damned good job.
 
Do you people just copy and paste answers to questions that you think are
being asked or do you actually take into consideration what the OP is asking
and just decide not to answer properly?
Click to expand...
erm...let me think...
 
Being rude to people that are trying to help is not the solution. This is
your mess whether caused by your ineptitude or circumstances beyond your
control. There may, in fact, be no magic wand to get you out of it but in
any case it behooves you to at least not bite the hands that are trying to
feed you and to make some efforts on your own behalf.

And in case you are under any wrong impressions, none of the contributers
here are paid by or work for microsoft. they give freely of their own
spare time and by and large do a damned good job.
Click to expand...

I totally agree - I'm a fan of newsgroups and try to help where I can - my
point in this instance was that because the person who answered me back
really didn't read my question properly he really didn't answer it all and
hence it was a complete waste of time both for me and the general archive of
messages - its not going to help me or anyone else with my specific problem
in the future when they come across it in searches.

When I try and help, I read the question properly and answer appropriately.
If I said I have no floppy drive, why bother posting back a message to tell
me to put a floppy disk in. If I have windows me, why answer with info
concerning windows 2000. It just creates more confusion and frustration. Its
just pointless. And yeah, I realise it - just like this message. Over and
out.
 
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