Asks me to pick operating system now..

codeman0013 · 02-09-2007, 01:55 AM

Hey i reformatted a computer and now it keeps asking me which os i want to launch i know this is on here but i cant find it how do i get rid of this and just have it load?

PC eye · 02-09-2007, 02:49 AM

Are you running one or two versions of Windows? If you previously dual booted the boot.ini file was altered with the reference to the second OS still being seen. You first click on that once you uncheck the hide protected system files in the folder options and use notepad to edit it. With Vista there's a new bootmgr to contend with that needs a BCDEditor to correct things there.

codeman0013 · 02-09-2007, 03:01 AM

PC_Eye thanks for the respnse. I'm just running XP pro but it used to have xp home before and it was really screwd up so i just reformatted this is the first time i have had this issue with it.

**The_Other_One** · 02-09-2007, 03:03 AM

Are you sure you reformatted and not just install another copy of Windows on your HD?

I THINK you can just remove your BOOT.INI file(located on the root of C) However, I know you can just alter it as well. There should be guides around the internet on this.

codeman0013 · 02-09-2007, 03:05 AM

Thanks guys yes i totally reformatted deleted all the partitions repartitioned and put a new os on it i will look into the boot.ini file...

joeswm8 · 02-09-2007, 03:05 AM

sorry to but in, but what does the boot.ini file do?

PC eye · 02-09-2007, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Other_One

Are you sure you reformatted and not just install another copy of Windows on your HD?

I THINK you can just remove your BOOT.INI file(located on the root of C) However, I know you can just alter it as well. There should be guides around the internet on this.

You never remove the boot loader! A simple edit to see something like this for XP Pro is all that is needed.

[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="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeswm8

sorry to but in, but what does the boot.ini file do?

The boot.ini file is a the boot manager that gives instructions to the OS loader of what drive/directory to go to in order to see Windows startup. With Linux you would see a Grub or Lilo loader manually installed while Windows automatically installs one of it's own.

[-0MEGA-] · 02-09-2007, 03:26 AM

Since they are both Windows XP OS's, when your in your primary OS you can go to Start > Run > msconfig, go to the BOOT.ini tab, and then disable/remove the OS that you no longer use.

PC eye · 02-09-2007, 03:36 AM

That doesn't remove it. It simply offers the choice of original or modified there. Once you edit and save the changes you automatically overwrite the modified version with the save. The first thing before editing and then restarting the system some time later is to make a copy of the boot.ini and save that to a good location. If you make any? "ut ohs!

you can easily open the spare to see how things are written out.

**The_Other_One** · 02-09-2007, 04:04 AM

Quote:

We purposely deleted our BOOT.INI file under Windows XP SP2 to see what would happen, and the OS was still able to boot up

http://mirror.href.com/thestarman/asm/mbr/bootini.htm

You CAN delete it. There are also some boot.ini examples posted there.

02-09-2007, 01:55 AM	#1 (permalink)
codeman0013 Diamond Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Inside my network at work Age: 23 Posts: 1,468	Asks me to pick operating system now.. Hey i reformatted a computer and now it keeps asking me which os i want to launch i know this is on here but i cant find it how do i get rid of this and just have it load?

02-09-2007, 03:03 AM	#4 (permalink)
The_Other_One Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lexington, NC Age: 23 Posts: 12,368	Are you sure you reformatted and not just install another copy of Windows on your HD? I THINK you can just remove your BOOT.INI file(located on the root of C) However, I know you can just alter it as well. There should be guides around the internet on this. __________________ Desktop * Athlon X2 4200 \| 2G RAM \| 160G HD \| 7600GT Laptop1 * C2D T5550 \| 3G RAM \| 120G HD \| Intel x3100 Laptop2 * C2D T5250 \| 2G RAM \| 160G HD \| Intel x3100

02-09-2007, 03:05 AM	#6 (permalink)
joeswm8 Diamond Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: IL Age: 16 Posts: 1,543	sorry to but in, but what does the boot.ini file do? __________________ Free Online Games ---New Computer---Server Build --X2 3800+@2.5---E6600@3.4 XFX 7900GS Extreme---eVga 7600GS--- ------2GB G.Skill DDR2-800---4GB Corsair DDR2-800 Biostar TForce 550MCP---eVga 680i-------- ------WD 160GB HDD---2x74GB Raptors -----------------Rosewill 550W---OCZ 700W GameXStream Centurion 5---P180B

02-09-2007, 03:26 AM	#8 (permalink)
[-0MEGA-] Diamond Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Concord, NH Age: 19 Posts: 27,046	Since they are both Windows XP OS's, when your in your primary OS you can go to Start > Run > msconfig, go to the BOOT.ini tab, and then disable/remove the OS that you no longer use. __________________ Desktop // Laptop Core 2 Quad Q9550 @ 4.0GHz // Core 2 Duo P8400 2.26GHz Asus Rampage Formula X48 // Intel PM45 ATI 4870X2 2GB GDDR5 // 512MB GDDR3 9800M GTS 4GB (2x 2GB) DDR2 940 // 4GB DDR3 800 750GB SATAII w/32MB // 200GB SATAII 7200RPM Creative SB X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty SilverStone 750W +12V@60A 3DMark06: 21391 // 9179

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02-09-2007, 02:49 AM	#2 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 19,279	Are you running one or two versions of Windows? If you previously dual booted the boot.ini file was altered with the reference to the second OS still being seen. You first click on that once you uncheck the hide protected system files in the folder options and use notepad to edit it. With Vista there's a new bootmgr to contend with that needs a BCDEditor to correct things there.

02-09-2007, 03:01 AM	#3 (permalink)
codeman0013 Diamond Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Inside my network at work Age: 23 Posts: 1,468	PC_Eye thanks for the respnse. I'm just running XP pro but it used to have xp home before and it was really screwd up so i just reformatted this is the first time i have had this issue with it.

02-09-2007, 03:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
codeman0013 Diamond Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Inside my network at work Age: 23 Posts: 1,468	Thanks guys yes i totally reformatted deleted all the partitions repartitioned and put a new os on it i will look into the boot.ini file...

02-09-2007, 03:36 AM	#9 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 19,279	That doesn't remove it. It simply offers the choice of original or modified there. Once you edit and save the changes you automatically overwrite the modified version with the save. The first thing before editing and then restarting the system some time later is to make a copy of the boot.ini and save that to a good location. If you make any? "ut ohs! you can easily open the spare to see how things are written out.

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