Can't boot up xp pro

Ok I just try both system and they both boot up , Now this folder that you ask , All I see is boot and I hope this is what you are asking below

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT= "2" d:winnt
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS= "1" c:windows
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS= "Windows XP" /fastdetect

 

Yeah, that’s it. I just need to know a few things.
Does your XP install have Service Pace 2 installed?
Which OS do you want to be the default one, the one that it will auto boot if you don’t make a selection within 30 seconds?
Do you want the default timeout to be 30 seconds or maybe less – 10 is usually enough.
How do you want the boot menu to describe the two OSes, I assume you would prefer it to say Windows 2000 instead of just ‘2’, and is ‘Windows XP’ ok?

 

I have xp sp2 , I would like it to be xp default and yes to everything that you mention too , Thanks

 

Ok, this is what your boot.ini file needs to look like.
You can either change your one manually to the same as this, but you will need to be careful with all the details and spaces.

Or it might work if you copy and paste it from this post. Try it first into just NotePad and check how it looks.

Or I could give it to you as a download so you can just replace yours.


[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS= "Windows XP" /NoExecute=OptIn /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT= "Windows 2000" /fastdetect

 

Hi ... Okay what I have done was I place it into notepad and then click save as , at which time I had to change first the original boot file name to booty and made your list name as boot , So now I have 2 there , your boot file and the original one as booty , can I delete the original one ? Also I have view the order now and it show as windows xp , windows 2000 and windows default , Now the default is always highlighted but , when it try to load the default one , it just goes into a loop , where it just retry to load but doesn't

 

So you are saying you can’t boot XP now, it just reboots?
Does 2000 boot ok?
You obviously saved the new notepad as boot.ini and not boot.txt – yes?

No hurry yet to delete the old one, lets get things working perfectly first.

Try removing the noexecute=optin so it looks like this.

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

 

No that didn't work either , Though I am curious for it to load in default , Is it necessary to have it like that , I mean is there a way just to have only the 2 options ( Windows xp , windows 2000 ) and it stay highlight on windows xp ? Because it seem I'm having a problem with this

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS

 

Oh I see, you’re saying you now have three options on the boot menu.
Windows XP
Windows 2000
Default.

Is that correct?
Is it just the Default option that won’t boot? Does the Windows XP option boot into XP?
And is 2000 ok?

 

Yes correct , just as you have it and its only the default that doesn't load, Sorry I should of mention that

 

Well it’s not possible to remove the ‘default’ line from the boot.ini file. There must be something else up with it. Here, try downloading and using this one.
http://home.btconnect.com/Brian-S/boot.ini

 

ALRIGHT that work , Though the boot order didn't have default listed , just windows xp and windows 2000 but , they both boot up now and it boots up in windows xp by default , Now that its working , Can you suggest which way is best if I ever need to reformat and reinstall these windows , clean install as to which way is best to install both ? Thanks

 

Wow, I’m so glad there Terry, good work mate.

To avoid the problems you just had then it is necessary to install Win 2k first and then XP. That’s Microsoft’s recommendation.

However as you have seen it’s all to do with those ntldr and Ntdetect.com files. Win2k will replace the ones in your XP install with it’s own, so all you have to do is copy them before hand and put them back after 2K is installed. You should not have to do anything else. All that we just had to do with the boot.ini file was just the result of your other attempts to get your system working again.

I’m off for a break now.

 

Great news McTavish , I will have to remember that ... I want to THANK YOU so much for all your time and patient , I really appreciated , Thanks !!!

 

Hey there McTavish ... I just want to add when I now view my c drive , Those files >>> boot , NTDETECT and ntldr aren't being hidden , So what I have done was right click on them and added a check mark on hidden , I believe the normal options for this would be greyed out with a check mark on hidden ...

 

Open 'My Documents' -> 'Tools' -> 'Folder Options' -> 'View' and select 'Do not show hidden files and folders'.

 

Hi Argosh ... Thanks for your tip but , You misunderstood what I was trying to say , With the help of McTavish , He gave me a link to download those files onto my c drive and afterward with the check mark on 'Do not show hidden files and folders' they are still being viewable , This is as to why I wanted to add that to my last post, just to let him know this , Thanks any ways ...

 

I think I downloaded them myself and they probably came unhidden. Just ticking the hide box in each file should hide them again. Are you saying Terry that this did not work? Or just telling me you had to do this? Don’t know why the box is grayed out and they can’t normally be unhidden.

 

'Hidden' is grayed out? That's because it's 'system' file.

 

Yeah I am just saying I had to place a check mark on hidden , I'm saying this so you know ahead of time for the next person that use your link/files , So they will know to place a check mark on hidden as well