Duel Boot On Startup after 2nd drive removed

Feel free to edit the title.

I have 2 Dell Dimension 8200 computers, 1 running XP Pro and 1 XP Home.
Had a problem reformatting the XP Home HD so I installed it as a slave drive on the XP Pro.

Once formatted and installed windows on the 2nd HD I removed the hard drive to put back into the other computer.

Now when XP Pro boots it wants to know which OS I want to boot, although there is only one OS installed.

How do I fix this? I assume the install is stored in memory somewhere, I have cleared the system event memory in the bios but still get this screen which OS to load.

 

Well for once I fixed my own problem. Went into msconfig > boot.ini file and deleted the xp home file.

WOW!!!!!!!!!

 

And it took ya less than 10 minutes to figure it out! I'm envious!

Congrats!

 

Don't be too envious yet, although now the XP Pro is working fine, the XP Home won't boot and I have NOOOOOOOOOOOOO idea why. The hard drive shows in BIOS and the RAM shows fine but for some reason it won't boot, just get a black screen or error message saying to press F1 to continue but it wont' continue.

 

You will need to use the MS CD and boot into the Recovery Console and run FIXBOOT and FIXMBR. When you insalled XP on the other comp the boot files was put onto the other hdd, not the one you installed to.

 

Ok, but RC is not automatically installed when you install windows. Since the computer will NOT boot how can I use the other computer to install the RC onto the 2nd HD?

Possibly would I boot from the working computer with the dual OS into the Home Edition and install it that way? And if so how will I access it when I install HD into the other computer since I don't get boot options just the hit F1 to continue or F2 to enter setup (which neither work)? ORRRRRRRR would I fixboot and fixmbr using the working computer????

Since it wouldn't boot I reformated the hard drive and then installed into the other computer (wiping out the OS) inserted my Home Edition installation CD and nothing happens, I get the Dell screen then a black screen with a blinking cusor. That's as far as it goes.

Would it help to make the boot disks descirbed here http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=15491F07-99F7-4A2D-983D-81C2137FF464&displaylang=en

Should I reinstall the OS using the working computer, use the boot disks, install the RC or what?

This is so confusing and frustrating as to why the dang thing doesn't work.

 

Just to let you know, my use of XP is not great. But have installed it on my comp several times (only good for 30 days).

Normal it does not work to install XP on one comp to use on a different one, the exeption will be if the motherboards are the same, it should work.

IF you could post why you can not install on the intended comp would be helpful. Try it first and report problems.

 

Don't know why I can't install on intended computer, that's the problem. It won't do anything, just get black page with blinking cusor.

It worked previously then had bad RAM wiped out drive, so took out bad RAM and kept good RAM. That's the only thing that has changed. I have tried several different hard drives and they all do the same, the only time I get anything when I turn the computer on was when I installed OS from working computer and then put hard drive in the other one. That's when I got the hit F1 to continue or F2 for setup, which neither does anything, but if i restart and hit F2 I can get into the BIOS and it shows the hard drive.

Both are legit OS systems that came with each computer.

 

I think you had better find out the problem with the comp first ,befor worying about the OS install. I will assume you have a floppy drive in system.

1a) Get a Win98 bootable floppy (www.bootdisk.com) and see if it boots. (may need to change boot order in bios) If it boots, next test the memory. (goggle Memory+test will list programs) If you have a hdd with FAT32 see if dos will read the directory.
When you boot with 98 floppy choose With CD support- can you then read a cd directory.

1b) or use the XP 6 disk floppy set -check memory-see if it will read the NTSF hdd.

recheck the IDE cable connection on the motherboard.

When you are switching hdd's around be sure to set it jumper correctly-Master/slave/cable select.

IS the XP cd a restore cd or MS cd ?

 

The disk is a Windows XP SP2 integrated that I made from my original Dell disk. Have used it many times with no problems. Also, tried using orginal Dell disk. (I have the ISO on my computer so I made a new disk)

Jumper settings are correct. Have tried several IDE cables just to be sure I didn't have a bad one.

Yes I have a floppy drive and yes I have a 98 boot disk. I can make the XP boot disk set from working computer.

I can do all this from a formatted hard drive without OS installed or do I need to install OS from working computer? And I use the installation Cd with the boot disk?

 

You do not need an OS installed on hdd to use a boot floppy, 98 or XP's.

Main thing tring to find out is will the comp boot with a bootable media, floppy,hdd or cd.

Use the XP 6 floppy set and see if it will read the hdd (98 can not see a NTFS hdd with exception of FDISK). With the hdd formated of course it will not list any files but want to see if it gives any errors.

If you changed the memory it might be a good idea to reset the bios. There might be a jumper on the motherboard or will have to pull the battery for 5-10 min.

While you went inside the comp, you did pull the power cord or turn off the switch on the power supply if it has one ?

{And I use the installation Cd with the boot disk} if it is not a recovery cd you should beable to run the setup program for the A: prompt "X:\i386\winnt "
where X= cd drive letter.

 

Ok here's where I stand.

Made the XP Boot disk set, ran all 6, on last disk gives you option to install or repair windows XP.

I click to do a new install, then get message that "setup cannot find a cd-rom drive. Make sure your cd-rom drive is on and properly connected to your computer. if it is a SCSI cd rom drive, make sure your SCSI devices are properly terminated. Setup cannot continue. "

So, basically I assume the reason I can't do anything is because it is not seeing my cd rom drive, which I checked BIOS and it shows CD ROM Reader as the master. Sooooooo if it shows up in BIOS why can't windows see it?

I have boot sequence set correctly, floppy, cd rom, HD.

And yes I did unplug the power and pressed the power button to ex-spell any remaining power.

Couldn't figure out how to get the battery out and Dell site was of no help for thathttp://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8200/techov.htm#1101668, but I did pull the jumpers on the MB to reset. We'll see what happens now

 

HOLDING MY BREATHE!!!!!!!!

I reset the BIOS like you said but it still did not recognize the cd rom drive, so I changed the IDE cable connecting drive to MB and also put my DVD rom drive back in.

I put a XP disk in BOTH drives and rebooted and OMG!!!!!!!!!!! it's installing.

I have no idea which drive it's using to install and at this point don't really care.

After working on this for MONTHS (worked on it several months ago and finally gave up and have now been working on it for over a week) it was something as SIMPLE as an IDE cable!!!!!!!!

It would seem to me that if the BIOS was seeing it that the IDE cable was okay, but guess this proves that is not always the case.

Thanks all for your help.

 

good luck. and yes a bad IDE cable might let bios see the device but still not work propery.

If you have space on the hdd , my opion would be to install the recovery console and make/test a XP boot floppy ( one that boots into XP on the hdd not the 6 disk set)- format a floppy then copy Ntldr , Ntdetect.com and boot.ini files
from C: to the floppy (all three are hidden system files).

 

Well TopFarmer, since my last post, the computer has been running continously, installed windows without a glitch and runs great.

Although I'm still a bit curious how the heck you get that battery out

 

The battery removal can be a pain and they are not all the same. There should be a small metal tab at the hi spot on the plastic case that is pressed away from the battery, toward the case.