J
John John - MVP
Flightless Bird
Colin Trunt wrote:
> "John John - MVP" <audetweld@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
> news
GcvyI11KHA.5880@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> Colin Trunt wrote:
>>> "John John - MVP" <audetweld@nbnot.nb.ca> wrote in message
>>> news8Y2qNz1KHA.4724@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>>> Colin Trunt wrote:
>>>>> "John John - MVP" <audetweld@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
>>>>> news:e%23YfUgy1KHA.3744@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>>>> Colin Trunt wrote:
>>>>>>> "Colin Trunt" <colin@trunt.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:xflvn.2326$LS2.1843@newsfe13.ams2...
>>>>>>>> "John John - MVP" <audetweld@nbnot.nb.ca> wrote in message
>>>>>>>> news88cbNx1KHA.6104@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>>>>>>>> Colin Trunt wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I can boot either normally or to recovery as llong as I don't
>>>>>>>>>> mess about to much and do it directly.
>>>>>>>>> What exactly does that mean? Mess about with what and what do you
>>>>>>>>> mean by "do it directly"? If the Recovery Console is installed you
>>>>>>>>> get a boot menu when you boot the computer and you select to boot
>>>>>>>>> the Recovery Console or the Windows installation, what is there to
>>>>>>>>> mess about with there and what is there to do directly other than
>>>>>>>>> selecting which option to boot?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> How many hard disks do you have and how many partitions do you have
>>>>>>>>> on these hard disks? Where is the Windows installation and where
>>>>>>>>> is the Command Console installed? To avoid confusion please don't
>>>>>>>>> use the term "drive" when answering, use the terms "Hard Disk" and
>>>>>>>>> "Partition".
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>> First I get a screen which says hit f10 for recovery, then it goes
>>>>>>>> to a choice
>>>>>>>> 1)windows
>>>>>>>> 2)recovey
>>>>>>>> 3)ubuntu
>>>>>>> my boot.ini
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> [boot loader]
>>>>>>> timeout=15
>>>>>>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
>>>>>>> [operating systems]
>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>>>>>>> Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>>>>>>> CCMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
>>>>>>> cwubildr.mbr="Ubuntu"
>>>>>> Comes back to the question of how many hard disks and partitions do
>>>>>> you have and where exactly is Windows installed. Also, where is this
>>>>>> boot.ini file located? (on which hard disk and on which partition?)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Also need the results of the set system command.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The problem is most likely due to an incorrect ARC path in the
>>>>>> boot.ini file.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> John
>>>>> This is the boot.ini on drive d: (recovery drive)
>>>>>
>>>>> [boot loader]
>>>>> timeout=15
>>>>> default=CCMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT
>>>>> [operating systems]
>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>>>>> Professional" /fastdetect
>>>>> CCMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
>>>>> cwubildr.mbr="Ubuntu"
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ah......im thinking
>>>>>
>>>>> I don;t know what happens at startup.
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyway partion 2 is c: I think and 1 is d:
>>>>> When I list then in disk management they are show as d: then c :
>>>>> in the bottom rigt panel
>>>> Pulling a tooth from an angry lion would be easier than obtaining
>>>> information from you... one more try:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 1- How many physical hard disks do you have in the computer?
>>>>
>>>> 2- How many partitions do you have on each hard disk?
>>>>
>>>> 3- Please post the results of the SET SYSTEM command.
>>>>
>>>> Also, you are posting different variations of the boot.ini file, Windows
>>>> only uses one boot.ini file. When you run the SET SYSTEM command it
>>>> will return a line telling you:
>>>>
>>>> SystemDrive=?:
>>>>
>>>> (? will be C or D ...or ...) the correct boot.ini file will be in the
>>>> root of the specified SystemDrive, for example C or D . Please post
>>>> the contents of the correct boot.ini file.
>>>>
>>>> John
>>>
>>> two phyisical drives
>>> one has partitios d: and c:
>>> other is f: one parition f:
>>>
>>> There is an ini on both c: and d: as posted, they are different.
>>>
>>> ALLUSERSPROFILE=CDocuments and Settings\All Users
>>> APPDATA=CDocuments and Settings\HP_Owner\Application Data
>>> CLASSPATH=.;CProgram Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\lib\ext\QTJava.zip
>>> CLIENTNAME=Console
>>> CommonProgramFiles=CProgram Files\Common Files
>>> COMPUTERNAME=ZAX
>>> ComSpec=CWINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe
>>> DJGPP=cdjgpp\djgpp.env
>>> FP_NO_HOST_CHECK=NO
>>> HOMEDRIVE=C:
>>> HOMEPATH=\Documents and Settings\HP_Owner
>>> LOGONSERVER=\\ZAX
>>> NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS=1
>>> OS=Windows_NT
>>> Path=CWINDOWS\system32;CWINDOWS;CWINDOWS\System32\Wbem;cPython22;CProgram
>>> Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel;CProgram
>>> Files\QuickTime\QTSystem\;CMinGW\bin;
>>> PATHEXT=.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH
>>> PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE=x86
>>> PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER=x86 Family 15 Model 47 Stepping 2, AuthenticAMD
>>> PROCESSOR_LEVEL=15
>>> PROCESSOR_REVISION=2f02
>>> ProgramFiles=CProgram Files
>>> PROMPT=$P$G
>>> QTJAVA=CProgram Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\lib\ext\QTJava.zip
>>> SAN_DIR=CProgram Files\SiSoftware\SiSoftware Sandra Lite XII.SP2c
>>> SESSIONNAME=Console
>>> SonicCentral=cProgram Files\Common Files\Sonic Shared\Sonic Central\
>>> SystemDrive=C:
>>> SystemRoot=CWINDOWS
>>> TEMP=CDOCUME~1\HP_Owner\LOCALS~1\Temp
>>> TMP=CDOCUME~1\HP_Owner\LOCALS~1\Temp
>>> USERDOMAIN=ZAX
>>> USERNAME=HP_Owner
>>> USERPROFILE=CDocuments and Settings\HP_Owner
>>> windir=CWINDOWS
>>> __COMPAT_LAYERisableNXShowUI
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> c:boot.ini[boot loader]
>>> timeout=15
>>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
>>> [operating systems]
>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
>>> Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>>> CCMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
>>> cwubildr.mbr="Ubuntu"
>> Do you get a brief error message telling you that the boot.ini file is
>> invalid when you boot Windows? Modify your cboot.ini file as such (to
>> avoid errors you can copy and paste):
>
>
> No I never get any errors on a normal boot, none whatsoever.
> The only time I have had error is when I try to do a recovery, there
> seems to be two paths to recovery.
>
> The only time I have ever got an error is when I have selected option 2 for
> recovery, but 'bottled out' and decided to boot normally, this brings back
> the
> boot menu IIRC, and IIRC when I press 1 for a normal boot I get the hal.dll
> error. That's the only time I get it on a normal boot.
>
> I suspect doing it that way may cause it to look on drive d: for hal.dll
> and it won't find it there, as it has no windows folder on it.
>
> I don't recall an error message about boot.ini at all, although there is
> a small possibilty I might have missed it but I doubt it.
>
>> timeout=15
>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>> [operating systems]
>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Partion 1 Microsoft Windows
>> XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Partition 2 Microsoft Windows
>> XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Phoney Baloney Operating
>> System" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>> CCMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons
>> cwubildr.mbr="Ubuntu"
>>
>> The changes above are obvious enough, when you boot the computer you will
>> see the "Phoney Baloney Operating System" in the boot menu, this will
>> confirm that you are indeed using the boot.ini file on C: Try booting the
>> "Partition 1 Microsoft..." and the "Partition 2 Microsoft..." and see what
>> happens. Also try booting the Recovery Console. After you confirm the
>> proper Windows boot partition we can modify the boot.ini file again and
>> remove the invalid entries.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Note it seems c: is partition 2
>> I don't think so, I think that it is partition 1 and that you get the
>> error when you boot the Command Console because the boot.ini file on C:
>> points to the wrong partition.
>
>
> I don't get that error, at least not all the time, I have booted into the
> Command Console before it must be the right partition I would imagine.
> Also the way it is listed in disk management suggests partition 1 is d:
>
> When I google images of "disk management"
> http://images.google.co.uk/images?u...isch:1&q=disk+management&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=18
>
> I can see mine is different, d: comes before c:
>
>
>
>> Do you see C: as partition 2 in the Disk Management Tool? To open the
>> Disk Management tool enter diskmgmt.msc in the Start Menu Run box. You
>> can also verify this at the Command Prompt with the Diskpart utility.
>
> Disk part confirms partition 2 is 69GB, and that's the size of C:
> It says partion 1 is 6164MB which is the smaller recovery partition d:
>
>
> SO I think that's established what partion is what, thus partion 2 is c:
>
>>> I am not syre if the d:boot.ini is ever used, there is no windows
>>> directory on d:
>>> there is I386 though, all the folders are locked
>> The SystemDrive=C: above tells us that the cboot.ini file is the one
>> used to boot the system, I don't know why you have this boot.ini file on
>> D... But I think that it does have the correct ARC path and that the one
>> on C: has an improper path, try the modified boot.ini file and then report
>> your findings.
>>
>> John
>
> Well I may change those ini files on c: presumably between the quotes
> is just a comment, so I can change without fear of damage?
Yes, the stuff "between the quotes" is just descriptive text for human
eyes, it's what you see on the boot menu when the computer boots, you
can put anything you want there.
> I will just stick a part 1 in or whatever so I can see what is what.
Don't put just a single path in the test boot.ini file, an all purpose
boot.ini file includes all the possible paths, you can clean it up after
you do the tests. This boot.ini file will allow you to boot from two
different partitions on two hard disks, it's a pretty safe bet that one
of these options will boot your Windows installation:
=========================================================
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP HD0 Part1" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="XP HD0 Part2" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP HD1 Part1" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="XP HD1 Part2" /fastdetect
CCMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Recovery Console" /cmdcons
========================================================================
> I am reluctant to do anything more yet because I am worried I might
> not be able to boot up at all?
With the above all purpose boot.ini file it's a pretty sure bet that one
of the options will boot the Windows installation.
> What if I make changes and it won't boot?
>
> How do I change the boot.ini then?
With the Recovery Console and the bootcfg utility:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291980
A discussion about the Bootcfg command and its uses
> I need to know that really.
If your computer has a floppy drive you can also make an "NT floppy boot
diskette" and in a pinch use it to boot the Windows installation:
1- Format the floppy with a Windows NT/2000/XP operating system. (It
won't work if the floppy was formatted with a Windows 9x installation).
2 Copy the following files from the root of the System partition (C )
to the floppy diskette:
boot.ini
NTDETECT.COM
ntldr
Boot the computer with the floppy diskette and see if you can boot the
Windows installation.
John
> "John John - MVP" <audetweld@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
> news
GcvyI11KHA.5880@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...>> Colin Trunt wrote:
>>> "John John - MVP" <audetweld@nbnot.nb.ca> wrote in message
>>> news
8Y2qNz1KHA.4724@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...>>>> Colin Trunt wrote:
>>>>> "John John - MVP" <audetweld@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote in message
>>>>> news:e%23YfUgy1KHA.3744@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>>>>> Colin Trunt wrote:
>>>>>>> "Colin Trunt" <colin@trunt.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:xflvn.2326$LS2.1843@newsfe13.ams2...
>>>>>>>> "John John - MVP" <audetweld@nbnot.nb.ca> wrote in message
>>>>>>>> news
88cbNx1KHA.6104@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...>>>>>>>>> Colin Trunt wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I can boot either normally or to recovery as llong as I don't
>>>>>>>>>> mess about to much and do it directly.
>>>>>>>>> What exactly does that mean? Mess about with what and what do you
>>>>>>>>> mean by "do it directly"? If the Recovery Console is installed you
>>>>>>>>> get a boot menu when you boot the computer and you select to boot
>>>>>>>>> the Recovery Console or the Windows installation, what is there to
>>>>>>>>> mess about with there and what is there to do directly other than
>>>>>>>>> selecting which option to boot?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> How many hard disks do you have and how many partitions do you have
>>>>>>>>> on these hard disks? Where is the Windows installation and where
>>>>>>>>> is the Command Console installed? To avoid confusion please don't
>>>>>>>>> use the term "drive" when answering, use the terms "Hard Disk" and
>>>>>>>>> "Partition".
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> John
>>>>>>>> First I get a screen which says hit f10 for recovery, then it goes
>>>>>>>> to a choice
>>>>>>>> 1)windows
>>>>>>>> 2)recovey
>>>>>>>> 3)ubuntu
>>>>>>> my boot.ini
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> [boot loader]
>>>>>>> timeout=15
>>>>>>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
>>>>>>> [operating systems]
>>>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>>>>>>> Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>>>>>>> C
CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons>>>>>>> c
wubildr.mbr="Ubuntu">>>>>> Comes back to the question of how many hard disks and partitions do
>>>>>> you have and where exactly is Windows installed. Also, where is this
>>>>>> boot.ini file located? (on which hard disk and on which partition?)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Also need the results of the set system command.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The problem is most likely due to an incorrect ARC path in the
>>>>>> boot.ini file.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> John
>>>>> This is the boot.ini on drive d: (recovery drive)
>>>>>
>>>>> [boot loader]
>>>>> timeout=15
>>>>> default=C
CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT>>>>> [operating systems]
>>>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
>>>>> Professional" /fastdetect
>>>>> C
CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons>>>>> c
wubildr.mbr="Ubuntu">>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ah......im thinking
>>>>>
>>>>> I don;t know what happens at startup.
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyway partion 2 is c: I think and 1 is d:
>>>>> When I list then in disk management they are show as d: then c :
>>>>> in the bottom rigt panel
>>>> Pulling a tooth from an angry lion would be easier than obtaining
>>>> information from you... one more try:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 1- How many physical hard disks do you have in the computer?
>>>>
>>>> 2- How many partitions do you have on each hard disk?
>>>>
>>>> 3- Please post the results of the SET SYSTEM command.
>>>>
>>>> Also, you are posting different variations of the boot.ini file, Windows
>>>> only uses one boot.ini file. When you run the SET SYSTEM command it
>>>> will return a line telling you:
>>>>
>>>> SystemDrive=?:
>>>>
>>>> (? will be C or D ...or ...) the correct boot.ini file will be in the
>>>> root of the specified SystemDrive, for example C
or D . Please post>>>> the contents of the correct boot.ini file.
>>>>
>>>> John
>>>
>>> two phyisical drives
>>> one has partitios d: and c:
>>> other is f: one parition f:
>>>
>>> There is an ini on both c: and d: as posted, they are different.
>>>
>>> ALLUSERSPROFILE=C
Documents and Settings\All Users>>> APPDATA=C
Documents and Settings\HP_Owner\Application Data>>> CLASSPATH=.;C
Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\lib\ext\QTJava.zip>>> CLIENTNAME=Console
>>> CommonProgramFiles=C
Program Files\Common Files>>> COMPUTERNAME=ZAX
>>> ComSpec=C
WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe>>> DJGPP=c
djgpp\djgpp.env>>> FP_NO_HOST_CHECK=NO
>>> HOMEDRIVE=C:
>>> HOMEPATH=\Documents and Settings\HP_Owner
>>> LOGONSERVER=\\ZAX
>>> NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS=1
>>> OS=Windows_NT
>>> Path=C
WINDOWS\system32;CWINDOWS;CWINDOWS\System32\Wbem;cPython22;CProgram>>> Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel;C
Program>>> Files\QuickTime\QTSystem\;C
MinGW\bin;>>> PATHEXT=.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH
>>> PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE=x86
>>> PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER=x86 Family 15 Model 47 Stepping 2, AuthenticAMD
>>> PROCESSOR_LEVEL=15
>>> PROCESSOR_REVISION=2f02
>>> ProgramFiles=C
Program Files>>> PROMPT=$P$G
>>> QTJAVA=C
Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_06\lib\ext\QTJava.zip>>> SAN_DIR=C
Program Files\SiSoftware\SiSoftware Sandra Lite XII.SP2c>>> SESSIONNAME=Console
>>> SonicCentral=c
Program Files\Common Files\Sonic Shared\Sonic Central\>>> SystemDrive=C:
>>> SystemRoot=C
WINDOWS>>> TEMP=C
DOCUME~1\HP_Owner\LOCALS~1\Temp>>> TMP=C
DOCUME~1\HP_Owner\LOCALS~1\Temp>>> USERDOMAIN=ZAX
>>> USERNAME=HP_Owner
>>> USERPROFILE=C
Documents and Settings\HP_Owner>>> windir=C
WINDOWS>>> __COMPAT_LAYER
isableNXShowUI>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> c:boot.ini[boot loader]
>>> timeout=15
>>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
>>> [operating systems]
>>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
>>> Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>>> C
CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons>>> c
wubildr.mbr="Ubuntu">> Do you get a brief error message telling you that the boot.ini file is
>> invalid when you boot Windows? Modify your c
boot.ini file as such (to>> avoid errors you can copy and paste):
>
>
> No I never get any errors on a normal boot, none whatsoever.
> The only time I have had error is when I try to do a recovery, there
> seems to be two paths to recovery.
>
> The only time I have ever got an error is when I have selected option 2 for
> recovery, but 'bottled out' and decided to boot normally, this brings back
> the
> boot menu IIRC, and IIRC when I press 1 for a normal boot I get the hal.dll
> error. That's the only time I get it on a normal boot.
>
> I suspect doing it that way may cause it to look on drive d: for hal.dll
> and it won't find it there, as it has no windows folder on it.
>
> I don't recall an error message about boot.ini at all, although there is
> a small possibilty I might have missed it but I doubt it.
>
>> timeout=15
>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
>> [operating systems]
>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Partion 1 Microsoft Windows
>> XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Partition 2 Microsoft Windows
>> XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Phoney Baloney Operating
>> System" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>> C
CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons>> c
wubildr.mbr="Ubuntu">>
>> The changes above are obvious enough, when you boot the computer you will
>> see the "Phoney Baloney Operating System" in the boot menu, this will
>> confirm that you are indeed using the boot.ini file on C: Try booting the
>> "Partition 1 Microsoft..." and the "Partition 2 Microsoft..." and see what
>> happens. Also try booting the Recovery Console. After you confirm the
>> proper Windows boot partition we can modify the boot.ini file again and
>> remove the invalid entries.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Note it seems c: is partition 2
>> I don't think so, I think that it is partition 1 and that you get the
>> error when you boot the Command Console because the boot.ini file on C:
>> points to the wrong partition.
>
>
> I don't get that error, at least not all the time, I have booted into the
> Command Console before it must be the right partition I would imagine.
> Also the way it is listed in disk management suggests partition 1 is d:
>
> When I google images of "disk management"
> http://images.google.co.uk/images?u...isch:1&q=disk+management&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=18
>
> I can see mine is different, d: comes before c:
>
>
>
>> Do you see C: as partition 2 in the Disk Management Tool? To open the
>> Disk Management tool enter diskmgmt.msc in the Start Menu Run box. You
>> can also verify this at the Command Prompt with the Diskpart utility.
>
> Disk part confirms partition 2 is 69GB, and that's the size of C:
> It says partion 1 is 6164MB which is the smaller recovery partition d:
>
>
> SO I think that's established what partion is what, thus partion 2 is c:
>
>>> I am not syre if the d:boot.ini is ever used, there is no windows
>>> directory on d:
>>> there is I386 though, all the folders are locked
>> The SystemDrive=C: above tells us that the c
boot.ini file is the one>> used to boot the system, I don't know why you have this boot.ini file on
>> D
... But I think that it does have the correct ARC path and that the one>> on C: has an improper path, try the modified boot.ini file and then report
>> your findings.
>>
>> John
>
> Well I may change those ini files on c: presumably between the quotes
> is just a comment, so I can change without fear of damage?
Yes, the stuff "between the quotes" is just descriptive text for human
eyes, it's what you see on the boot menu when the computer boots, you
can put anything you want there.
> I will just stick a part 1 in or whatever so I can see what is what.
Don't put just a single path in the test boot.ini file, an all purpose
boot.ini file includes all the possible paths, you can clean it up after
you do the tests. This boot.ini file will allow you to boot from two
different partitions on two hard disks, it's a pretty safe bet that one
of these options will boot your Windows installation:
=========================================================
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP HD0 Part1" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="XP HD0 Part2" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP HD1 Part1" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="XP HD1 Part2" /fastdetect
C
CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Recovery Console" /cmdcons========================================================================
> I am reluctant to do anything more yet because I am worried I might
> not be able to boot up at all?
With the above all purpose boot.ini file it's a pretty sure bet that one
of the options will boot the Windows installation.
> What if I make changes and it won't boot?
>
> How do I change the boot.ini then?
With the Recovery Console and the bootcfg utility:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291980
A discussion about the Bootcfg command and its uses
> I need to know that really.
If your computer has a floppy drive you can also make an "NT floppy boot
diskette" and in a pinch use it to boot the Windows installation:
1- Format the floppy with a Windows NT/2000/XP operating system. (It
won't work if the floppy was formatted with a Windows 9x installation).
2 Copy the following files from the root of the System partition (C
)to the floppy diskette:
boot.ini
NTDETECT.COM
ntldr
Boot the computer with the floppy diskette and see if you can boot the
Windows installation.
John