Multiple OS Mayhem!

[144]

Hi ...

I just got a second-hand PC. (P IV 2.4 GHz- 256MB RAM- 40 GB hard with 2 Partitions of equal size C: & D: GeForce 2 MX 440 64MB AGP 4x card. ASUS DVD RW / CD RW - With a Samsung Combo too. )

Problem with PC is that when I got it, it had Windows XP pro (without SP 2 or SP 1) installed on D: which was faulty, and also C: has Win XP pro installed.

When I boot the pc it prompts me to select the OS.

1. Microsoft Windows XP Professional
2. Microsoft Windows XP Professional
3. Unknows OS on C:

I want to know how I can get rid of this prompting window. I want to set C:/ windows XP as the default OS and clean up the rest.

I want to get rid of the Win XP on D: as cleanly as Possible.
Find the nature of this Mysterious OS on C:
Get rid of the Prompting part...

I don't want to formatt too much,... right now..

Thanks in Advance

[bharathbala2003]

get the win xp cd.. then change the boot sequence to CD.. and when it leads u to setup screen del the existing os's and format the drives after that jus do a fresh install in C:..

[144]

Is there anyway to do it without formatting and installing a fresh copy of windows?

[bharathbala2003]

well if there is no way u can clear the space.. unless u format.. but u can edit the options when u start the computer.. where it says u to select which OS u want..

To view and edit the Boot.ini file:
1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
-or-
In Control Panel, start the Performance and Maintenance tool, and then click System.
2. On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
3. Under System Startup, click Edit.

mind u these steps r for WIN XP PRO.. so once u open the boot.ini u can edit the lines there.. say

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Bala' s Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
C:\="Microsoft Windows"


so there erase the OS u dont wanna appear.. simple.. but better to format..

[cg84]

ok, open boot.ini as bharatbala said.

now do all this only if ur OS in C: works properly. u'll see two entries like:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
this one's the XP in ur C:.

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
this one's in ur D: Remove this line.

below these two would be the line with the unknown OS. remove that line too.

also, to keep that screen from popping up. set timeout=0.

and if u want to get rid of winxp in D:, the best soln is of course to format the D: which is actually not a big problem as u already hv XP installed on C:. just backup all ur important data from D: and do the following:
open My Computer. right click on D:, select Format...
set ur options(like file system, etc), start the formatting and u r done.

hope that helps...

[144]

Thanks alot guys. It helped alot.