multiple boot selections on xp startup

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olpallix

Posts: 7   +0
hi everyone
i have a seagte hard drive which gives me different boot choices and i cant seem to erase the ones that are now corrupt.
It gives me 3 choices:

1 windows xp
2 windows xp
3 windows media center

i know its because i installed those before and its has kept a reference to these old boot sectors. but i have since then reformated both partition in my single drive C: and D: and thought this might help go back to a single selection. only one selection works. and that is number 1?
how can i erase those 2 i dont need and dont work? is it in the bios memory?
cheers
al
 
You need to edit the Boot.ini file:

1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
-or-
Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then click OK.

2. On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.

3. Under System Startup, click Edit.

Copy and paste the information in that file into this thread, and we'll tell you what to edit out.
 
muchas gracias DonNagual!


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Media Center Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
 
Currently only option one is working correct?

Delete the 2nd and 3rd lines after [operating systems] using notepad. Save and reboot.

Let me know if this fixes you up! :)

PLEASE NOTE: Before editing the boot.ini file make sure you make a backup of it first on a floppy disk. Should any problems happen after you have edited the file you can then always copy the original boot ini file back to the C: drive.
 
Yeeeehaaa!
thanks it works.
but im confused, cause fully formatting my drive should have cured that problem ? any ideas why it doesnt erase that ini file?
cheers buddy
ol
 
When you format or delete a partition on your hard drive it doesn't wipe your Master Boot Record. It is not a part of the partitions on your system. It is in the first sector of the hard drive and unaffected by reformatting.

Glad it worked. Cheers.
 
Yes, there is a such thing as boot sector viruses. Your antivirus software (assuming it is a good one) will automatically be checking the boot sector for viruses there as well.

If you want to be sure you don't have one, you can run this online scanner:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
 
just find it strange that formatting in dos doesn't clear the boot sector? tried the housecall software and all is fine. cheers don!
 
format through dos doesn't do the whole HDD, best if you want the whole HDD cleaned out is to do a low level or 0'ed format. This will revert the HDD to near factory conditions, taking out all filesystems and partitions present on the target hdd..
 
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