Re: Ping Grinder

Ret. wrote:
Re my post of yesterday regards removing a duplicated XP OS. You requested sight of the boot.ini file from my son's PC.

It is:


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect

Any advice as to how to remove the 'old' duplicated XP would be much
appreciated!

You need to figure out which one is the one you want to keep. Change the caption on one of those items, so that you can tell which one your picking from the boot menu. Boot *each* operating system and look around to identify the "good" one.

That one installed in "WINDOWS.0" look like it's probably the newcomer. Here is an example of your boot.ini with the caption changed:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0="Newcomer" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect

I would suggest manually editing your existing boot.ini over copying and pasting this text. The text in this message has some line breaks you won't want to introduce into boot.ini.

- - - - - - - - -

It's a little complicated that both copies of XP are on the same partition. Most of the install are in the respective WINDOWS and WINDOWS.0 folders, but there are a few files at the root of the partition.

boot.ini, for instance, but that one's not a problem because it really applies to both installations. Other files, like pagefile.sys, is the virtual memory scratch file and would be unique to each os install. That probably doesn't matter either, as it's likely re-created on startup.

If you can post a listing of the top of your c drive, that would be appreciated. Use the instructions on how to get boot.ini, but instead of "type boot.ini," use this command:

dir /o /as

- - - - - - - - -

I'll remind you of this before I recommend how to remove the extra os install, but I caution you that there is some risk in what you wish to attempt. If you have the means, you should backup the C drive so that it can be fully restored in case something goes wrong.

I do not foresee any difficulties, but we are monkeying with a running engine and it's possible to drop a crescent wrench into the cooling fan. I assume no liability for the operation.

.

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