Re: XP reinstallation woes on Multiboot system

"Hawkeye23" <me@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:olap32hjn4gfi75g6t9o3iggqbn1m9q0vb@xxxxxxxxxx
On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 00:08:46 GMT,
"pmj" <post@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hawkeye23 Posted...

Some progress has been made in that we have got it to the
first restart stage but it restarts to the wrong place possibly
because of all this multiboot options stuff.Should we get rid
of it.

Yep, Boot up into your W98SE Installation & Edit the Boot.ini
to get rid of the Redundant Entries in it.
& also it would be a good idea to Delete the various Temporary
Installation Folders & Boot Files from the Hard Drive, so it can
start from fresh.
<snip>
OK but I need a bit more specific advice on what to edit or delete.
I'll tell you what's there now if you tell me what to do with it.OK?

I see taht Jeff Gaines has already Replied, with his Annotations
& Explanations of your Boot.ini File - there are plenty of References
on the Web to the exact Systax (& meaning of) the various bits of the
Boot.ini File.
It would be worth while making sure you are very clear about what to
alter & why.

Like Jeff Gaines said, if you screw it up, it can make things even
more involved - It's *essential* that you get the Syntax right - no
Typos or Editing Errors.

I'll add in my own (additional) Comments into this Reply.
Bear in minfd that the Boot.ini File you have at the moment contains
various References to the *Temporary* Setup/Install stuff, it will
change again (The Setup Routine will change it) when the Installation
is complete.

Firstly here is a transcript of Boot.ini

[Boot Loader]

Timeout=5

That is the number of Seconds that it waits for you to make a choice -
if you do nothing, it then (attempts to) Load what is specified in
the "Default=" Line below.

You can Set the Timeout to -1 & that gives an "Infinite" (i.e. no)
Timeout, so it waits forever, until you make a choice.

Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT>DAT

That should (*must*) Read "BOOTSECT.DAT" & not "BOOTSECT>DAT"
I realise that is just a Typo (you happened to Press the Shift Key),
but you do have to make sure that you have no Typos in the Boot.ini
File.

As Jeff Gaines said, that's actually the *Temporary* stuff, that
the WinXP Setup Routine has Set it to Boot into by Default, with
a Timeout of 5 Seconds, to continue the Installation.

It will be changed when the Installation is done to something like
below...

[Operating Systems]

I've split this next Line over 2 Lines, but in the File it *must*
all be on one Line...

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS=
"Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin/fastdetect

That's an "ARC Path" (ARC stands for Advanced RISC - Reduced
Instruction Set - Computing) to the (old) WinXP Installation.

There's some useful Info about ARC Paths here...
BOOT.INI and ARC Path Naming Conventions and Usage
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=102873

& some more Info about Boot.ini is available here...
http://labmice.techtarget.com/windows2000/install/bootini.htm

& the SysInternals Site has a very full Reference of all the various
Switches used in Boot.ini, have a look here...
http://sysinternals.com/ntw2k/info/bootini.shtml

Basically, you can put whatever you want inbetween the Quotes - that's
just the Text that shows up on the Boot Menu.

Then (if you need to include any Switches), they have to follow,
after a Space.

At the mo, that ARC Path is pointing to the *2nd* Physical Hard Disk -
rdisk(1)
the 1st Physical Hard Disk is rdisk(0) (Zero-based)
& it's pointing to the *2nd* Partition on that Disk -
partition(2)
the 1st Partition is partition(1) (*Not* Zero-based)

That (whole) Line is the one you no longer need, cos it's for the old
(previous) WinXP Installation.

C:\="Microsoft Windows"

That's the Line pointing to your W98SE Installation.

So make sure to leave that (& it might be an idea to Set the Default
to that as well?

Use the bit *before* the "="

C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Setup"

& that's the Line pointing to the *Temporary* Installation/Setup Files.

If you are going to Scrap it & try again, then just Delete that Line
(but make sure to also change the "Default=" Line as well, cos that's
what it's Set to try to Boot into at the mo.

And that's it.It has a time/date stamp of yesterday when I was
trying to install XP from H:\Winnt32.exe.

Yep, it will have.
It's also marked as ReadOnly, Hiddeen & System as well, so you will
have to change that, so as to be able to Edit it.

Can you tell me which lines I need to edit and to what.
Which lines do I need to delete and which to leave alone.

See above.
Post back if you still aren't sure about it, after having had a look
at the various References I have mentioned.

Basically, you should leave the Line...

C:\="Microsoft Windows"

as it is (or change it to something like...

C:\="Microsoft Windoze 98SE"

& Delete the Line that Refers to the old WinXP Installation...

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS=
"Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin/fastdetect

If you decide to Delete the Line referring to the (Failed?) Setup,
that is in the process of being done, then you must also change the
"Default=" Line to point to the W98 Installation.

If you don't, you will prolly have some fun & games sorting it all out!
:-)

I naively thought the whole File was created by XP

It is, as part of the very first WinXP Install that you did.
From then on, all the other WinXP Installs you do will just *Edit* it.

... and therefore if you wanted to start with a clean *** you would
delete the whole file.

Nope!!!
Definitely not!!!

The MBR (Master Boot Record), on the First Physical Hard Disk
has *also* been changed (by WinXP) & that now looks for (& expects
& needs to) find a (Valid) Boot.ini File.

...With your exceptional patience you will no doubt explain it
to me.

I've tried to, above!
:-)

I hope that what I have explained is clear, if not please Post back.

And I need to leave it at that for now as I have to go out this
morning.

I'll be back in here later, to see how things are going.

I will provide details of the other files and folders littered
about as a result of the various attempts to reinstall XP.
You are right there's quite a lot.Then you can tell me what to
delete.
I'll do that after I get back.

That will dpend on how you want to proceed.
If you want to Start from Fresh, then you can get shot of almost all
of them.
Post back with a Directory Listing of the Root of all the Partitions
on all the Hard Disk(s) - remember, we haven't actually seen your
System, so we are working "blind".

Do you want to have a Session in the "BikeSheds"? - Using M$ Netmeeting
(or VNC), so we can see what's what?

Continuing grateful thanks

I'm finding it all very interesting! (& Intriguing).
:-)

& I am (& I'm sure others as well are!) learning from your probs.
:-)

--
pmj


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