windows startup

[Infiniti2004]

Is there a way for windows to start without asking which operating system to select?? Ever since I reinstalled it the last time , I get this annoying screen that never use to be there-- is it possible that there is more than one installation??

[redwudz]

If you didn't do a 'clean' install the OS may think there is another OS version there.

I always repartition and reformat before I reinstall the OS. If there is a copy of the OS on one of your drives, or at least something the OS thinks is bootable, you can have that problem.

Since you didn't fill out your computer profile, I have no idea what OS you are talking about, so that's about all I can tell you.

[Supreme2k]

Open My Computer (or Windows Explorer). Go to Tools>Folder Options. Click on the View tab and select "Show hidden files..." and un-check "hide extensions..." and "hide protected..."

Next, you should see a boot.ini file. right-click on it, select properties and uncheck hidden and read-only.

open it (double-clicking should open it in Notepad). The contents should look similar to this:

[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" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWSXP="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

Simply remove the second entry (the one that doesn't match the default boot option) like so:

[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" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

Then go to file>save, close Notepad, right-click on boot.ini, select properties and check hidden and read-only.
Open My Computer (or Windows Explorer). Go to Tools>Folder Options. Click on the View tab and select "Hide hidden files..." and check "hide extensions..." and "hide protected..."

Restart and it should go right into Windows without the boot selector.

[Infiniti2004]

Okay Supreme2k, I am following your instructions and here is what I see.

[Supreme2k]

Your file should look like this when done:

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

Then follow the steps that I provided.

[Infiniti2004]

Thanks very much for your help and patience. I edited the file to look like this last pic of yours and it got even more confusing with 3 different choices at startup. Anyway, I put it back to the original. Tell me if I wipe the drive clean and reinstall windows will it resolve this??

[Supreme2k]

You are doing something VERY wrong. Follow the steps exactly and it will work. It makes absolotely NO sense to go through all of that (reformat) simply for something that can be done with a text editor.
I've included the fixed boot.ini, so it should work. First, make sure the original boot.ini has read-only and hidden un-checked, overwrite it with this one, then re-check hidden and read-only.

boot.zip

[Infiniti2004]

First of I'd like to let you know how much I appreciate your time and effort :P Anyway, I've followed your steps , but here's a lil problem

[Supreme2k]

That doesn't matter as much as the read-only setting. The "Show hidden files..." setting will let you see it. You can still overwrite when you replace it with the fixed file.

[RabidDog]

TRy ... run.... msconfig.... go to the boot.ini tab

its all there

[Supreme2k]

That's so crazy, it just might work!

[stiltman]

or right click my computer/properties/advanced tab/startup

BUT I like editing the boot.ini after I changed it from read only the best...



this cat is skined

[Infiniti2004]

Sorry I haven't stopped by Anyway, I ended up deleting the partitions on my d drive (2nd drive) and everything is working fine now. Thanks for the help everyone