Re: Question refined re dual boot

Hi, Ron.

> Did this and now nothing works. Starts gets to a black
> screen and stops dead.

Define "did this". Nothing that I suggested would have had this result.
:>(

> Starts gets to a black
> screen and stops dead.

What do you see before the black screen? Do you see your computer's "splash
screen" or "counting the RAM" or whatever you usually see before Windows
starts loading? Do you get as far as the menu to choose WinXP? We need to
figure out whether the malfunction is caused by Windows, or by something in
your computer or BIOS before Windows even tries to start.

> Was there a check box in the first section that I should
> have checked/unchecked?

Do you mean in the Startup and Recovery Settings? There are a couple of
check boxes in the first section there, but neither of them should matter in
this case. The first says "Time to display list of operating systems", but
when there's only one option available (just WinXP after WinME is deleted
from C:\boot.ini), this delay time is ignored and the only option is booted
automatically. The second is for "Time to delay recovery options when
needed". I've left this box unchecked; I'm not sure of its effect, but I
doubt that it's part of your present problem.

But none of this would matter if your computer never gets to the point of
loading Windows, so we're back to the question: Exactly what do you see
BEFORE the black screen?

> System will not boot from XP CD to help me

This strengthens my suspicion that something in your hardware is the
culprit. Nothing that we've discussed should have affected this at all.

Now, back to the first question: What does "did this" mean? Tell us
exactly what you did. Did you set the Default to WinXP? Did you edit
C:\boot.ini? Did you delete C:\Windows? And did you convert C: to NTFS?
Can you paste a copy of your current C:\boot.ini into your next post?

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP

"ron day" <ron_2404@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:084c01c35da8$ebd3c8c0$a601280a@phx.gbl...

> Did this and now nothing works. Starts gets to a black
> screen and stops dead.
> Was there a check box in the first section that I should
> have checked/unchecked? If so how can I get at it without
> reloading everything.
> System will not boot from XP CD to help me
>
>

> >-----Original Message-----
> >Hi, Ron.
> >
> >It's an easy two-part process.
> >
> >1. To get rid of the WinME option on the boot menu: Go

> to System

> >Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery Settings.

> Be sure that WinXP

> >is selected as the Default, then click the Edit button.

> This will open

> >C:\boot.ini in Notepad so that you can edit that Hidden,

> System, Read-only

> >file. Delete the line that offers to start WinME. It's

> probably the bottom

> >line in the file, under [operating systems] and probably

> says something

> >like:
> >C:\="Microsoft Windows Millennium"
> >
> >2. Delete the WinME boot folder. Since your copy of

> WinME is on Drive C:,

> >it should be C:\Windows. (If you try to delete

> D:\Windows, WinXP should

> >refuse, because that would be like committing suicide.)

> This should remove

> >that folder, including all subdirectories and files,

> freeing up many

> >megabytes of disk space.
> >
> >That's it! Of course, you might as well go ahead and

> convert Drive C: to

> >NTFS now, but that's a different story. ;<)
> >
> >RC
> >
> >"Ron" <ron_2404@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >news:081201c35cd0$7cfa3070$a601280a@phx.gbl...

> >> I have Windows ME on drive C
> >> I did a clean instal of XP pro onto drive D
> >> Everything went beautifully
> >> Now I want to get rid of Windows ME and remove the dual
> >> booting feature.
> >> I have re-installed all software and upgraded where
> >> necessary for XP
> >> I have moved/copied all documents

Thanks for getting back.
On boot up I get the splash screen - it searches for a
boot sector then it goes black - no choices.
I've inserted my original Windows ME disc and I get the
choice of booting from Hard disk (which gives the black
screen) of from CD. It will work from the CD (DOS)

I've managed to read the boot.ini file and it says the
following:

[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]


There's nothing else.

>-----Original Message-----
>Hi, Ron.
>

>> Did this and now nothing works. Starts gets to a black
>> screen and stops dead.

>
>Define "did this". Nothing that I suggested would have

had this result.

>:>(
>

>> Starts gets to a black
>> screen and stops dead.

>
>What do you see before the black screen? Do you see your

computer's "splash

>screen" or "counting the RAM" or whatever you usually see

before Windows

>starts loading? Do you get as far as the menu to choose

WinXP? We need to

>figure out whether the malfunction is caused by Windows,

or by something in

>your computer or BIOS before Windows even tries to start.
>

>> Was there a check box in the first section that I should
>> have checked/unchecked?

>
>Do you mean in the Startup and Recovery Settings? There

are a couple of

>check boxes in the first section there, but neither of

them should matter in

>this case. The first says "Time to display list of

operating systems", but

>when there's only one option available (just WinXP after

WinME is deleted

>from C:\boot.ini), this delay time is ignored and the

only option is booted

>automatically. The second is for "Time to delay recovery

options when

>needed". I've left this box unchecked; I'm not sure of

its effect, but I

>doubt that it's part of your present problem.
>
>But none of this would matter if your computer never gets

to the point of

>loading Windows, so we're back to the question: Exactly

what do you see

>BEFORE the black screen?
>

>> System will not boot from XP CD to help me

>
>This strengthens my suspicion that something in your

hardware is the

>culprit. Nothing that we've discussed should have

affected this at all.

>
>Now, back to the first question: What does "did this"

mean? Tell us

>exactly what you did. Did you set the Default to WinXP?

Did you edit

>C:\boot.ini? Did you delete C:\Windows? And did you

convert C: to NTFS?

>Can you paste a copy of your current C:\boot.ini into

your next post?

>
>RC
>--
>R. C. White, CPA
>San Marcos, TX
>rc@corridor.net
>Microsoft Windows MVP
>
>"ron day" <ron_2404@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:084c01c35da8$ebd3c8c0$a601280a@phx.gbl...

>> Did this and now nothing works. Starts gets to a black
>> screen and stops dead.
>> Was there a check box in the first section that I should
>> have checked/unchecked? If so how can I get at it

without

>> reloading everything.
>> System will not boot from XP CD to help me
>>
>>

>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >Hi, Ron.
>> >
>> >It's an easy two-part process.
>> >
>> >1. To get rid of the WinME option on the boot menu:

Go

>> to System

>> >Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery Settings.

>> Be sure that WinXP

>> >is selected as the Default, then click the Edit button.

>> This will open

>> >C:\boot.ini in Notepad so that you can edit that

Hidden,

>> System, Read-only

>> >file. Delete the line that offers to start WinME.

It's

>> probably the bottom

>> >line in the file, under [operating systems] and

probably

>> says something

>> >like:
>> >C:\="Microsoft Windows Millennium"
>> >
>> >2. Delete the WinME boot folder. Since your copy of

>> WinME is on Drive C:,

>> >it should be C:\Windows. (If you try to delete

>> D:\Windows, WinXP should

>> >refuse, because that would be like committing suicide.)

>> This should remove

>> >that folder, including all subdirectories and files,

>> freeing up many

>> >megabytes of disk space.
>> >
>> >That's it! Of course, you might as well go ahead and

>> convert Drive C: to

>> >NTFS now, but that's a different story. ;<)
>> >
>> >RC
>> >
>> >"Ron" <ron_2404@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> >news:081201c35cd0$7cfa3070$a601280a@phx.gbl...
>> >> I have Windows ME on drive C
>> >> I did a clean instal of XP pro onto drive D
>> >> Everything went beautifully
>> >> Now I want to get rid of Windows ME and remove the

dual

>> >> booting feature.
>> >> I have re-installed all software and upgraded where
>> >> necessary for XP
>> >> I have moved/copied all documents

>
>
>.
>