[ARayT]

"Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect
"Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

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Ok...when you start the machine, you are offered those same choices. Do you remember which one starts? I would think it would be the bottom choice. Is this correct?

[wannabe1]

Ok...when you start the machine, you are offered those same choices. Do you remember which one starts? I would think it would be the bottom choice. Is this correct?

[ARayT]

When that screen comes up, both choices are listed exactly the same. I know from trying that one works and the other will not.

[wannabe1]

Is it the top one that starts or the bottom one? They should be in the same order even if the names are the same.

Maybe this will tell us. Do you have to download Service Pack 2 or is it on the cd?

[ARayT]

The top one starts. I did have service pack 2 loaded before this happened. I'll need to down load it, no cd.

[wannabe1]

That makes sense then...the NoExecute=OptIn is added by SP2. Let's give it a trial run just to be sure. Choose that operating system from the drop-down menu (the top one) and change the time to wait from 30 to 10. Apply the changes and reboot.

When you are offered the choice of which to start, do nothing. It should boot to the correct system after a 10 second delay. If it boots correctly, we'll stop the pause and it will boot straight up from then on.

[ARayT]

I restarted the computer and it did not start up w/ the correct one. I re-selected the second one, when I say the 2nd one, its the ones listed on the black screen during startup not the one listed under the startup and recovery screen. Both on the black screen are identically listed. It did time out w/ 10 seconds vs 30 seconds as before.

[wannabe1]

That's why I like a trial run. Let's do it again, this time let's select the other system as the default from the drop-down and "Apply" the change. Reboot and see if it starts up.

Edited by wannabe1, 16 November 2006 - 08:40 PM.

[ARayT]

This time it started up correctly after the 10 second time out.

[wannabe1]

Perfect. Back to the systems properties one more time. Just under the default operating system drop-down menu is a checkbox for the time to display the choices. Remove the tick from the box, Apply the change, and reboot. It should boot right up.

Ocassionally, I've had to change the time to wait to 0 before unticking the box. If your machine still offers the choice after unticking the box, go back and tick the box, change the time to wait to 0, and untick the box. Apply the changes and reboot.

[ARayT]

It booted up like a champ!! Thanks so much for your help. I'm sure everyone appreciates your time. One last question are my old files lost?
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Ray

Edited by ARayT, 16 November 2006 - 09:10 PM.

[wannabe1]

For all practical purposes, yes...the files are lost. That's why backing up is so important. Computers are machines...machines can break or be broken. There are data recovery programs available online that you can try running on the machine, but they have to be run from another drive so you'd have to put your HDD in another machine to use them properly. There are a couple reasonably priced ones ($70-$80) that work pretty well. Even then, after a format and install, the chances are high you won't get much off of it.

You are very welcome and you have a great Thanksgiving, too!