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Go from Dual Boot to Single Boot


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#1
jollyr

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Currently have computer set up to dual boot, either to Win98se or XPsp2. Win98 was installed first, on 20Gig, FAT32 formatted drive "C". Then installed XP on 80Gig, NTFS formatted drive "D". Do I have to wipe out both drives and do a clean install of XP if I want to get rid of the Win98 install? Would like to be able to use the extra 20Gig the Win98 is currently on.

Also have related question: Have upgraded hardware significantly over the years and have had to re-authenticate my XP installation with MS twice. I recall hearing somewhere that MS only allows 2 re-authentications before they require you to purchase another copy of XP??? Is this true?? The computer is an old one and the CPU can not handle Vista (nor do I really want it at this time)

Thanks in advance for your help.

JR
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#2
dsenette

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MS only allows 2 re-authentications

it's actually 5....and they don't require you to buy xp again after the 5....that is just the limit on how many times you can authorize XP automatically over the internet...after the 5th time you have to call the MS activation number and talk to a representative and tell them that you've had to format reinstall

to get rid of your dual boot....you should just have to format the 98 drive (they're two seperate physical drives right?) then remove the reference to 98 in the XP installs boot.ini file


while logged in to XP press start, then run, then type "notepad c:\boot.ini" (without the quotes) then paste the contents of the file that opens up with your next response
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#3
jollyr

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Yes, the OS's are on two separate physical (NOT virtual) drives.

Do not fully comprehend the C:\boot.ini part. Do I paste this to D:\. The C: drive is my primary drive. Forgive my ingnorance, but how will my computer "know" to boot from D:?

Thanks for your patience.

JR
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#4
dsenette

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hehe no you paste the contents of that into your next post so i can look at it and tell you what to do
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#5
jollyr

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OK. (Boy, do I feel obtuse!) :wave: :)

Contents of C:\boot.ini follow:

----------start-----------
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
C:\="Microsoft Windows 98"
----------end----------
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#6
dsenette

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there you go big guy! :)

after you format the 98 hard drive....you will want to open that text file back up and remove the following line
C:\="Microsoft Windows 98"
then save the file...that will remove the option to boot to 98
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#7
jollyr

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Looks easy enough. (even for me! :))

Does it matter that my drive controller card has the C: drive set as primary and D: as secondary?

Thanks!

JR
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#8
dsenette

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well....in your bios you'll want to change the primary boot device to be teh one with XP on it
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#9
Murray S.

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Howdy:

Just wanting to clarify something here, but the boot.ini file is on the primary drive which is c: drive.

If he edits it to boot to the d: Drive (WinXP) no problem, but if he formats the primary drive (c: drive), he also wipes out the boot.ini file which means he will have nothing.

Something tells me they will need to re-install XP to setup a new boot.ini file in c: drive. That being the case, they might as well just re-install XP to c: drive and transfer their docs, etc to the new install.

Murray
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#10
dsenette

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BAH!

you're right i wasn't following the drives around
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#11
The Skeptic

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Couldn't he just disconnect c: physically (take out the cables, leave D: connected) and restart the computer? I think that the BIOS, looking for an operating system, will find D and will boot from it. That's an easy experiment.
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#12
Murray S.

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Couldn't he just disconnect c: physically (take out the cables, leave D: connected) and restart the computer? I think that the BIOS, looking for an operating system, will find D and will boot from it. That's an easy experiment.


Not without a boot.ini file. He will simply get a "No operating system" error message.

The system doesn't just "add" a boot.ini file. It is installed during the setup proicess.

Murray
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#13
dsenette

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as a theory murray....(this is probably more than would need to be done)....with the 98 drive removed....and the xp drive set to the primary boot device...then running a bootcfg rebuild from RC?
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#14
Murray S.

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That may work. Even a fixboot /mbr may do the trick as long as they have an XP cd they can get into the Recovery Console with.

Murray
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#15
jollyr

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So... Even if I swap drives, set their jumpers, alter the BIOS and copy the edited boot.ini file to D, the PC won't boot? :wave:

JR

EDIT: Posted this before discussion was complete. Will wait to see how this shakes-out :)

Edited by jollyr, 21 September 2007 - 12:02 PM.

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