[rshaffer61]

What two windows is it showing?
Is one the Recovery Console?

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there shows no recovery console on windows start up

[cyneea]

there shows no recovery console on windows start up

[rshaffer61]

Ok then reopen the boot.ini file from earlier.
Copy the lines in you deleted and delete the other windows line.
Save and reboot. Does it work now?

[cyneea]

ok now my computer will not boot!!
It gets to the desktop and shuts off!! What can I do?

[rshaffer61]

OK lets try to fix everything at one time.

If you have your Windows XP disk

• Insert your Windows XP disk into your computer and reboot
• Make sure the PC is set to run from the CD as the primary boot device.
  NOTE: You do this by setting your PC to boot to the CD-ROM in BIOS (enter bios by pressing f1, f2 or del key during memory count up, then search for boot order, and set the CD as the first boot device)
• When the PC boots, it will boot from the CD...after the first several screens load, you will be given a choice to choose R for Recovery Console. You will be asked to log in.
  NOTE: For Windows XP Home, there is not password, just hit ENTER. For Windows XP pro, ask whomever set up the machine what password they used.

When you see the Recovery console C:\WINDOWS prompt continue to section 3 (Running "ChkDsk")

If you DO NOT have your Windows XP disk

• Download RC.ISO from Here.
• Now burn this ISO image to a CD and boot your computer with it.
  NOTE: Keep in mind that this is different than burning a file to a CD-ROM. If you do not know how to burn an ISO image, then download CDBurnerXP Pro to another Windows machine and install it. Then go Here for instructions for burning the ISO image
• Once the CD is created, place it in the defunct computer
• Then reboot your broken PC with that CD in the CD-ROM drive.
• Make sure the PC is set to run from the CD as the primary boot device.
  NOTE: You do this by setting your PC to boot to the CD-ROM in BIOS (enter bios by pressing f1, f2 or del key during memory count up, then search for boot order, and set the CD as the first boot device)
• When the PC boots, it will boot from the CD...after the first several screens load, you will be given a choice to choose R for Recovery Console. You will be asked to log in.
  NOTE: For Windows XP Home, there is not password, just hit ENTER. For Windows XP pro, ask whomever set up the machine what password they used.

Running "ChkDsk"

• At the Recovery console C:\WINDOWS prompt, type
  

  chkdsk /r

• Press ENTER
• Let this scan run UNINTERUPTED until completed (30 min or so depending on the drive)
• Report any errors in your next reply
• Once the scan is complete, Type exit, and then press ENTER to quit Recovery Console.
• Your computer will now restart, boot from the CD again and continue with the next steps.

Using "BootCfg /Rebuild" to fix the "Boot.ini" file

• At the Recovery console C:\WINDOWS prompt, type
  

  bootcfg /rebuild

• Press ENTER
  Note: The bootcfg /rebuild command scans the hard disks of the computer for Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP installations, and then displays the results. You can add the detected Windows installations.
• When you receive a message that is similar to the following message, press Y:
  

  
  Total Identified Windows Installs: 1
  
  [1] C:\Windows
  Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All)
  

  NOTE: You may see more than one entry here if you have a dual boot windows system. If this is the case follow this procedure for ALL installations to make sure that all OS's are added correctly
• You receive a message that is similar to the following message:
  

  Enter Load Identifier

  NOTE: This is the name of the operating system. This is either Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition.
• Type the name of your operating system, and then press ENTER
• You receive a message that is similar to the following:
  

  Enter OS Load options

• Type /fastdetect, and then press ENTER.
• Type exit, and then press ENTER to quit Recovery Console.
• Your computer will restart, and the updated boot list may appear when you receive the "Please select the operating system to start" message.
• If you see a Boot list with multiple entries choose the XP Home option to boot to windows.

[cyneea]

Sorry I took so long...busy weekend,
So I followed your last post and upon rebooting there were 4 options;
Windows XP
Windows XP
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Recovery Console

I chose the Microsoft Windows XP Professional to boot and that is the one with all my original settings, so far no booting/shut down issues. From this point how to I get rid upon start up the first 2 windows xp options?
BTW thanks for taking the time to help me

[rshaffer61]

You are welcome and hopefully now we can take a new look at the boot.ini

1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl and then click OK.
2. Click on the Advanced tab, and then click Settings
3. In the Startup and Recovery area at the bottom click Settings.
4. Under System Startup click Edit. This opens the Boot.ini file in Notepad ready for editing.
Copy and Paste the entire contents of the boot.ini into your next reply.
Then we will continue.

[cyneea]

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

[rshaffer61]

Backup the boot/ini by doing the following.
1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl and then click OK.
2. Click on the Advanced tab, and then click Settings
3. In the Startup and Recovery area at the bottom click Settings.
4. Under System Startup click Edit. This opens the Boot.ini file in Notepad ready for editing.
5. In Notepad, click File on the Menu bar, and then click Save As.
6. First in here change the location in the top white drop down box to Desktop. Then in the file name change to Boot.old and save as Text Document(*.txt) and save it to your Desktop and then click Save

Then repeat back to step 4 and in there remove the highlighted entries.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

Then change this line
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0

To this
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS


Save the file and then reboot. Everything should work fine. You should have a Windows choice and a Recovery Console choice now.

[cyneea]

ha i feel like a retard...
sorry
so just before i do this i should change;
boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

to this?

boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0
[operating systems]
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

[rshaffer61]

Actually it should be the following if you dont want the recovery console option either....


[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

[rshaffer61]

This is a typical boot loader for windows. This should allow your system to work correctly. Again please make sure you have backed up your boot.ini before making any changes.

[cyneea]

ok I backed up, changed and now I'm gonna reload and I'll let you know what happens....fingers crossed

[cyneea]

it worked!!
you are amazing!
i guess this is where we part, thanks again for everything
before we drift off into cyber space 2 quick questions
can I delete the oldboot.txt file on my desktop?? also c: has 2 windows one windows and the other windows.0
and lastly when trying to activate my windows firewall it says

windows firewall cannot be displayed because the associated service is not running.Do you want to start the windows firewall/ics service?
and i press yes
and it says i can't?? why?

[rshaffer61]

Try this..
Go to Start then to Run
Type firewall.cpl then click Enter.
Click on the Advanced tab and then click on the Restore Defaults button.
Click Yes to continue when you see this dialog
Restoring the default settings will delete all settings of Windows Firewall that you have made since Windows was installed. This may cause some programs to stop working.

Do you want to continue?
The Windows Firewall is now turned ON, and set to factory default state.
This should now start your firewall again..

This is not my instructions so I cannot take credit for it.

Please let me know how everything works then