[sean1234]

My computer was upgraded from win. 98 to win. xp. The copy was fine until we installed SP1 then it caused it to crash. I installed win. xp again and instaled SP1 again. It was fine until we got a fatal virus. I added a third copy of win. xp and this one is fine. I want to remove the other two versions of win. xp. How do I do this?
The only information that I've gotten was to go to ADD/REMOVE programs, select it and uninstall the ones that are screwed. I got another idea it is to back up all my wanted files to a disc and wipe my whole computer clean. The problem is I don't know how to do this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Hi,

Few questions.

1. Did you install XP ontop of each other or did you do a clean install each time you installed XP?
2. Where do you want to remove it from? Where do you see the older versions of the OS?
3. Do you see them when you boot up the PC? Like you have choices which OS to boot to?

If you can answer those questions, in as much detail with as much information you can give, it would help us help you.

B

Edited by Besttechie, 05 February 2005 - 11:02 PM.

[Besttechie]

Hi,

Few questions.

1. Did you install XP ontop of each other or did you do a clean install each time you installed XP?
2. Where do you want to remove it from? Where do you see the older versions of the OS?
3. Do you see them when you boot up the PC? Like you have choices which OS to boot to?

If you can answer those questions, in as much detail with as much information you can give, it would help us help you.

B

Edited by Besttechie, 05 February 2005 - 11:02 PM.

[sean1234]

When we added the newer version of XP we selected "install fresh" each time.

When I boot up my computer it gives me three options:

Windows Xp home edition
Windows Xp home edition
Windows Xp home edition

[Besttechie]

Ok, what we need to do is edit the boot.ini file. Once we edit it, it will no longer show the choices when you boot it will just simply boot you to the OS. So please, paste the contents of the boot.ini here and myself or someone will have you edit to remove the leftover entries. To show the boot.ini do this.

My Computer
Go into your C drive
Tools
Folder Options
View tab
Scroll down to 'Hide protected operating system files (recommened)
Untick that
Apply/Ok

Then you will see the boot.ini open that in notepad and copy and paste the contents here.

B

[sean1234]

I did what you said. I got confused about what you said so I just rebooted but the three options still came up.

[Besttechie]

Yes, they still came up, because we haven't edited the boot.ini file yet.

Please, copy and paste the contents of the boot.ini here and myself or someone will have you edit to remove the leftover entries. Make sure you open the boot.ini in Notepad, then you can copy the whole thing, and paste it here. Once we have it edited then it should boot directly to the OS and you won't have those leftover choices.

Sorry about that, didn't mean to confuse you.

B

Edited by Besttechie, 05 February 2005 - 11:36 PM.

[sean1234]

I dont understand anything about "boot.ini file" at all. Dont know what to do.

[Besttechie]

Ok, the boot.ini is what we have to edit in order to remove those 3 choices when you boot up. Once we remove the uneeded lines those three choices will be gone, and you will just boot directly into the OS.

Here lets try doing it this way.

First lets make a backup of it.

Save a Backup Copy of Boot.ini
1.Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
-or-
In Control Panel, start the Performance and Maintenance tool, and then click System.
2.On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
3.Under System Startup, click Edit. This opens the file in Notepad ready for editing.
4.In Notepad, click File on the Menu bar, and then click Save As.
5.Right click in an empty area of the Save As dialog box, point to New in the Context menu, and then click Folder.
6.Type a name for the new folder, for example temp, and then press the ENTER key to create the folder named temp.
7.Double-click the new folder named temp, and then click the Save button to save a backup copy of the Boot.ini file.

Now, to open it.

How to open the boot.ini
To view and edit the Boot.ini file:
1.Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
-or-
In Control Panel, start the Performance and Maintenance tool, and then click System.
2.On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
3.Under System Startup, click Edit.

Once, it's open copy all of it, then paste it here for myself or someone to look at to show you what to edit from it.

B

[sean1234]

I understand a little better now but where do I find boot.ini file? This would clear up things alot.

[Besttechie]

Hi,

Please follow the directions I posted just now, that will lead you to the boot.ini file.

B

[sean1234]

I got it. Here:

[bootloader]
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 Home Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS\DATA="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect

[Besttechie]

Hi,

Ok, remove these two lines, and save the boot.ini, then reboot. The choices should be gone, and you should just boot directly to the OS.

Remove these two lines from the boot.ini:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS\DATA="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect

Save it, reboot, that should do it.

B

[sean1234]

I did that and it loads a busted copy of windows xp. What do I do?

[sean1234]

A screen coming up says: "DO YOU WANT TO REGISTER WINDOWS NOW?"
I didnt click that.

Then it brings me back to the user login screen. This is a screwed up copy of XP.

I am in desperate need of help.

[Besttechie]

Hi,

Ok, would you happen to have another drive? What is the drive you are booting to? Is it C:\ D:\ ??

Try readding these lines again, save it, reboot.

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS\DATA="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect

B