HELP :Windows XP boot files messed up

Software and Dev Software & Tools
1

ohk..where do i start from ..i have 2 hard disks . one 80 gb and other 40 gb (both PATA) my 40 gb got faulty ..so i had to give it for replacement..and then load a new OS on the 80.GB

The 80 gb has following partitions :

C: windows XP (30 gb )

D : data (25 GB)

E: data 2 (20 gb)

**and two 8 mb UNALLOCATED partitions(god knows why 2 ? :confused: )

**Now the problem is when i go in disk management this is what i see..,

my system disk and boot disk are different where as it should be** C** for both system and boot.here’s a pic.also there are two boot.ini files in my PC one in C drive and one in E drive..though windows is in C it uses the boot.ini file of E drive :confused:

1)if i goto - system properties---->advanced---->startup and recovery---->

and then edit the boot.ini file this is what i see .**

this is the boot.ini file of E drive, and if i delete this boot.ini file windows refuses to boot giving some errors and then i need to replace the boot.ini file back in E to get it started again. (tried it)

**the second option in the boot.ini file is of tune up utilities as i have changed the XP bootscreen using tune up styler.so thats nothing to worry about.

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\Windows="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /TUTag=MKVM4U /Kernel=TUKernel.exe

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\Windows="Windows XP Professional (TuneUp Backup)" /fastdetect /TUTag=MKVM4U-BAK

2)

IF i type msconfig in run and then open the boot.ini file

the boot.ini file of C drive is opened.but this boot.ini file is not used by the system to boot, evne if i delete it windows boots properly…only if its deleted msconfig’s boot properties window hangs(freezes) when opened.

now what i dont understand is why there are two boot.ini files and why win xp uses the e drive’s boot.ini file to boot..is there anyway to make windows boot using C drives boot.ini file…and **make C both system and boot drive?

**As of now WIN XP boots properly using the e drives boot.ini file ..but infuture if i install another OS like Vista or LINUX(i intend to install PC linux 07) on e drive after formatting it will create problems so i want to fix this up..

if anyone has understood or has an idea what da problem is please help me out…

thanx in advance :face_with_tongue:

2

Go to msconfig->boot.ini tab->check all boot paths

3

Here is what has likely happened.

Xp always installs boot files to the active partition, So I think partition 3 was active even though you installed the OS to partition 1.. so xp put all boot files on partition 3.

Here is the fix.

Before you do this fix, I would suggest that you have a partition manager that will allow you to change the active partition easily in case you make a mistake.

Download g-parted and burn this iso to a disk as an image file… it is bootable

Go to the root of partition 3 and COPY boot files to partiton 1 (do not delete these files on partition 3 until you are sure this has been successfull, they will be a good back up if anything goes wrong)

These are the boot files

Autoexec.bat

boot.ini

bootmgr

config.sys

io.sys

msdos.sys

ntdetect.com

ntdlr

If you can’t see all of them you will have to unhide them

In Explorer

Tools>Folder Options>View

Check mark - Show Hidden files and folders

Uncheck - Hide preotected ooperating system files

uncheck - Hide extensions for known file types

Now edit the boot.ini you copied on PARTITION 1

change

\Windows="Windows XP Professional (TuneUp Backup)" /fastdetect /TUTag=MKVM4U-BAK

Now change partiton 1 to the active partition like this

Right click on “My Computer”

Left click on “Manage”

Left click on " Disk Management"

Right click on “Partiton 1”

Left click on “Mark Partiton as Active”

and reboot,

If all goes well you should be golden. If you make a mistake, boot into gparted and change the active partition back to 3 and reboot…

2 Likes
4

ohk than a lot will try it out once i have lots of free time and back up of some imp data.

thanx…

5

np :wink:

It looks like a lot more work than it is, shouldn’t take longer than about 15 mins. As long as you don’t delete boot files on partition 3, you will always be able to boot from it after making it active