How to get rid of Log On Choice? - Tech Support Forums

nodnerb2 · October 14th, 2003, 11:12 AM

Hi,

I have a PC that used to have Win 2k and Win ME on it on separate HDD's. The 2k HDD has been moved elsewhere and it now has Win 98SE and Win ME on separate Drives. When the machine is started up even if only the ME Drive is connected I get an option to start Win 2k or Windows. Sometimes it takes 3 or 4 attempts and three finger salutes to get past this screen.

How can I get rid of it with out doing a full format etc?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Nodnerb2

kendo · October 14th, 2003, 11:18 AM

you need to edit the boot.ini file

located on the c drive it is a hidden file so the attributes will have to be changed first

nodnerb2 · October 14th, 2003, 11:43 AM

Hi,

I have it set to show hidden files. When i do a search or try Boot.ini from the run command I get nothing.

Can someone direct me how to find this file please?

Cheers

Nodnerb2

**EvilRick** · October 14th, 2003, 11:45 AM

If it's NOT booting to NT/2K/XP, then use a 9X bootdisk and use 'FDISK/MBR'. This will rewrite the Master Boot Record.

Then, when back into Windows, delete the "boot.ini", "ntldr", and "ntdetect.com" file from your C:\. This will eliminate the prompt altogether. You don't need these three files if you're not using NT/2K/XP.

**EvilRick** · October 14th, 2003, 11:48 AM

How have you got the two OS's installed?

puk · October 14th, 2003, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nodnerb2
Hi,

I have it set to show hidden files. When i do a search or try Boot.ini from the run command I get nothing.

Can someone direct me how to find this file please?

Cheers

Nodnerb2

to be able to see the boot.ini file you have to uncheck "Hide protected operating system files" under Folder Option-->View

nodnerb2 · October 14th, 2003, 12:02 PM

Hi,

Thanks EvilRick you seem to be answering all my questions this week.

The two OS's are on different drives. The 98SE one has all the same crapola that my father who is in NZ has on his PC. When he has a question about something on the screen the easiest way is for me to reboot this machine with a change in boot sequence and run one close to his. I have tried PC anywhere for this sort of problem. It has two short falls one is that there seems to be a lot of noise on the phone line sometimes which makes connecting difficult and secondly as he only has 1 telephone line we have to communicate by Word Pad or similar so if it's something simple it's quicker to talk him through it.

I have set the Folder Options to show the Protected OS Files and still no joy. Maybe my problem is that I am looking for this file on a PC that has never had XP/2K/or NT on it!

I am just in the middle of replacing the case and tidying up the innards for the one that has this annoyance so I will post back after I get it going again with the result.

Cheers

Nodnerb2

**EvilRick** · October 14th, 2003, 12:18 PM

Try the 'FDISK/MBR' from a 9X bootdisk at least. That will get rid of the prompt altogether. The files being on your drive aren't going to hurt anything. They HAVE to be on there though. Look in the root of both drives, should be "C:\".

nodnerb2 · October 14th, 2003, 03:40 PM

Hi,

I started it with an ME Start Disk and then did fdisk/mbr. There was about 15 secs of FDD activity and then back to the A Prompt. I did Ctrl,Alt,Del to restart and ejected the Floppy. I got the same window so I stsrted it up found the 3 files and deleted them. Now I get an NTLDR is missing. Press any key to restart

Any ideas how to get around this one?

I was wondering if I could restart with the 98SE Drive and restore the NTLDR File and then edit the"Windows 2000 Professional"statement out of it?

Cheers

Nodnerb2

John Prophet · October 14th, 2003, 03:54 PM

ntldr is not a w98 file, it is a w2000/xp file.

ntldr = NT Loader.

Either way it is somehow still wanting to load w2k.

Not sure how to fix it but this will be a bump to put you back up top.

JP