hooking bootstrap, etc

**gadluk** · June 24th, 2003, 01:44 PM

OK, upon startup I'll see the infamous bluish windows loading screen, then upon a black screen I'll see the hooking bootstrap... message. It'll then go to a page where I have to choose between OS's - XP or 98. I think someone tried to load XP on it and it failed but components were left behind. Is there any way to get rid of the XP remnants so these pages won't come up?

Gad

**meese** · June 24th, 2003, 03:42 PM

Can you give a little more info? If you select Win98 does it boot properly and run normally? Is there more than one hard drive in this system or is there one hard drive with two partitions on it? Do you know if this person was trying to dual boot or upgrade to XP from win98?

**gadluk** · June 24th, 2003, 03:53 PM

I just rebooted again so I can give you more-precise info.

The choices are: load xp op system or cancel xp op system.
I get 4 seconds to choose and it defaults to the first choice. When I choose to "cancel xp", 98 loads just fine and runs properly.

My feeling is that previous user wanted to upgrade 98 to xp and that it failed.

**ussenterprise** · June 24th, 2003, 03:58 PM

What happens when you try to load XP?

**meese** · June 24th, 2003, 04:06 PM

Is there a batch file that runs during startup? Locate the autoexec.bat file and the config.sys file on the C: drive. Right click each one and select EDIT. See if there are any lines in those files that would the system to boot the way it does. Also check and see if there is a boot.ini file in C:. If so open that file using notepad and see if there is anything in there.

**gadluk** · June 24th, 2003, 04:06 PM

xp fails and it cycles me back to the "2 choices" page

**EvilRick** · June 24th, 2003, 04:12 PM

Use a 98 bootdisk and do a "FDISK/MBR". This will rewrite the Master Boot Record.

You can then just reboot into Windows 98.

Once in, then delete the "boot.ini", "ntdetect.com", and "ntldr" from the "C:\" drive. You should never be bothered by it asking you to load XP.

**gadluk** · June 24th, 2003, 04:38 PM

I found this in the C drive boot.ini! HA! so what do I do with it?

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup"
C:\="Cancel Windows XP Setup"

**meese** · June 24th, 2003, 04:47 PM

Delete it. Windows 98 doesn't use boot.ini.

**gadluk** · June 24th, 2003, 04:48 PM

thanks Meese and all.

**meese** · June 24th, 2003, 04:54 PM

Did it work? You may still have to do what EvilRock posted. I'm not positive.

Well I've got to take my kids in the pool. Its the first nice couple of days on the east coast and they are driving me nuts. Doesn anyone make a water proof notebook'[

]

**gadluk** · June 27th, 2003, 12:42 PM

<sigh> deleted the .ini file and the pc would not boot up again. Reformatted and now am irritated about having to recustomize the whole dern thing. AND... I still get the bootstrap message! Isn't that a hoot!?! No OS choice page though.

Thanks again guys
Gad

**nodnerb2** · June 27th, 2003, 01:10 PM

Hi,

I had a similar thing with Win 2K and Win ME.

I was installing Win 2K on it's own Drive which was jumpered as Master and the Drive with ME was set as slave. Somehow during the setup process some Win 2K info got written to the slave drive. This means that even when the 2K Drive is on the shelf( these drives are on Caddies) I still get the option to start 2K or Windows ME.

If smeone can tell me how to get rid of this so the Drive with ME on it will just start straight up I would be very appreciative. It's my Daughters machine that I use for playing about with hence the removable drives. I would rather not reformat at this point as she has played a lot of games and saved the bits and pieces.

Cheers

Nodnerb2

**meese** · June 27th, 2003, 01:36 PM

Try this:

Boot the system with both the W2K and Me drives. W2K should be the active operating system. Right click My Computer and select Properties. Select the Advanced tab. Then click the Startup and Recovery button. Under Default Operating System see if you can choose between OS's, or try unchecking the Display List of Operating Systems check box.