2 Windows XP Installed

dtp4life

Member
Apr 1, 2005
90
0
0
Hey, I have two different copies of windows XP installed on each of my 2 harddrives. I only need one harddrive to have windows XP enabled on it. How do i get rid of the other one? I tried to format by going to my computer and rightclicking the local disk and using Format but at the end of the process the message poped up that windows can not format this disk drive.

Any suggestions ? Thanks
 

SKORPI0

Lifer
Jan 18, 2000
18,466
2,399
136
My suggestion... maybe there are better.

1. Remove power supply to the drive you don't want to use.
2. Turn on system.
3. Look for "boot.ini" file in the drive where Windows XP is installed.
4. Mine looks like this.... Primary master.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[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" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
----------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Chances are yours are different. You'll have to edit the boot.ini file to something similiar to mine.

Good luck.
 

jkoon

Member
Apr 12, 2005
158
0
0
Yea sounds like you booted off of the drive that you were trying to format (thus unplugging the one you want is a good idea).

Anyways once you boot into xp with the drive you want to format unplugged edit the boot.ini file as SKORPI0 suggested, then you can plug up the old drive and just format it (or delete the various folders).