Is it possible to create a desktop shortcut that would dictate what OS boots up after you restart?

[pg22]

heh...I practicaly fit the whole damn question in the subject 😀

But seriously, I would like to have, say two shortcuts on my desktop, and when I double-click one of them, it would restart my machine like normal and boot into either Win98 or Win2K (depending on which shortcut I executed).

Thanks!

 

[BigToque]

I guess it might be possible to make 2 separate batch files that edited the boot.ini file, and then restarted the computer.

 

[pg22]

Anyone have the testicular fortitude to make one?

😀 😀

 

[BigToque]

My nuts are big enough 🙂, I just dont have a duel boot system. Win2k only.

 

[pg22]

LMAO! Doh! Mine aren't..I just wiped my system weeks ago =)

Anyone wanna help a cyber damsel in distress? 😉

 

[perry]

Simple way to swap using batch files. Have something like boot.98 and boot.2k as your two different boot.ini files.

In batch98.bat do something like
del c:\boot.ini
copy c:\boot.98 c:\boot.ini

In batch2k.bat do something like
del c:\boot.ini
copy c:\boot.98 c:\boot.ini

Pretty simple really. I'm not familiar with boot.ini's and what they'll look like and if swapping them will work. But that's the basic idea. Should at least get you started.

 

[SUOrangeman]

Somebody was sleepy. 🙂

In batch2k.bat do something like
del c:\boot.ini
copy c:\boot.2k c:\boot.ini

Also, you can choose the default OS from the My Computer->Properties tabs in Win2K.

-SUO

 

[GreenGhost]

It would be great if we could put an option in the Shutdown menu, like the old 'restart in DOS mode.'

. Shut down the computer
. Start Windows 98
. (Re)start Windows 2000
. Close all programs and logon as a different user

or something like that.

There are the System -> Startup/Shutdown options, so "all" we need is an utility that controls the OS loader.

 

[perry]

Yes, someone was. Thanks for catching the typo, SUOrangeman.

I used to be the king of batch files. I had 2 1k batch files that ran my BBS. Tossed mail, imported mail, did the nodediff, uploaded files to the file area, etc etc. Pretty cool actually. errorlevels, goto's, if exists, etc etc.

 

[Str8UpKiller]

"Anyone wanna help a cyber damsel in distress? "

And you've got balls? Ewww....

 

[pg22]

bite me Mike 😀

 

[superbaby]

Damn, these things don't exist? I would sure like to have one!

 

[Nitsuj]

Try this batch:
---------------------------------------
[/i]@echo off

if "%windir%" == "C:\WINDOWS" goto 98
if "%windir%" == "D:\WINNT" goto NT

:NT
ECHO Switching OS To Win98

DEL C:\BOOT.INI

ECHO [boot loader] > C:\BOOT.INI
ECHO timeout=8 >> C:\BOOT.INI
ECHO default=C:\ >> C:\BOOT.INI
ECHO [operating systems] >> C:\BOOT.INI
ECHO C:\="Windows 98 Second Edition" >> C:\BOOT.INI
ECHO multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Pro" /fastdetect >> C:\BOOT.INI

GOTO REBOOT

:98
ECHO Switching OS To Win2000

DEL C:\BOOT.INI

ECHO [boot loader] > C:\BOOT.INI
ECHO timeout=8 >> C:\BOOT.INI
ECHO default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT >> C:\BOOT.INI
ECHO [operating systems] >> C:\BOOT.INI
ECHO multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Pro" /fastdetect >> C:\BOOT.INI
ECHO C:\="Windows 98 Second Edition" >> C:\BOOT.INI

:reboot
ECHO Reboot now.[/i]
---------------------------------------
You can replace the last line with a commandline Reboot utility to auto reboot your system after running the batch. Also before runnig this batch you may want to alter it to match your system configuration.

http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0,10150,0-10001-103-0-2-7,00.html?tag=st.dl.10001_103_1.lst.lst&qt=REBOOT&
For some reboot tools.

Thanks, Nitsuj

 

[Mday]

??

 

[SUOrangeman]

With all that wonderful scripting, I hope you guys notice that you're only changing the default line in boot.ini. Is it really worth all that?

-SUO

 

[Nitsuj]

Even though the batch I posted looks complicated, it works very effectively. All I do is double click the batch, go grab a coke and when I come back, I'm now is the OS I want to be in. No editing the boot.ini by hand, no waiting for the boot menu to pick the OS I want. It just works.

Nit