Win 2k thinks I am dual booting and makes me choose an OS at startup, help!

[ArmchairAthlete]

I am using Windows 2000 Professional, it is the only OS installed on my PC. But when I start up, before I get to my desktop, there is a screen (DOS looking) that asks me to select an operating system. The two choices are "Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" and "Microsoft Windows". It'll just boot into Win2k pro after 30 secs if I choose nothing, I never tried the "Microsoft Windows" option. It also says "press F8 for boot options" but that just has diffrent ways to boot like safe mode and doesn't get rid of this "OS selection screen".

Someone told me there is a file like "boot.ini" that is enabling dual boot, but I don't have one with that name. Maybe win2k Pro names it something else?

Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[QuantumFlux]

I have Windows XP Pro, but maybe this information will help you.

My boot.ini file in my C:\ directory. It's a hidden file so I have to have "Show hidden files and folders" selected to see it. I can do this from My Computer, Tools, Folder Options, View tab.

Here's my boot.ini file:
[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" /fastdetect

Even though the timeout is 30, I don't get an OS selection screen.

I hope this helps.

 

[TallBill]

or you can boot into the repair console, and do a fixmbr

 

[redbeard1]

Did you use win98 fdisk to set the partition up when you installed win2k?
This will fool win2k into thinking that there was a previous operating system. The boot.ini sets how that menu pops up, though I'm not sure which value it is. Try a search on google for 'editing the boot.ini' and see if you can find descriptions of what to do.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

Guys I can't find the file "boot.ini" on my harddrive. I used "START -> Search -> For files or folders...".

EDIT: also note I DO have show hidden files and folders on.

To partition the drive I used a software floppy that came with the hard drive. It is a Western Digital drive. The software was called "Data Lifeguard Tools".

 

[redbeard1]

The boot.ini is a hidden system file. You have to adjust the settings for your system to view or find such a file. I believe if you open 'my computer', across the top, one of the choices is 'tools'. Click to expand it and on the bottom it should say 'folder options', click on that. then in a tabs across the top will be 'view', click on that. You will have to check 'show hidden files and folders' and uncheck 'hide file extensions of known types', and 'hide protest operating system files'. Now you should see it in the root of c: drive.

Beware! If you make the wrong change, the system may not boot, and you would have to do a repair by booting from the cd. Not that hard, just inconvenient.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

Ok thank you redbeard, I changed all those options in "view". Now I can see it.

Here is what it says:


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
C:\ = "Microsoft Windows"


redbeard, or anyone else, what should I change so that I am no longer asked to select an OS? Should I change the timeout to like 0 or 1 so it just goes with Windows 2000 Pro?

 

[ViviTheMage]

yo dude you want help on this problem PM i had this EXACT poblem. very simple to fix.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

yo dude you want help on this problem PM i had this EXACT poblem. very simple to fix.

Ah, just tell me what to do here man! That way maybe someone searching the forum can find this solution without creating another topic.

 

[redbeard1]

Looking at my boot.ini on my server, which is dual boot capable. That last line seems to be the one triggering the menu option. So removing the line 'c:\=microsoft windows' would probably fix it. Or instead of removing it, just put a semi colon in front of it. The semi colon will rem or remark that statement to not be used by windows.

Example: ;c:\="microsoft windows"

Use notepad to edit this file. Wordpad or Word can add unwanted stuff that would screw the file up.

 

[ViviTheMage]

good call.here is what i did. if you had the same problem i had which was i had to choose to load windows 2000 or another version of windows 2000 or windwos 98 second edtion. those were my options when i booted. it said i had like 30 seconds until it would just go to windows 2000. i hated this so i asked my friend and he said all i gotta do is:

right click my computer > go to propeties > click the advanced tab up top > click startup and recovery > then all you gotta do is click the windows 2000 professionl in the little window that says what OS you want as your default, also declick display windows operating systems for X seconds. After all that you are set. restart and tell us how it goes for you. this should be your answer, good luck.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

Fixed. Thanks Vivi, that worked like a charm.

But on a similar note, after changing my network workgroup to be the same as the other networked PC in the house (so I could get some backup files off another PC thru the network) I ran into another little annoyance. There is now a logon screen (not in DOS, like a normal Windows window on a desktop). It has my name, ArmchairAthlete, and I remember not setting any password when I set the name before so I just have to click "ok". I want my PC to boot to my desktop without stupid logons so of course I need it to log in automatically like it was doing previously.

This should be another quick fix I suppose. So, how do I make it not display the login screen?

 

[ViviTheMage]

ooo i had that problem too. uhhh im sorry i cant remember how i fixed it. except that i reformated win2k again and set my password and username. if you want you should set you username to administrator so you can have access on all machines. Make that login on all the machines that you wil be useing. i just found it easier for my use. O i resume this is your first time running a win2k machine? if so then i ran into a problem : how to share files. I just added netbui to my NIC. If you have problems with WIN2k i can help. just pm me what they are. Your welcome on that last one too .