NT 4 and Win2k dual boot problem

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Helmut P. Einfalt - 17 Oct 2004 08:42 GMT

On my NT4 machine I installed Win2k to a different partition -- no
trouble so far except for one thing that bothers me:

However, the system always defaults to Win2000 upon boot, even if I've
edited Boot.ini (on the first active partition, where the boot loader
resides)as follows:

***

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT4=
"Windows NT Workstation, Version 4.0"

[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT4=
"Windows NT Workstation, Version 4.0"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WIN2000=
"Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT4=
"Windows NT Workstation, Version 4.0 [VGA-Modus]" /basevideo /sos
C:\="PC-DOS"

***

Upon startup, I always get the following entries:

"
Windows NT Workstation, Version 4.0
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Windows NT Workstation, Version 4.0 [VGA-Modus]
PC-DOS

Windows 2000 Professional (Standard)"

...and the system defaults to a non-existent (deleted) version of
Win2k...
This is the only instance of boot.ini on the whole system, so what did
I do wrong?

Not that it matters much, but it is a nuisance!

Helmut
--
All typos © My Knotty Fingers Ltd. Capacity Dept.

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Bjorn Landemoo - 18 Oct 2004 19:45 GMT

Helmut

Edit the default row to this:

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT4

The extra characters you keep in this row confuses Windows, so that it goes
back to a (hardcoded) multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

To play it safe, before you edit too much of your boot.ini, format a floppy
from within Win2000, and copy the files boot.ini, ntdetect.com and ntldr
from the root of your C: to the floppy. This floppy will boot your system.

Edit boot.ini on your floppy until it works as it should, and then
overwrite C:\boot.ini with A:\boot.ini.

Best regards

Bjorn

Signature

Bjorn Landemoo - mvp2@landemoo.com - http://landemoo.com/
Microsoft MVP (Windows Server - File System)

>On my NT4 machine I installed Win2k to a different partition -- no
>trouble so far except for one thing that bothers me:
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>
>Helmut

Reply to this Message

Helmut P. Einfalt - 19 Oct 2004 05:52 GMT

> The extra characters you keep in this row confuses Windows, so that
> it goes back to a (hardcoded)
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT

Thank you -- that was it!

I had copied the "NT4" line from the [Operating Systems] section to
the "default" line just to make sure not to add a typo....
Who would have thought that the "menu entry characters" would *not*
work while working in the [Operating Systems] section...

And yes, I do keep boot floppies for each installed OS on each machine
I run (BTW, what do the poor folks with the "hypermodern" machines
that come without a floppy drive do in case of emergencies?)

Thanks again

Helmut
--
All typos © My Knotty Fingers Ltd. Capacity Dept.

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