"NT (default)" in boot loader

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David Trimboli - 14 Mar 2005 16:29 GMT

I followed the procedure in this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;243896
to create a dual-boot system for Windows NT 4 Workstation and Windows 98 SE.

Everything worked well until I installed Service Pack 6a on Windows NT.
When I rebooted, and on every boot since then, the boot loader's default
option is "NT (default)". The boot.ini file doesn't reflect this at all,
and fiddling with it, either directly or through the startup options in
the system properties sheet, has no effect. I've even tried booting to
the Windows NT setup disk and running a repair on the boot sector.

Any ideas what's happened here, and how to fix it?

David
Stardate 5200.9

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Dave Patrick - 15 Mar 2005 17:52 GMT

Hard to say without seeing the text of boot.ini

Probably missing the 'default=' line though. Should be as below.

Look for it in the root of the system partition (first primary active
partition)

Explorer|Tools|Folder Options|View, then radio button for "Show hidden files
and folders", then uncheck the box for "Hide protected operating system
files" to locate the files in the system partition.

----------------------------------
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT"
----------------------------------

Signature

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

|I followed the procedure in this article:
| http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;243896
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
| David
| Stardate 5200.9

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David Trimboli - 17 Mar 2005 16:36 GMT

> Hard to say without seeing the text of boot.ini
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT"
> ----------------------------------

As stated in my original post, this is an NT/98 dual-boot set up
according to the MS KnowledgeBase, so the instructions to view hidden
files isn't correct, but that's okay; I know how to get there.

Here is my boot.ini (ignore newsgroup-induced line breaks):

----------------------------------
[Boot Loader]
timeout=30
default=scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation
Version 4.00"

[Operating Systems]
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation Version
4.00"
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation Version
4.00 [VGA mode]" /basevideo /sos
C:\="Microsoft Windows 98"
----------------------------------

These are "scsi" rather than "multi" because the NT partition goes
beyond 2GB on the disk; the KnowledgeBase article I mentioned before
(243896) says this is expected.

C: (FAT16 500MB) is the boot drive (and pagefile drive for NT), D:
(FAT32 4.3GB) is the 98 drive, and F: (NTFS 4.7GB) is the NT drive.

Note that "NT (default)" didn't show up in the boot loader until I
installed Service Pack 6a for NT4.

David
Stardate 5209.1

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Dave Patrick - 18 Mar 2005 00:50 GMT

The default= line is invalid. Change it to;

[Boot Loader]
timeout=30
default=scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT
[Operating Systems]
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation Version
4.00"
scsi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation Version
4.00 [VGA mode]" /basevideo /sos
C:\="Microsoft Windows 98"

Signature

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

| > ----------------------------------
| > [boot loader]
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
| David
| Stardate 5209.1

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David Trimboli - 18 Mar 2005 18:56 GMT

> The default= line is invalid. Change it to;
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> 4.00 [VGA mode]" /basevideo /sos
> C:\="Microsoft Windows 98"

Hey, that's right! That did the trick. Thanks.

David
Stardate 5212.1

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Dave Patrick - 19 Mar 2005 04:59 GMT

Yepper.

Signature

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

| Hey, that's right! That did the trick. Thanks.
|
| David
| Stardate 5212.1

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