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#1
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Dual boot w/2 xp's on 2 hdd's
I have a dual boot/dual hdd pc. Was running XP home on one hdd, win2k
on the other. Now it is running 2 installations of XP home, one on each hdd. In the past, I have simply edited boot.ini to adjust which os is the default, how long it leaves the selection os menu up at boot, etc, but after replacing win2k with the 2nd xp, boot.ini is nowhere to be found (booting now does the new installation as default, which I don't want, and only allows about 2 seconds for me to select the other installation, a tad fast... ). How/where do I adjust the boot settings now that I'm running 2 xp's? TIA Dan |
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#2
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Hi Dan, There are a few different ways to access and edit the boot.ini file in XP. Probably the easiest method to adjust the boot settings is via msconfigBoot.ini tab. If you want to change the default, click on the reference to the installation that you want to set as default and then click on the Set as Default button. To change the Timeout setting, in the Timeout field (under the Move Down button), change the number of seconds to whatever is your preference. Click on Apply, then OK. You must restart for the settings to take effect. Regards, -- Patti MacLeod Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User "Dan" "prograde49 NO SPAMMIN wrote in message ... I have a dual boot/dual hdd pc. Was running XP home on one hdd, win2k on the other. Now it is running 2 installations of XP home, one on each hdd. In the past, I have simply edited boot.ini to adjust which os is the default, how long it leaves the selection os menu up at boot, etc, but after replacing win2k with the 2nd xp, boot.ini is nowhere to be found (booting now does the new installation as default, which I don't want, and only allows about 2 seconds for me to select the other installation, a tad fast... ). How/where do I adjust the boot settings now that I'm running 2 xp's? TIA Dan |
#3
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Hi, Dan.
As Patti M. says, there are MANY ways to do this. Perhaps even easier than using msconfig.exe, as she suggests, is System Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery / Settings. The top part of this window is designed for exactly what you are trying to do, including an Edit button that automatically opens C:\boot.ini in Notepad for you. Note that, no matter how many Boot.ini files you may have scattered around your computer, the only one that matters is the one in C:\, the Root of the System Partition. I have several versions of the file that I copy to C:\boot.ini when I want to boot in a particular configuration. Boot.ini, as well as the other "system files" (C:\NTLDR and C:\NTDETECT.COM), are normally Hidden, System and Read-only files, so you won't see them unless you've dealt with those Attributes in one way or another. In Folder Options | View, you can check the boxes to show these files. As you probably know, no matter where each copy of Windows is installed is on your hard drives, the boot process always starts in the Active partition on the first HD, which is the System Partition (typically C and then branches to the boot folder of the operating system chosen by you or by default, which it finds by reading C:\boot.ini. RC -- R. C. White, CPA San Marcos, TX Microsoft Windows MVP "Dan" "prograde49 NO SPAMMIN wrote in message ... I have a dual boot/dual hdd pc. Was running XP home on one hdd, win2k on the other. Now it is running 2 installations of XP home, one on each hdd. In the past, I have simply edited boot.ini to adjust which os is the default, how long it leaves the selection os menu up at boot, etc, but after replacing win2k with the 2nd xp, boot.ini is nowhere to be found (booting now does the new installation as default, which I don't want, and only allows about 2 seconds for me to select the other installation, a tad fast... ). How/where do I adjust the boot settings now that I'm running 2 xp's? TIA Dan |
#4
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Thanks Patti. I've seen that before in msconfig on other machines, for
some reason that tab does not appear in the version I'm running, only system.ini & win.ini. I've tried searching for the file & it doesn't appear in the results, although I have "show hidden files" selected & "don't show protected system files" UNselected. I finally changed boot.ini via control panel/system/advanced/startup & recovery, from where I can also directly edit boot.ini in notepad as I always have in the past. I have 2 drives & 4 partitions, I could not remember where the file was located, now I see it listed in plain view when I go to the location in WE. I wonder why search fails to find the boot.ini file, & why my msconfig has no tab for it? Dan Patti MacLeod wrote: Hi Dan, There are a few different ways to access and edit the boot.ini file in XP. Probably the easiest method to adjust the boot settings is via msconfigBoot.ini tab. If you want to change the default, click on the reference to the installation that you want to set as default and then click on the Set as Default button. To change the Timeout setting, in the Timeout field (under the Move Down button), change the number of seconds to whatever is your preference. Click on Apply, then OK. You must restart for the settings to take effect. Regards, |
#5
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You're welcome, Dan :-)
I don't know the reason why you don't have the boot.ini tab on your installations of XP, although I'm glad that you knew of one of the alternate routes to edit boot.ini (I would have posted that one for you, but I thought the msconfig route would be easier g). The boot.ini file will only exist on the first system partition, so you won't find it on the root drive of the XP installation on the second HDD. For the Search utility to find boot.ini, you would first have to set your folder options to show hidden files and deselect the don't show protected system files. Regards, -- Patti MacLeod Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User "Dan" "prograde49 NO SPAMMIN wrote in message ... Thanks Patti. I've seen that before in msconfig on other machines, for some reason that tab does not appear in the version I'm running, only system.ini & win.ini. I've tried searching for the file & it doesn't appear in the results, although I have "show hidden files" selected & "don't show protected system files" UNselected. I finally changed boot.ini via control panel/system/advanced/startup & recovery, from where I can also directly edit boot.ini in notepad as I always have in the past. I have 2 drives & 4 partitions, I could not remember where the file was located, now I see it listed in plain view when I go to the location in WE. I wonder why search fails to find the boot.ini file, & why my msconfig has no tab for it? Dan Patti MacLeod wrote: Hi Dan, There are a few different ways to access and edit the boot.ini file in XP. Probably the easiest method to adjust the boot settings is via msconfigBoot.ini tab. If you want to change the default, click on the reference to the installation that you want to set as default and then click on the Set as Default button. To change the Timeout setting, in the Timeout field (under the Move Down button), change the number of seconds to whatever is your preference. Click on Apply, then OK. You must restart for the settings to take effect. Regards, |
#6
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Patti-That's what's weird, folder options ARE set that way. I've edited
it many times across various dual boot configs, never had trouble searching for it before... Patti MacLeod wrote: For the Search utility to find boot.ini, you would first have to set your folder options to show hidden files and deselect the don't show protected system files. Regards, |
#7
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When you do the SearchAll Files and Folders, in More advanced options, is
Search hidden files and folders selected? I know it's kind of a moot point now, since you've located and edited the file, but I'm just curious. Regards, -- Patti MacLeod Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User "Dan" "prograde49 NO SPAMMIN wrote in message ... Patti-That's what's weird, folder options ARE set that way. I've edited it many times across various dual boot configs, never had trouble searching for it before... Patti MacLeod wrote: For the Search utility to find boot.ini, you would first have to set your folder options to show hidden files and deselect the don't show protected system files. Regards, |
#8
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NO! Up until recently, I had been using win2k, which doesn't treat you
like an idiot as much as xp does, I assumed search worked the same way (you know, it SEARCHES?). I didn't even know that was an option (guess I should have looked, but I'm doing a SEARCH, for god's sake just SEARCH!!!). I guess it's protecting me (like the default of hiding such files) from doing something STUPID. Another thing that peeves me: "What kind of files are you looking for? Pictures, Music...", like the user is too dumb to know his butt from a file extension! I think when you load an os, you should have levels of expertise you can select with defaults set accordingly: Experienced, So-So, Numbskull... Thanks for the reply & opportunity to vent. BTW, do I have to TELL the damned thing EACH TIME to search hidden files, system folders, etc??? What a PITA! Dan Patti MacLeod wrote: When you do the SearchAll Files and Folders, in More advanced options, is Search hidden files and folders selected? I know it's kind of a moot point now, since you've located and edited the file, but I'm just curious. Regards, |
#9
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Set it once and forget it.
BTW: Start-run-c:\boot.ini [enter] also works. -- Walter Clayton Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. "Dan" "prograde49 NO SPAMMIN wrote in message ... NO! Up until recently, I had been using win2k, which doesn't treat you like an idiot as much as xp does, I assumed search worked the same way (you know, it SEARCHES?). I didn't even know that was an option (guess I should have looked, but I'm doing a SEARCH, for god's sake just SEARCH!!!). I guess it's protecting me (like the default of hiding such files) from doing something STUPID. Another thing that peeves me: "What kind of files are you looking for? Pictures, Music...", like the user is too dumb to know his butt from a file extension! I think when you load an os, you should have levels of expertise you can select with defaults set accordingly: Experienced, So-So, Numbskull... Thanks for the reply & opportunity to vent. BTW, do I have to TELL the damned thing EACH TIME to search hidden files, system folders, etc??? What a PITA! Dan Patti MacLeod wrote: When you do the SearchAll Files and Folders, in More advanced options, is Search hidden files and folders selected? I know it's kind of a moot point now, since you've located and edited the file, but I'm just curious. Regards, |
#10
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You're welcome :-)
Once you've set the option to Search hidden files and folders, that option remains enabled until you disable it. btw, I like your idea of defaults set according to the level of expertise that you choose.......perhaps that could be incorporated into "Set Program Access and Defaults". But then again, it may make it more difficult to assist someone in performing a function. For example, when you are explaining a navigation, what you have selected for default level of expertise may not match theirs, and certain navigations may then be quite different. Have a great weekend! Regards, -- Patti MacLeod Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User "Dan" "prograde49 NO SPAMMIN wrote in message ... NO! Up until recently, I had been using win2k, which doesn't treat you like an idiot as much as xp does, I assumed search worked the same way (you know, it SEARCHES?). I didn't even know that was an option (guess I should have looked, but I'm doing a SEARCH, for god's sake just SEARCH!!!). I guess it's protecting me (like the default of hiding such files) from doing something STUPID. Another thing that peeves me: "What kind of files are you looking for? Pictures, Music...", like the user is too dumb to know his butt from a file extension! I think when you load an os, you should have levels of expertise you can select with defaults set accordingly: Experienced, So-So, Numbskull... Thanks for the reply & opportunity to vent. BTW, do I have to TELL the damned thing EACH TIME to search hidden files, system folders, etc??? What a PITA! Dan Patti MacLeod wrote: When you do the SearchAll Files and Folders, in More advanced options, is Search hidden files and folders selected? I know it's kind of a moot point now, since you've located and edited the file, but I'm just curious. Regards, |
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