Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin (
More info?)
As long as the file system isn't corrupt, you can edit BOOT.INI in Notepad.
--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
"Colvalava" <Colvalava@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:B7E65E83-524A-49C0-A694-B089F655BC05@microsoft.com...
> Recall that, in trying to recover from an unbootable computer (Safe Mode
> didn't work), I booted from my WinXP installation disk and installed WinXP on
> my second hard drive, which was then my F: drive but somehow became my D:
> drive. My sense is that the screen I encounter during the boot process gives
> me the option of booting from either the C: drive (which contains a corrupted
> OS) and doesn't work, or the D: drive (which has a freshly installed OS),
> which does work. I could edit the boot.ini file in the D: drive by accessing
> it through the Control Panel's "System" icon. I don't think I can edit the
> boot.ini file on the C: drive because I would have to go the same route on
> the C: drive and I can't do that because the OS on the C: drive is corrupted
> and I can't boot from it.
>
> "Doug Knox MS-MVP" wrote:
>
>> By default, the C: drive is your boot drive, and the files in the root directory are what would control the boot. If you, via the BIOS or other means, made the other drive the primary drive, then you may well be able to format what you're calling the C: drive.
>>
>> In any case, BOOT.INI is a hidden, read-only text file. These attributes can be changed, and the file edited directly in Notepad.
>>
>> If you're unsure, post the contents of the BOOT.INI files from both drives, specifying which is which.
>>
>> --
>> Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
>> Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
>>
http://www.dougknox.com
>> --------------------------------
>> Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
>>
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
>> --------------------------------
>> Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
>> Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
>>
>> "Colvalava" <Colvalava@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:5AADF48B-EF67-434E-81BE-09BFD2B39F1E@microsoft.com...
>> > All these files are also on my D: drive, and are later versions (at least the
>> > first two) than are on the C: drive. The D: drive is where the fresh WinXP
>> > installation is. Also, I believe that the only way to access the boot.ini
>> > file is through the "system" icon on the control panel. Since I can't get
>> > into the control panel associated with the corrupted OS on the C: drive, I
>> > don't see how I can edit that file on the C: drive. When I do a cold boot, a
>> > screen appears that gives me a choice between two WinXP OS's. Using the
>> > default one (I've assumed that this is the one on the D: drive) the computer
>> > boots up normally. If I select the other one (I've only done this once) WinXP
>> > will not boot. Am I missing something?
>> >
>> > "Doug Knox MS-MVP" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Yes, the downside is that you won't be able to boot your computer, as the boot files are on the C: drive.
>> >>
>> >> Leave:
>> >>
>> >> NTLDR
>> >> NTDETECT.COM
>> >> BOOT.INI
>> >>
>> >> on the C: drive. Do not format, just delete anything you don't want. You can edit BOOT.INI to remove the old reference to the installation on the C: drive.
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
>> >> Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
>> >>
http://www.dougknox.com
>> >> --------------------------------
>> >> Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
>> >>
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
>> >> --------------------------------
>> >> Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
>> >> Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
>> >>
>> >> "Colvalava" <Colvalava@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:99A880A1-034C-4546-B523-B3536F761D48@microsoft.com...
>> >> >A recent hard crash led me to do a fresh installation of WinXP on my second
>> >> > hard drive, which became the D: drive. I have reinstalled all of my programs
>> >> > on that drive and transferred all of my files to it from the C: drive. The C:
>> >> > drive now contains only the corrupted OS and files I no longer need. When I
>> >> > boot up, I am given the choice of which drive to boot up on. Of course I
>> >> > select the D: drive. I would like to reformat the C: drive, wiping all data
>> >> > from it. Is there any downside to doing what I suggest? Is there anything
>> >> > else I need to do (modify files, etc.) before I do the reformat?
>> >>
>>
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