Boot.ini is missing but still able to boot correctly

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"Invalid Boot.ini" or "Windows could not start" error messages
when you start your computer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;330184

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ben Kwatta" wrote:

| As far as I know boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com are vital for XP to boot
| correctly. A few days ago I was working on a computer, during the boot
| process I noticed a message stating "invalid entry in boot.ini". I decided
| to check it out but there was no boot.ini !!
| ntldr and ntdetect.com are present. My Question is there a way that ntldr
| can bypass the boot.ini file ???
|
| Rik

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

"Ben Kwatta" <unknown@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:430741b6$0$11077$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl...
> As far as I know boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com are vital for XP to boot
> correctly. A few days ago I was working on a computer, during the boot
> process I noticed a message stating "invalid entry in boot.ini". I
decided
> to check it out but there was no boot.ini !!

I believe it's a hidden file.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport...

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 16:43:54 +0200, "Ben Kwatta" <unknown@nospam.net>
wrote:

> As far as I know boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com are vital for XP to boot
> correctly. A few days ago I was working on a computer, during the boot
> process I noticed a message stating "invalid entry in boot.ini". I decided
> to check it out but there was no boot.ini !!
> ntldr and ntdetect.com are present. My Question is there a way that ntldr
> can bypass the boot.ini file ???
>
> Rik
>

To see "boot.ini", Folder View settings must be set to enable viewing
hidden and system folders.

Also, perhaps you are looking in the wrong place. "boot.ini" will be
found in "C:\" if you have multi-booted with other versions of
Windows.

Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original thread
so that conversations may be kept in order
=======================================================

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Hide system files is UNchecked.......Like I said...ntldr and Ntdetect.com
are there...in the root of C:\.....
Rik
"Ben Kwatta" <unknown@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:430741b6$0$11077$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl...
> As far as I know boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com are vital for XP to boot
> correctly. A few days ago I was working on a computer, during the boot
> process I noticed a message stating "invalid entry in boot.ini". I
decided
> to check it out but there was no boot.ini !!
> ntldr and ntdetect.com are present. My Question is there a way that ntldr
> can bypass the boot.ini file ???
>
> Rik
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 20:31:13 +0200, "Ben Kwatta" <unknown@nospam.net>
wrote:

> Hide system files is UNchecked.......Like I said...ntldr and Ntdetect.com
> are there...in the root of C:\.....
> Rik
> "Ben Kwatta" <unknown@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:430741b6$0$11077$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl...
> > As far as I know boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com are vital for XP to boot
> > correctly. A few days ago I was working on a computer, during the boot
> > process I noticed a message stating "invalid entry in boot.ini". I
> decided
> > to check it out but there was no boot.ini !!
> > ntldr and ntdetect.com are present. My Question is there a way that ntldr
> > can bypass the boot.ini file ???
> >
> > Rik
> >
> >
>
Have you done a THOROUGH search of your HD for boot.ini?
Also, which bootloader are you using? XP's, or an other one.
Are you SURE you are using XP's boot loader?

As far as I know, XP will not boot if boot.ini is missing, since
boot.ini tells the bootloader WHERE to find your installation of
XP.

Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original thread
so that conversations may be kept in order
=======================================================

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

boot.ini should be in C:\

Start | Run | Paste this in the box:

%homedrive%\boot.ini

Click OK.
boot.ini should open.
-----

See if you have a boot.ini.backup in C:\WINDOWS\pss

Start | Run | Paste this in the box:

%windir%\pss\boot.ini.backup

Click OK.
If there is one, boot.ini.backup should open.

If you cannot find boot.ini and you do find boot.ini.backup. Copy
boot.ini.backup and rename the copy boot.ini and move it to C:
-----

Another way to get to the boot.ini....
Open System Properties
Start | Run | Paste this in the box:

control Sysdm.cpl,System,3

Click OK | Click the Settings button under Startup and Recovery |
Click the Edit buton

Clicking the Edit button opens %homedrive%\boot.ini

HOW TO: Search For Hidden Or System Files In Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;302347

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:430776fe$0$11062$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl,
Ben Kwatta <unknown@nospam.net> hunted and pecked:
> Hide system files is UNchecked.......Like I said...ntldr and Ntdetect.com
> are there...in the root of C:\.....
> Rik
> "Ben Kwatta" <unknown@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:430741b6$0$11077$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl...
>> As far as I know boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com are vital for XP to
>> boot correctly. A few days ago I was working on a computer, during the
>> boot process I noticed a message stating "invalid entry in boot.ini". I
>> decided to check it out but there was no boot.ini !!
>> ntldr and ntdetect.com are present. My Question is there a way that ntldr
>> can bypass the boot.ini file ???
>>
>> Rik

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 20:31:13 +0200, "Ben Kwatta" <unknown@nospam.net>
wrote:

>Hide system files is UNchecked.......Like I said...ntldr and Ntdetect.com
>are there...in the root of C:\.....

It may be that NTLDR will "guess" the default path if it finds no
Boot.ini; I seem to remember similar mileage with Win9x when no
Winboot.ini nor MSDOS.sys were present.



>------------------------ ---- --- -- - - - -
Forget http://cquirke.blogspot.com and check out a
better one at http://topicdrift.blogspot.com instead!
>------------------------ ---- --- -- - - - -

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

There have been a few posts to this newsgroup saying that XP booted with a
incorrect or missing boot.ini.
--
Ron Sommer

"cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)" <cquirkenews@nospam.mvps.org> wrote in
message news:e99fg1pv4gfd50hvd2t58vgduf1362n7bl@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 20:31:13 +0200, "Ben Kwatta" <unknown@nospam.net>
> wrote:
>
>>Hide system files is UNchecked.......Like I said...ntldr and Ntdetect.com
>>are there...in the root of C:\.....
>
> It may be that NTLDR will "guess" the default path if it finds no
> Boot.ini; I seem to remember similar mileage with Win9x when no
> Winboot.ini nor MSDOS.sys were present.
>
>
>
>>------------------------ ---- --- -- - - - -
> Forget http://cquirke.blogspot.com and check out a
> better one at http://topicdrift.blogspot.com instead!
>>------------------------ ---- --- -- - - - -