xp pro not booting after changes to boot.ini

Anonymous

The problem is my C: partition has Windows 7

D: Has XP Pro

These should be seen as partition 1 and 2 resp. right?

I wanted XP pro to boot first as the default partition.

A few days ago I made a change to the boot.ini file. But since then XP Pro has not been booting at all.

I wanted XP Pro to boot first as the default partition.

Since XP Pro and my D: drive have not been booting, I accessed the boot.ini file through the C: partition, that is Windows 7 and I changed the order (i.e. partition no.) in the boot.ini file and saved it to the necessary location, i.e. D:/WINDOWS/pss/

through my working C: drive, i.e. the Windows 7 partition, but it is still not working because apparently even though I am saving it here, the actual values and partition paths are not actually being changed on the system. I confirmed this by going into the CMD shell switching to D: and running the command D:>bootcfg.

Apparently no matter what values I am saving in the boot.ini file which I am saving as a text file or "All files" in D:/WINDOWS/pss/ it is not actually changing in the system because whenever I run the bootfg command the values are remaining just the same and not being able to be changed, because apparently it is not being saved in XP Pro and the D: partition. No matter what I do and what values I put into the boot.ini file accessed through the windows 7 partition, the values which bootcfg returns to me are always the same and it refuses to change the path name or anything else. Regardless of what commands I put into bootcfg itself also.

These are the values that bootcfg is giving me:

default:multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

Boot entries:

Boot entry ID: 1

OS friendly Name: MS Windows XP Professional

Path: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

OS Load options: /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN/FASTDETECT /USEPMTIMER

My XP Pro partition is just not booting and it is my primary partition and has all my work. It is imperative that it boots.

My Windows CD is also not booting because apparently my DVD drive is not working properly, I had the anti malware program threatfire (threatfire.com) installed on my D:Windows XP drive but have uninstalled just it in case it was blocking my changes to the system.

On C:Win7 I set the default OS option in the advanced tab to Win7 and on the D:XP Pro to XP Pro , when it was booting and working. Now I can only access my D:XP Pro files thru the C:Win7 drive. But XP just isnt booting. What shd I do? Thks.

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Anonymous

I do have a windows CD handy but my CD/DVD drive is not reading it and not working properly.

Seems like your initial post stated your cd/dvd isn't working.

With all due respect, you're gonna keep on with these hap hazard fixes and your computer isn't going to boot at all. I am going to try to help you one more time. Please follow closely.

Start your computer by loading Windows 7. Click HERE and download EasyBCD. Install the the software in the trial version. After the installation has completed open EasyBCD. You will see an interface like the image below. Click on Add a new entry.

A new screen will appear as in the image below. Use the drop down menu to select Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3 as shown below. Type the name of the operating system in the field below. Of course this will be Windows Xp (you can add Home or Pro to the name if you want). Now make sure there is a check mark in the box to "Automatically detect correct drive". Once you have completed those steps click "Add Entry". That's it!! You're done. If all went well, and if you followed these instructions carefully it will have, you now have a dual boot system.

You can now begin working on your cd/dvd issue.

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43 additional answers

Anonymous

2012-07-08T03:38:42+00:00

nilanjang,

First of all. THE WINDOWS XP BOOT.INI FILE IS NOT READ FROM C:\WINDOWS\PSS

THAT IS A BACKUP DONE BY ONE OF YOUR PROGRAMS. ALL FIRST BOOT FILES IN WINDOWS XP ARE IN THE ROOT OF THE DRIVE THAT MEANS THE BEGGINING RIGHT IN D:\

NOT IN D:\WINDOWS

Please Tell Me If you Have A windows CD Handy. We can attempt to write a boot sector into your D: partition.

-Alex
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Anonymous

2012-07-07T17:15:25+00:00

You were not given a "half reply". You have been instructed 3 different times to use EasyBCD to edit the boot menu to add Windows Xp to the boot menu. I even gave you the link to download EasyBCD from. As I have already stated, a simple Google search will reveal a ton of tutorials which will tell you how to use the tool. I don't know how else to say it in more simple terms than I already have. No one is trying to be sarcastic but, if you don't read the thread you will not get the answer. My first reply specifically told you that you were going about it all wrong and I told you how to fix the boot issue. I then stated to work on the cd/dvd issue after you have fixed the boot issue.

How to use EasyBCD

Forget about editing the boot.ini file. Forget the boot.ini file altogether. Use EasyBCD from Windows 7.

You received the post you quote above because you had already been told how to resolve the issue but you continue to ask how to resolve it. I don't mind helping but you have to help me help you by taking the time to read the replies and follow the instructions. Most of us are not new to this. We, for the most part, have dealt with just about all issues that are posted at one time or another.
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Anonymous

2012-07-07T17:11:04+00:00

ok I have just opened msconfig in win7 and switched to the boot tab but there is nowhere- no option here to edit the boot file. So what now?

@ OP. You can lead a horse to water but, you can't make him drink it.

@Alex I really don't like what win7 did with the boot file. Was this for protection?

What-happened-to-the-boot-ini-file

Replies like these are not helping at all. Pls abstain. Your replies and solutions are not clear at all and conflicting and confusing. Otherwise I wouldnt be wasting my time here either. All right? I am most offended by yr replies. If I knew what to do or what was going on, I wouldnt be wasting my time here typing to geeks like you. Kindly follow a step by step procedure in the future. I am not a techie and do not know what is going on. Or else I will complain.

Alex's replies are conflicting with yours and therefore causing confusion. Im trying to figure out whats going on, so take it easy.
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Anonymous

2012-07-07T16:57:57+00:00

How do I edit boot options in win7?

This is what my boot.ini file currently looks like (accesed through win7 on C: and currently located at D:\WINDOWS\pss):

;

;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.

;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.

;

[boot loader]

timeout=30

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

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 7" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT /USEPMTIMER

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN/FASTDETECT /USEPMTIMER

Is it correct? What should I write in this boot file?
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