Thanks for solving all the problems

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You nailed it, John. PC finally booted normally. I'm using the new drive.
Old drive has been removed. No B&W prompt screens at start up. In closing,
let me list the steps taken so others might benefit:

1) Deleted the "C:\$WIN_NT$~BT" folder and the $LDR$" file, as suggested.
(Did not see/delete a "$WIN_NT$.~LS" folder.)

2) When asked to choose an operating system, both "WINDOWS (default)"
choices booted the PC normally. Tested them both.

3) Started a command prompt and typed in "set systemroot" (no quotes), the
command returned: "SystemRoot=C:\WINDOWS" and this happened the same
regardless of which operating system I chose.

4) Unhid and edited the "boot.ini" file exactly as you wrote it below. No
extra lines. (When I post to these NGs, something adds extra lines and all
these crazy carets (>) to my text.)

You're a genius. Thanks a million to you, and others who kindly offered
ideas. I not only fixed some problems, I learned a LOT. Joe

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23krNUvcnIHA.1204@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Joe Starin wrote:

> "system32" folder located in C:\$WIN_NT$~BT (size 1.8MB, containing 2
files,
no folders, "Read only" has a tick in it.) Created February 3 at 4:41
PM. BUT, I CANNOT see this folder by using MY COMPUTER to access the "C"
drive, then opening the WINDOWS folder.

Those are the remnants of a failed or aborted Windows installation. When
you do a Windows XP installation the Setup program copies the files from
the CD to the hard drive and stores it in this folder and adds an entry
to the boot.ini file to reboot to this folder. You no longer need this
folder delete it. Along with that folder there is a folder named
$WIN_NT$.~LS and a file named $LDR$ that can also be deleted.



FWIW. I also have a "System" folder in the C:\WINDOWS folder (size 25.4
MB, created February 3 at 3:03 PM.) Not sure this is relevant.

That is the Windows installation that you are (or should be) booting to.
You can confirm that by starting a Command Prompt and issuing the
following command:

set systemroot

The command should return: SystemRoot=C:\WINDOWS

You didn't tell us what happens when you try the different boot options
when Windows is booting, if you try the different boot option do they
both boot the computer correctly? Do they both boot to the same
Systemroot folder?

4) Removed spaces on some sides of the equal ("=") sign in the
"boot.ini" file in the root drive (C:\). (Spacing was inconsistent.)
"Boot.ini" file now contains:

[boot loader]

timeout=30

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

[operating systems]

The only boot.ini file that is of any importance is the one in the root
folder, the other ones cannot be used and are not used to boot Windows.
Your file should read as such:

[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 XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

There are no empty lines in the file, it is as above, without blank
lines.


When the Boot.ini file is not present Ntldr attempts to boot Windows from
the Windows folder on the first partition of the first disk, this is
usually the C:\Windows folder, but the C:\$WIN_NT$~BT folder also
qualifies as a location for a Windows operating system. My guess is that
with an incomplete boot.ini file devoid of entries under the [operating
systems] section, ntldr may be acting in the same kind of manner and
presenting what it thinks are two valid boot options. That guess or
theory would be easy enough to test by trying to boot the computer with
the boot.ini file unchanged after you remove the failed setup folders.

John




.

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