Re: Re-Install Wont Recognize CD. Want to delete Setup

Thanks for letting me know what happened.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

"DistressedinSantee"
<DistressedinSantee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message
news:12A8710D-2316-4E38-BE34-F2D552C1D45E@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
The problem was in the line
"default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS."

My line read "partition(2)." Like an idiot, I changed it to
(1). At the moment I clicked on reboot, I realized my
error. Dell computers have a partition (1) used for storage
of startup & installation files. I would have been fine had
I changed it to (2).

In the future, try to keep this in mind so mindless goofs
such as myself don't make such a mistake. I really wasn't
your fault, so thanks for the attempted help.

I'm still going through hell & will be doing my SECOND
reinstall here as soon as Dell gets on the phone.
--
Jimmy Greene
Santee, CA/Lake Oswego, OR


"Nepatsfan" wrote:

Sorry to hear my answer got you into this situation. Have
you tried booting from the XP setup disk recently? The only
way I know of to fix your new problem is to boot with your
installation CD into the Recovery Console and rebuild the
boot.ini file. Here's how that would work.

"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

Nepatsfan


"DistressedinSantee"
<DistressedinSantee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message
news:136939EA-DAD4-4F82-9C3A-38411F02C852@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks so much, but NOW I know the value of having a laptop
in addition to my desktop. I must have goofed up on
something. After following your instructions I rebooted.
I now get a message, " Windows couldn't start. Missing or
corrupt <Windows boot>\System32\hal.dll" I couldnt use
safe mode start, & "last known configuration" or
debuggging mode eventually just got me back to the same
message. Since it won't recognize my CD devices, I'm
stuck.


What now?

BTW, Thanks again for your time & assistance

--
Jimmy Greene
Santee, CA/Lake Oswego, OR


"Nepatsfan" wrote:

"DistressedinSantee"
<DistressedinSantee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message
news:1E8E1A98-F093-444E-BA11-E9EC83886543@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
I had apparent motherboard onboard USB driver problems
& tried to
reinstall Win XP Pro. During the install process, it
installed setup files, then rebooted. I now get a new
screen on startup of my computer that gives a choice of
operating systems from which to choose. I now get a
black screen
with a text choice of Win XP or Win XP setup (The new
default). If I let it go to setup, I get a blue screen
notifying me that it cannot locate my CD drive (I have 2
cd/dvd devices and could not resolve the issue with Bios
tweaks). I abandoned the XP install setup. If I select
Win XP, I get a normal boot. After normal setup, both
of my CD/DVD drives operate normally. I deleted temp
files that apparently had the Win XP install files.
That didn't help.
I bought ââ,¬Å"Registry Cleanerââ,¬Â? thinking that it
would remove the Win XP startup instructions & fix my
boot sequence. It did not. On boot-up, I still get the
screen that gives me a choice of the normal Win XP OS,
or the new default, Win XP Setup. Can anybody help
eliminate the setup instructions from the
computer/registry and/or start-up procedure, or get it
to recognize my CD?

--
Jimmy Greene
Santee, CA/Lake Oswego, OR


Go to Start -> Run and enter sysdm.cpl in the Open box.
Note: You can also right click My Computer and select
Properties from the menu.
In System Properties, click on the Advanced tab.
In the Advanced page, click on the Settings button in the
Startup and Recovery section.
In Startup and Recovery, click the down arrow next to
"Default operating system:" box.
Click on the entry for Windows XP Professional.
This should change the default from XP Pro Setup to your
actual XP Pro installation.
Next to "Time to display operating systems" change the
time entered to 30.
Click OK.

Now, hit the Settings button in Startup and Recovery
again. This time hit the Edit button.
This should open your boot.ini file in notepad.
Remove the entry that points to XP Professional Setup.
It will look something like this,
C:\$win_nt$.~bt\Bootsect.dat="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional Setup"

Your boot.ini file should be similar to this,

[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 Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

In notepad, click on File -> Save.
Close all open windows and reboot your computer to see if
you get the desired results.

Good luck

Nepatsfan



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