Need boot.ini help

fletch

Right I've got Windows XP installed on my C: drive & Win98SE installed on my drive (partition of the C: drive). However I can only get WinXP to boot.
I've been tinkering around with the boot.ini file and it looks something like 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
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows 98 SE" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

MrVestek

You might wanna remove those /noexecute=optin and /fastdetect switches. Just out of curiosity, what order did you install these OSes in?

angelofdeath

try setting the timeout to -1

fletch

Installed Win98 and then XP

fletch

angelofdeath wrote:

try setting the timeout to -1

A joke I take it?

angelofdeath

no it disables the timeout and forces the user to select an os to boot into afaik

fletch

File now looks like

[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
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 98 SE"

fletch

Getting the following error message when i try boot Win98
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<windows root>\system32\hal.dll
Please re-install a copy of the above file

fletch

angelofdeath wrote:

no it disables the timeout and forces the user to select an os to boot into afaik

And how will that help? I have the timeout set to 30secs

angelofdeath

what? i thought it might be worth a try if /noexecute thing didnt work
http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/download.php?haldownload0UEhSCZIkP
^hal.dll, you'll have to copy it to win98's system32 from xp

Yakuza

This has happened to me several times over the years with dual boot machines.

What worked for me was to reinstall windows 98 on top of the version on the drive (AFAIK it doesnt wipe the old settings). This has the side effect of fixing the boot sector on the C: drive so that Win98 will boot

Then, boot from your XP CD, and attempt to re-install XP on your C: drive. It should detect your current installation, and offer to repair it. Take this option, and all should be fixed.

There's quite a bit of info on the M$ site about dual booting too:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306559&sd=tech
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=es&rls=GGLD%2CGGLD%3A2005-10%2CGGLD%3Aen&q=repair+dual+boot+98+xp+pc+site%3Amicrosoft.com&meta=

I hope this helps...

Bodan

I hate Microsofts boot manager , theres no proper documentation on it and no little utility allowing you to edit or repair it. I have had this problem in the past . The best way to fix it is to get a windows 98 Se boot disk , it can be found anywhere on the net . Then boot with it . At the c:\ prompt type sys a: d: (this will transfer windows 98 system files to the d drive) then reboot the machine and you will be in windows 98 . Put in the win xp cd and use the recovery console (or whatever equivalent , i have Windows2000) to repair the boot partition . You should have your dual boot back .

Irishpimpdude

my boot.ini seems to have dissapeared can someone tell me where to find it??

MrVestek

Irishpimpdude wrote:

my boot.ini seems to have dissapeared can someone tell me where to find it??

Stop thread hijacking. You'd probably just be better off installing a new boot manager to your MBR as I've had alot of fiddling about with MS's bootloader too, as others have stated. I'd recommend something like boot magic which is part of Powerquest's Partition Magic software, if I'm not mistaken. Used to use it back in the woeful days of dualbooting Windows 98SE and XP Pro.