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Using Boot.ini File

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First thing is "YOU CAN DO IT".
Second take your time, a little mistake can cause a big problem.
Third all answers are only a question away.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Edit the Boot.ini File in Windows XP

Summary
Save a Backup Copy of Boot.ini
Edit the Boot.ini
Sample Boot.ini File
Modifying the Boot.ini
Adding an Operating System
Removing an Operating System
Setting the Default Operating System
Setting the Time Out
Open the Boot.ini File to Verify Changes
Available switch options for the Windows XP and the Windows Server 2003 Boot.ini files
Load Printer Port in Safe Mode
Windows XP issues an 'Invalid Boot.ini' or 'Windows could not start …' error?
Invalid BOOT.INI file, loading From C:\Windows

Create a Duel Boot System Using Windows XP

How To Create A Multiple-Boot (Dual) System With Windows XP

Remove Dual Boot System Boot Menu

Remove A Multiple-Boot (Dual) System Menu

Edit the Boot.ini File in Windows XP

Summary

Below are the steps on how to view and manually configure the Boot.ini file in Windows XP from within the Startup and Recovery dialog.
In Windows XP, you can quickly and easily locate the Boot.ini to verify and/or edit the file.
Backup the Boot.ini file before editing. The first tasks will involve modifying folder option so as to view hidden files and then backing up the Boot.ini file.

Save a Backup Copy of Boot.ini

To Save the Boot.ini file:
- Right-click My Computer
- Click Properties.
-OR-
- Open Control Panel
- Start the Performance and Maintenance tool
- Click System
On the Advanced tab
Click Settings under Startup and Recovery
Under System Startup
Click Edit
In Notepad, click File on the Menu bar
Click Save As
Right click in an empty area of the Save As dialog box
Point to New in the Context menu
Click Folder
Type a name for the new folder
Press the Enter key to create the folder named tempboot
Double-click the new folder named boottemp
Click the Save button to save a backup copy of the Boot.ini file

Edit the Boot.ini

To view and edit the Boot.ini file:
- Right-click My Computer
- Click Properties
-OR-
- Open Control Panel
- Start the Performance and Maintenance tool
- Click System
On the Advanced tab
Click Settings under Startup and Recovery
Under System Startup
Click Edit

Sample Boot.ini File

Below is a sample of a default Boot.ini file from a Windows XP Professional computer.
Below is a sample of the above Boot.ini file after adding another partition running Windows 2000 Professional.

Modifying the Boot.ini

You can modify the Boot.ini file using the Startup and Recovery dialog, where you can select the default operating system, change the timeout value, or manually edit the file, or use the command line utility, Bootcfg.exe.
- Click Start
- Click Run
- In the Open text box type
- Press Enter
- At the command prompt type
- Press Enter
- The help and parameters for Bootcfg.exe will display

Adding an Operating System

At the command prompt, type:
Where Operating System Description is a text description (e.g. Windows XP Home Edition), and where # specifies the boot entry ID in the operating systems section of the boot.ini file from which the copy has to be made.
Press Enter

Removing an Operating System

At the command prompt type:
Where# specifies the boot entry ID that you want to be deleted from the operating systems section of the boot.ini file (e.g. 2 for the second Operating system that is listed.

Setting the Default Operating System

At the command prompt type:
Where # specifies the boot entry id in the operating systems section of the boot.ini file to be made the default operating system

Setting the Time Out

At the command prompt type:
Where # specifies the time in seconds after which default operating system will be loaded

Open the Boot.ini File to Verify Changes

Right-click My Computer
Click Properties

-OR-

In Control Panel
Start the Performance and Maintenance tool
Click System
On the Advanced tab
Click Settings under Startup and Recovery
Under System Startup
Click Edit

Available switch options for the Windows XP and the Windows Server 2003 Boot.ini files

Summary

You can add many different switches to the Boot.ini file that will modify the way that Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 start.
For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
You can add the following switches to the Boot.ini file.
Note: These switches apply to Microsoft Windows XP and to Microsoft Windows Server 2003, unless otherwise specified.
- /basevideo
  - This switch permits the system to load if you selected the wrong video resolution or refresh rate.
  - Use this switch in conjunction with the /sos switch.
  - If you install a new video driver, and it does not work correctly, you can use this parameter to start the operating system.
  - You can then remove, update, or roll back the problem video driver.
- /baudrate=number
  - This switch sets the baud rate of the debug port that is used for kernel debugging.
    - For example, type /baudrate=9600.
    - The default baud rate is 9600 kilobits per second (Kbps) if a modem is attached.
    - The default baud rate is 115,200 Kbps for a null-modem cable.
    - 9,600 is the normal rate for remote debugging over a modem.
    - If this switch is in the Boot.ini file, the /debug switch is automatically enabled.
    - For additional information about modem configuration, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
      - 148954 How to set up a remote debug session using a modem
      - 151981 How to set up a remote debug session using a null modem cable
- /crashdebug
  - This switch loads the kernel debugger when you start the operating system.
  - The switch remains inactive until a Stop message error occurs.
  - /crashdebug is useful if you experience random kernel errors.
  - With this switch, you can use the COM port for normal operations while Windows is running.
  - If Windows crashes, the switch converts the port to a debug port.
  - (This action turns on remote debugging.)
  - For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    - 151981 How to set up a remote debug session using a null modem cable
- /debug
  - This switch turns on the kernel debugger when you start Windows.
  - The switch can be activated at any time by a host debugger that is connected to the computer, if you want to turn on live remote debugging of a Windows system through the COM ports.
  - Unlike the /crashdebug switch, /debug uses the COM port whether you are debugging or not.
  - Use this switch when you are debugging problems that are regularly reproducible.
  - For additional information about remote debugging, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    - 121543 Setting up for remote debugging
- /debugport=comnumber
  - This switch specifies the communications port to use for the debug port, where number is the communications port, such as COM1, that you want to use.
  - By default, /debugport uses COM2 if it exists. Otherwise, the switch uses COM1.
  - If you include this switch in the Boot.ini file, the /debug switch becomes active.
  - For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    - 151981 How to set up a remote debug session using a null modem cable
- /maxmem=number
  - This switch specifies the maximum amount of RAM that Windows can use.
  - Do not make this setting less than 12.
  - Use this parameter to confirm whether a memory chip is faulty.
  - For example, if you have a 128-megabyte (MB) system that is equipped with two 64-MB RAM modules, and you are experiencing memory-related Stop messages, you can type /maxmem=64.
  - If the computer starts Windows and operates without problems, replace the first module to see if this action resolves the problem.
  - For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    - 108393 MAXMEM option in Windows NT Boot.ini file
- /noguiboot
  - This switch disables the bitmap that displays the progress bar for Windows startup. (The progress bar appears just before the logon prompt.)
- /nodebug
  - This switch turns off debugging. This scenario can cause a Stop error if a program has a debug hardcoded breakpoint in its software.
- /numproc=number
  - This switch sets the number of processors that Windows will run at startup.
  - With this switch, you can force a multiprocessor system to use only the quantity of processors (number) that you specify.
  - This switch can help you troubleshoot performance problems and defective CPUs.
- /pcilock
  - For x86-based systems, this switch stops the operating system from dynamically assigning hardware input, hardware output, and interrupt request resources to Peripheral Connect Interface (PCI) devices. With this switch, the BIOS configures the devices.
- /fastdetect:comnumber
  - This switch turns off serial and bus mouse detection in the Ntdetect.com file for the specified port.
  - Use this switch if you have a component other than a mouse that is attached to a serial port during the startup process.
  - For example, type /fastdetect:comnumber, where number is the number of the serial port. Ports may be separated with commas to turn off more than one port.
  - If you use /fastdetect, and you do not specify a communications port, serial mouse detection is turned off on all communications ports.
  - Note: In earlier versions of Windows, including Windows NT 4.0, this switch was named /noserialmice
  - For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    - 131976 How to disable detection of devices on serial ports
- /SOS
  - The /SOS switch displays the device driver names while they are being loaded.
  - By default, the Windows Loader screen only echoes progress dots. Use this switch with the /basevideo switch to determine the driver that is triggering a failure.
  - For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    - 99743 Purpose of the Boot.ini file in Windows 2000 or Windows NT
- /PAE
  - Use the /PAE switch with the corresponding entry in Boot.ini to permit a computer that supports physical address extension (PAE) mode to start normally.
  - In Safe Mode, the computer starts by using normal kernels, even if the /PAE switch is specified.
- /HAL=filename
  - With this switch, you can define the actual hardware abstraction layer (HAL) that is loaded at startup.
  - For example, type /HAL=halmps.dll to load the Halmps.dll in the System32 folder.
  - This switch is useful to try out a different HAL before you rename the file to Hal.dll.
  - This switch is also useful when you want to try to switch between starting in multiprocessor mode and starting in single processor mode.
  - To do this, use this switch with the /kernel switch.
  /kernel=filename
  - With this switch, you can define the actual kernel that is loaded at startup.
  - For example, type /kernel=ntkrnlmp.exe to load the Ntkrnlmp.exe file in the System32 folder.
  - With this switch, you can switch between a debug-enabled kernel that is full of debugging code and a regular kernel
- /burnmemory=number
  - This switch specifies the amount of memory, in megabytes, that Windows cannot use.
  - Use this parameter to confirm a performance problem or other problems that are related to RAM depletion.
  - For example, type /burnmemory=128 to reduce the physical memory that is available to Windows by 128 MB.
- /3GB
  - This switch forces x86-based systems to allocate 3 GB of virtual address space to programs and 1 GB to the kernel and to executive components.
  - A program must be designed to take advantage of the additional memory address space. With this switch, user mode programs can access 3 GB of memory instead of the usual 2 GB that Windows allocates to user mode programs.
  - The switch moves the starting point of kernel memory to 3 GB.
  - Some configurations of Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 may require this switch.
  - For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    - 823440 You must use the /3GB switch when you install Exchange Server 2003 on a Windows Server 2003-based system
    - 171793 Information on application use of 4GT RAM tuning
- /bootlog
  - This switch turns on boot logging to a file that is named systemroot\Ntbtlog.txt.
  - For more information about boot logging, see Windows Help.
- /safeboot:parameter
  - This switch causes Windows to start in Safe Mode.
  - This switch uses the following parameters:
  - You can combine other Boot.ini parameters with
  - The following examples illustrate the parameters that are in effect when you select a Safe Mode option from the startup recovery menu.
    - Safe Mode with Networking
    - Safe Mode with Networking
    - Safe Mode with Command Prompt
  - Note: The /SOS, /bootlog, and /noguiboot switches are not required with any one of these settings, but the switches can help with troubleshooting.
  - These switches are included if you press F8 and then select one of the modes.
- /userva
  - Use this switch to customize the amount of memory that is allocated to processes when you use the /3GB switch.
  - This switch permits more page table entry (PTE) kernel memory but still maintains almost 3 GB of process memory space.
  - For additional information about how to use the /USERVA switch, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    - 316739 How to use the /USERVA switch in the Boot.ini file to tune /3GB configurations
    - 810371XADM: Using the /userva switch on Windows Server 2003-based Exchange Servers
    - 323427 HOW TO: Manually edit the Boot.ini file in a Windows Server 2003 environment
    - 317526 HOW TO: Edit the Boot.ini file in Windows Server 2003
    - 317521 Description of the Bootcfg command and its uses
    - 289022 HOW TO: Edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP
    - 291980 A discussion about the Bootcfg command and its uses
- /redirect
  - Use this switch to turn on Emergency Management Services (EMS) on a Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition-based computer.
  - For additional information about EMS, search on "Emergency Management Services" in Windows Help and Support.
  - To turn on EMS by editing the Boot.ini on an x86-based computer, edit both the [boot loader] section and the [operating systems] section of the Boot.ini file.
  - To do this, configure the following entries:
    - Under [boot loader], add one of the following required statements:
      - redirect=COMx
        
        In this statement, replace x with one of the following COM port numbers:
        
        1
        
        2
        
        3
        
        4
      - redirect=USEBIOSSETTINGS
        
        This statement permits the computer BIOS to determine the COM port to use for EMS.
        
        Under [boot loader], add the following option statement:
        
        redirectbaudrate=baudrate
        
        Replace baudrate with one of the following values:
        
        9600
        
        19200
        
        57600
        
        115200
        
        By default, EMS uses the 9600 Kbps baud rate setting.
  - Under [operating systems], add the /redirect option to the operating system entry that you want to configure to use EMS.
  - The following example illustrates the use of these switches:
    - [boot loader]
      - timeout=30
      - default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
      - redirect=COM1
      - redirectbaudrate=19200
    - [operating systems]
      - multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003,
        Enterprise" /fastdetect
      - multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003,
        EMS" /fastdetect /redirect
/channel
- Use this switch together with the /debug switch and the /debugport switch to configure Windows to send debug information over an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) 1394 port.
- To support debugging over a 1394 port, both computers must be running Microsoft Windows XP or later.
- The 1394 port has a maximum number of 63 independent communications channels that are numbered 0 through 62.
- Different hardware implementations support a different number of channels across one bus.
- Windows XP has a limit of four destination computers.
- However, this limitation is removed in Windows Server 2003.
- To perform debugging, select a common channel number to use on both the computer that the debugger runs on, which is also known as the host computer, and the computer that you want to debug, which is also known as the destination computer.
- You can use any number from 1 to 62.
  - To configure the destination computer
    - Edit the Boot.ini file to add the /CHANNEL=x option to the operating system entry that you have configured for debugging.
    - Replace x with the channel number that you want to use.
    - For example, configure the [operating systems] area of the Boot.ini file to look similar to the following:
      - [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="Windows
        Server 2003, Enterprise" /fastdetect /debug
        /debugport=1394 /CHANNEL=3
    - Plug the 1394 cable in one of the 1394 ports.
    - Disable the 1394 host controller on the destination computer.
    - Start Device Manager
    - Right-click the device
    - Click Disable
    - Restart the computer.
  - To configure the host computer
    - Plug the 1394 cable in one of the 1394 ports.
    - Install the kernel debugger binary files.
    - Start a command prompt.
    - Press enter after you type each of the following commands:
    - Move to the folder where you installed the kernel debugger, and then type the following command:
    - When you first start the debugger, a 1394 virtual driver is installed.
    - This driver permits the debugger to communicate with the destination computer.
    - You must be logged on with administrator rights for this driver installation to complete successfully.

Load Printer Port in Safe Mode

Click Start
Click Run
Type in
Click on BOOT.INI tab
Click on the Safeboot
Click on the DESREPAIR
Click Apply
Click OK
The message "Do you wish to save changes and reboot or exit with out reboot" appears
Click Save and Reboot

Windows XP issues an 'Invalid Boot.ini' or 'Windows could not start …' error?

Error

When you start Windows XP, you receive one or both of the following errors:

Solution

Method 1
- If the Boot.ini file is missing, corrupt, or contains invalid entries, you will experience this problem.
  - Insert the Windows XP CD
  - Restart the computer
  - When prompted to Press any key to boot from CD, press the Space bar
  - At the Welcome to Setup message, press R to start the Recovery Console
  - If you multi-boot this computer, select the installation of Windows XP that failed to start.
  - When prompted, type the administrator password
  - Press Enter
  - When the command prompt opens type
  - Press Enter to display the entries in the boot.ini file
  - Type bootcfg /rebuild
  - Press Enter to scan your hard drives for Windows NT-based installations
  - Follow the on-screen instructions to add installations to the boot.ini file
  - Example
  - At the Yes/No/All prompt, respond with Y
  - When a you receive a message similar to Enter Load Identifier, type the boot menu description
  - Press Enter
  - When prompted to Enter OS Load options, type
  - Press Enter
  - Type Exit to restart your computer normally
Method 2
- Extract the hal.dll file using the Recovery Console
- Starting the Recovery Console
- Using the Windows CD or Bootup floppies start the computer.
  - There are some computer companies whose recovery cd will not allow you to boot to the Start Up screen. In this case you will have to create a Boot CD
- The Setup menu will appear on boot up.
- To start the Recovery Console press the "R" key

In the next window you will be prompted to select the Windows installation to repair : (usually just "1" )
Then press the Enter key after typing in the number that you want to use. In this case #1

Next you will be prompted to enter the Administrator account password
If you did not enter one on set up leave blank and press the Enter key
You are now in the Recovery Console
To get help type help at the prompt
Press Enter key

Use the Expand command to Expand the hal.dll file from the CD
The command would be expand d:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal.dll
Where the "d:" is use the drive letter for your CD
Once you have expanded the file type "exit" to exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

How To Create A Multiple-Boot System With Windows XP

Summary

You can install more than one operating system on your computer and choose which operating system you want to use every time you start your computer.
This is often called a dual-boot or multiple-boot configuration (see the glossary at the end of this article for definitions of unfamiliar terminology).

Disk Volumes and Disk Format

Note:Encrypting File System (EFS) is not available in the Windows XP Home Edition

Reformatting and Repairing the Hard Disk

You may need to reformat and repartation your hard disk if:
- You have only one volume.
- You have to install each operating system on a separate volume of your computer so that each installation can retain its own files and configuration information.
- The boot volume is not formatted with the correct file system:
  - If you want create a multiple-boot system by using Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me along with Microsoft Windows XP
  - You have to format the boot volume by using FAT16 because Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows Me do not support the NTFS file system.
  - If you want to install Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me with Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, you can format the boot volume by using FAT16 because Windows NT 4.0 does not support the FAT32 file system.
  - If you want to create a multiple-boot system using Windows 98 or Windows Me with Windows 2000, or Windows XP, you can format the boot volume by using FAT32
- Note:
  - If you format a Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP volume with any file system other than NTFS, you will lose all NTFS-specific features.
  - This includes some Windows XP features such as file system security, Encrypting File System (EFS) settings, disk quotas, and Remote Storage.
  - Likewise, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me do not recognize an NTFS partition and identify it as unknown.
  - Therefore, if you format a Windows 98 or Windows Me partition as FAT, and a Windows XP partition as NTFS, any files on the NTFS partition will not be available or visible if you try to access them while running Windows 98 or Windows Me.

Supported File Systems

The following table lists the supported file systems for Microsoft operating systems:

Operating system	Supported file systems

MS-DOS	FAT
Windows 3.1	FAT
Windows NT	FAT, NTFS
Windows 95	FAT
Windows 95 OSR2	FAT, FAT32
Windows 98	FAT, FAT32
Windows Me	FAT, FAT32
Windows 2000	FAT, FAT32, NTFS
Windows XP	FAT, FAT32, NTFS

Precautions

Before creating a multiple-boot configuration with Windows XP and another operating system, review the following precautions:
- Before attempting to create a multiple-boot system, be sure to back up your current system and all data files.
- Each operating system must be installed on a separate volume. Microsoft does not support installing multiple operating systems on the same volume.
- If you have only one volume on your computer, you have to reformat and repartation your hard disk to contain multiple volumes before you begin creating a multiple-boot configuration, unless you are simply installing another copy of Windows XP.
- Do not install Windows XP on a compressed drive that was not compressed using the NTFS compression utility.
- You have to use a different computer name for each operating system if the computer is on a Windows 2000 or Windows XP secure domain.
- Install the operating systems in the following order:
  1. MS-DOS
  2. Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me
  3. Windows NT
  4. Windows 2000
  5. Windows XP

To Create a Multiple-Boot System with Windows XP and MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me

Note: You cannot install both Windows 95 and Windows 98 in a multiple-boot configuration.
Windows 98 is intended as an upgrade to Windows 95 and it will try to use the same boot file.
You have to install Windows XP only after installing MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me to prevent these operating systems from overwriting the Windows XP boot sector and the Windows XP startup files.
To create a multiple-boot system with Windows XP and MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me:
- Ensure that your hard disk is formatted with the correct file system.
- Install the multiple operating systems into separate volumes, in the following order: MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, and then Windows XP.
- Do one of the following
  - If you want a multiple-boot system with MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me along with Windows XP, install MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me, and then install Windows XP.
  - If you want a dual-boot system with only Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me, install Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows Me, and then install Windows XP.
  - Install each operating system according to the standard installation procedure.
    - Create a Multiple-Boot System with Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP
      - Using a multiple-boot system with both Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP is not recommended as a long-term solution.
      - The NTFS update in Service Pack 5 (SP5) for Windows NT 4.0 is provided only to help you evaluate and upgrade to Windows XP.
    - Create a multiple-boot system with Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP
      - Ensure that your hard disk is formatted with the correct file system.
      - Install Windows NT 4.0 and apply SP5, and then install Windows XP to a separate volume.
      - Install each operating system according to the standard installation procedure.
      - Note: If you intend to install more than one operating system consisting of some combination of Windows NT 4.0, with either Windows 2000, or Windows XP as the only installed operating systems, you must ensure that you have installed SP5 for Windows NT 4.0.
      - Windows XP automatically upgrades any NTFS partitions that it finds on your system to the version of NTFS that is used in Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
      - However, Windows NT 4.0 requires SP5 to read and write files on a volume that is formatted with the version of NTFS used in Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
    - Installing Programs on More Than One Operating System
      - If you are installing programs on more than one operating system, you have to treat each operating system as a separate entity.
      - Any programs and drivers that you want to use must be installed under each operating system under which you want to use it.
      - For example, if you want to use Microsoft Word on the same computer under both Windows 98 and Windows XP, you have to start Windows 98 and install Microsoft Word, and then, you have to restart your computer under Windows XP and reinstall Microsoft Word.
      - Note:Windows 95 or Windows 98 might reconfigurehardware settings the first time you use them, which may cause configuration problems when you start Windows XP.
    - Specifying the Default Operating System for Startup
      - If you have more than one operating system on your computer, you can set the operating system that you want to use as the default one for when you start your computer:
        
        Click Start
        
        Click Control Panel
        
        Double-click System
        
        On the Advanced tab, under Startup and Recovery
        
        Click Settings .
        
        Under System startup, in the Default operating system list, click the operating system that you want to start when you turn on or restart your computer.
        
        Select the Display list of operating systems for check box
        
        Type the number of seconds for which you want the list displayed before the default operating system starts automatically
        
        To manually edit the boot options file
        
        Click Edit. Microsoft strongly recommends that you do not modify the boot options file (Boot.ini), because doing so may render your computer unusable.

Glossary

Boot Volume
- The volume that contains the Windows operating system and its support files. The boot volume can be, but does not have to be, the same as the system volume.
- See: System Volume, Volume

Dual-Boot
- A computer configuration that can start two different operating systems.
- See: Multiple-Boot

FAT (File Allocation Table)
- A file system that is used by MS-DOS and other Windows-based operating systems to organize and manage files. The file allocation table (FAT) is a data structure that Windows creates when you format a volume by using the FAT or FAT32 file systems. Windows stores information about each file in the FAT so that it can retrieve the file later.
- See: FAT32, File System, NTFS File System

FAT32
- A derivative of the FAT file system. FAT32 supports smaller cluster sizes and larger volumes than FAT, which results in more efficient space allocation on FAT32 volumes.
- See: File Allocation Table (FAT), NTFS File System, Volume

File System
- In an operating system, the file system is the overall structure in which files are named, stored, and organized. NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 are types of file systems.
- See: NTFS File System, FAT, FAT32

Multiple-Boot
- A computer configuration that can start two different operating systems.
- See: Dual-Boot

NTFS File System
- An advanced file system that provides performance, security (i.e.,file and folder permissions), reliability, and advanced features that are not found in any version of FAT.
- For example, NTFS guarantees volume consistency by using standard transaction logging and recovery techniques. If a system fails, NTFS uses its log file and checkpoint information to restore the consistency of the file system. In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, NTFS also provides advanced features such as encryption, Reparse points, Sparse files, USN Journal, and disk quotas.
- See: FAT32, File Allocation Table (FAT), File System

System Volume
- The volume that contains the hardware-specific files that are needed to load Windows on x86-based computers with a basic input/output system (BIOS). The system volume can be, but does not have to be, the same volume as the boot volume.
- See: Boot Volume, Volume

Volume
- An area of storage on a hard disk. A volume is formatted by using a file system, such as FAT or NTFS, and has a drive letter assigned to it. You can view the contents of a volume by clicking its icon in Windows Explorer or in My Computer. A single hard disk can have multiple volumes, and volumes can also span multiple disks.
- See: File Allocation Table (FAT), NTFS File System

Remove Multiple-Boot (Dual) System Menu

Method #1

After reinstalling XP or Win2k you may find you have a "dual boot" menu
When you power on your computer you will get a menu and be asked to select which operating system you wan to run
If you want to remove this menu be sure the "default" operating system is correct.
- To do this:
  - Reboot and do not choose an operating system selection
  - After 30 seconds, the default will boot automatically
  - Click Start
  - Right-click My Computer
  - Select Properties
  - Click Advanced
  - Click the Settings button under Startup And Recovery
  - A dropdown box at the top of the window shows the default operating system
  - If it is not correct change it and verify by rebooting and checking again
  - Open the Startup and Recovery Setting window again and uncheck the box for "Time to display list of operating systems"
Method #2
- Edit the boot menu
- Your current boot.ini file probably looks similar to the following example. This example is an XP system and a Win 98 system . If in method #1 above you reinstall Windows XP and the menu appeared then you would see Windows XP where you see Windows 98 in the example below.
  [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"
  D:\="Microsoft Windows 98"
- Click Start
- Right-click My Computer
- Select Properties
- Click Advanced
- Click the Settings button under Startup And Recovery
- In the Startup And Recovery dialog, click the Edit button under System Startup
- The boot.ini file with open with Windows Notepad
- To remove the second Windows XP boot option, simply delete this line: D:\="Microsoft Windows 98." Without the line, Windows XP becomes the default startup OS
- If you prefer to leave the dual-boot feature as is, but you want Windows to start the default operating system sooner, simply replace the number after Timeout= to something less than 30 seconds. (Windows will present you with a dual-boot option, but it will launch XP within the time you specify)
- When you have completed editing
- Click File
- Click Save
- Close Notepad
- Reboot to test

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